The usage of cigarettes has been around for centuries yet only in the past decade (or so) has the process of "vaping" substances - such as tobacco- increased in popularity.
So, which is better for you? Is this newer process actually better for your health?
The processes differ from each, and so the only way to say which is better is to understand how each form works and the chemicals involved.
When smoking via cigarettes, the heat from a fire causes the substances to change from a solid state to a vapour. In cigarettes this causes a release of nicotine which is then absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs - in turn increasing the heart rate, constricting blood vessels, releasing amounts of dopamine into the brain and causing a feeling of alertness. However, as a stimulant, when nicotine leaves the blood system you crash, which will ultimately lead to addiction - the case for many people.
Most choose smoking over other methods of consuming tobacco, such as chewing it, as smoking only takes 6 seconds for the compounds to reach your nervous system. But you have to inhale smoke in the process. This smoke is made up of partially burned particles that build up tar in your body, have cancer-causing effects, blacken teeth and destroy tastes buds; effects can cause life-long health issues, like lung cancer and emphysema.
This is where vaping comes in.
If you can heat the components enough to become aerosolized without starting a combustion reaction with the other compounds then you can, theoretically, get fast effects without the damage of smoke inhalation. Vaping commonly involves a glass or metal chamber with an electrical current passing through it - this way it can heat the compounds to a contained temperature, therefore, creating a vapour with minimal combustion meaning the amount of smoke that is inhaled reduces dramatically - in theory causing less harm to the human body.
For e-cigarettes using a liquid solution instead of dried tobacco has become increasingly popular; this e-liquid contains water, nicotine, a base (and sometimes flavouring) and vaporises at a much lower temperature that an e-cigarette using a dried tobacco base.
But this is where the problems start.
The e-liquid contains a base which holds similarities to that used in cosmetics and foods that help maintain moisture without creating a damp texture. One increasingly common base called Propylene Glycol (C3H8O2) - a synthetic organic compound regularly used in theatrical smoke - has been known to cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory infections.
So, what happens after prolonged inhalation of e-cigarettes?
Scientists don't really know.
E-liquid also differ greatly between manufacturers with sparse regulation for additional preservatives. A number of E-liquids have been found to contain Diacetyl (CH3CO2), a chemical which is known to give butter its "buttery" taste. Inhalation of this chemical can lead to scarring in the lungs identified as "Popcorn Lung", named after the hundreds of workers who inhaled the chemical in a microwavable popcorn factory and were left with irreversible damage to their lungs... This is an example of how the lack of quality control in e-cigarettes should be a significant issue to those buying and selling the products.
However, current evidence does suggest that vaporisers administer nicotine with far less dire effects due to decreased carcinogenic (cancer causing) products and smoke inhalation.
But less harmful does not mean safe...
E-cigarettes that include added flavouring components tend to contain other damaging chemicals!
And second-hand smoke is still a hazard; exhaled particles from vaporisers (known as "Ultrafine particles") have been noted to affect pulmonary well-being.
On the other hand, most of the information we have on the dangerous effects of smoking comes from long-term studies, with cancers forming much later in a smokers life and as vaporisers are somewhat new, researchers just don't have the same access to longitudinal studies and so far the only proven adverse effects of using e-cigarettes are users becoming dependent on the nicotine - an effect also seen in cigarette users.
So, until years into the future, when e-cigarettes and vaporisers are just as common as the cigarette is nowadays - we won't really know which is worse for you. Currently, it seems that the average cigarette damages the body in ways that an e-cigarette won't. But, like cigarettes, we probably won't know if there are any dangers until generations are addicted to them and in poor health as a result of the build up of chemicals - chemicals that shouldn't have a home in the human body.
-Ellie Jones, Langley Park School for Girls
