Is liquid better than cigarettes?
E-cigarettes have gained popularity in recent years. The vapour from these devices generally contains fewer carcinogens and harmful substances than the smoke from conventional cigarettes. However, e-liquids are not harmless either.
Studies suggest that e-cigarettes are less harmful to health than tobacco cigarettes. Vapers are less likely to suffer from respiratory diseases such as COPD or chronic bronchitis than smokers. Nevertheless, these diseases occur more frequently in vapers than in non-smokers. Long-term studies are still lacking, so the long-term effects of vaping are not fully known.
Some people use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. According to an English study, 18% of smokers who switched to e-cigarettes were able to give up conventional cigarettes after one year. By comparison, only 10% of those who used nicotine patches remained smoke-free.
E-cigarettes can be a less harmful alternative to smoking, but they are by no means healthy.