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5 Myths About Vaping You Probably Believe

At Electric Tobacconist, we're all about vaping. But at the same time, we know this is still a relatively new activity, so there still exists a great deal of misinformation or outright lack of knowledge about using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. Along with this comes a tidal wave of myths about vaping that can be all too easy to believe. With this blog, we want to set the record straight. We're going to separate fact from fiction and give you the solid and reliable information you need to make an informed choice about e-cigarettes. With the UK vaping sector now worth at least £1 billion and new companies and brands entering the market all the time, it's essential that those who are vaping know the truth about their devices and the liquid they contain. So, here are the top myths about vaping you hopefully will no longer believe after reading this. Myths or facts about electronic cigarette, conceptual image.

Myths or facts about electronic cigarette, conceptual image.

✪ Vaping Myth No 1: Vaping Is Just as Bad as Smoking

To the uninitiated, the act of vaping might look almost identical to smoking. You draw from a device and inhale what looks like smoke and gives off a great big cloud. This is indeed what happens with e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. But the enormous difference is there's no toxic smoke at all — only water vapour that's given off as a result of the heating of e-liquid and the nicotine it may or may not contain.

❈ FACT: Burning tobacco contains thousands of harmful chemicals while vapour from e-cigarettes and other devices does not and is almost entirely safe (says Public Health England).

➽ Myth No 1: BUSTED!

✪ Vaping Myth No 2: Electronic Cigarettes Cause 'Popcorn Lung'

Following on from the previous myth, some people believe that e-cigs can cause what's popularly known as "popcorn lung". This is a condition called bronchiolitis obliterans that can result from inhaling large quantities of the chemical diacetyl, which is used in the flavouring of microwave popcorn — but other chemicals can also cause it to develop. While diacetyl was used in some e-liquids to give them flavours, it's now prohibited altogether in nicotine-containing e-cigs and liquids in the UK.

❈ FACT: The e-liquid used in e-cigarettes and other vaping devices does not contain any substances that give rise to “popcorn lung”.

➽Myth No 2: BUSTED!

✪ Vaping Myth No 3: Vaping Is a Gateway to Smoking for Young People

For some time, there have been fears that vaping is the first step by teenagers and those in their early 20s to picking up a tobacco cigarette and starting to smoke. We will leave the word on this to the latest report on vaping from Public Health England. It says that "the evidence does not support the concern that e-cigarettes are a route into smoking among young people (youth smoking rates in the UK continue to decline, regular use is rare and is almost entirely confined to those who have smoked)".

❈ FACT: Young people are not smoking more, but less; therefore, increased vaping leading to tobacco cigarette use is simply not true.

➽Myth No 3: BUSTED!

✪ Vaping Myth No 4: My E-Cigarette Might Explode

Tales in the Press of electronic cigarettes catching fire cannot be discounted, but like any device using a lithium-ion battery, there is a fraction of a risk — as evidenced recently by certain Samsung computing devices. The UK government says about exploding e-cigarettes: "Incidents are very rare. The cause is uncertain but appears to be related to malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries." So, choose quality and reliable brands.

❈ FACT: It’s highly unlikely your e-cig is going to explode and catch fire — especially when shopping with Electric Tobacconist, as we only stock the very best vaping products on the market today.

➽Myth No 4: BUSTED!

✪ Vaping Myth No 5: E-Cigarettes Contain Antifreeze

We've saved the most bizarre in the compendium of myths about vaping to last. It's so bizarre that all we have to say is: Don’t be so ridiculous! No one has ever died from vaping — and that would almost certainly be the grim outcome if you consumed antifreeze (ethylene glycol). Some e-liquids may contain elements that make up ethylene glycol, such as propylene glycol, but these are not hazardous on their own.

❈ FACT: We don’t even need to state the obvious (do we?).

➽Myth No 5: BUSTED, OF COURSE!

Discover the world of myth-free vaping products at the Electric Tobacconist online shop. We’ve got the best brands, the latest products and hot new e-liquids. Want FREE postage? Spend more than £10 and you’ve got it!

By Chris Pearse