Are electronic cigarettes safer than conventional cigarettes, and are they a good tool for quitting smoking?

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7 Answers

Robert Howland Profile
Robert Howland answered

E-cigarettes are healthier alternative to smoking. It's True!  Smokers are finding lots of benefits to e-cigarettes.  E-cigarettes are
designed and made to look like cigarettes. You can put it in your mouth,
puff through, inhale/exhale the vapor.  They give you the same feeling
and taste as smoking cigarettes but without the harmful ingredients.
E-cigarettes are proven to help quit smoking.

Jenna Haze Profile
Jenna Haze answered

As we all comprehend the dreadfulness of smoking but are unable to quit due to its addiction, here come vape a good substitute to at least start avoiding cigarettes.

This cigarette proxy thing is surely gonna hit you if you are a real haze lover. Though it’s hard to compare Vape over a standard cigarette, it is still plausible to say that E cigarettes do not contain as many unsafe chemicals and numerous poisons that regular cigarettes do.


Seth Pratt Profile
Seth Pratt answered
Yes, they are better, and very helpful!
Lily Bradic Profile
Lily Bradic , Smoked for 3 or 4 years, now use e-cigs, answered

Short answer: Yes.

Long-Term Health Effects

Nobody can say what the long-term effects of using electronic cigarettes are, as they haven't been around for that long. However, it goes without saying that they're better for you than traditional cigarettes, and considering what they contain, there's nothing to suggest that they're harmful.

I switched from smoking traditional cigarettes (around 10 a day) to electronic ones to support my heavy-smoking partner (20+ per day) in his efforts to quit. I did some research first, to see how safe they were, and found out that electronic cigarettes are a lot safer and simpler than I'd thought.

Facts About E-Cigarettes

  • They produce water vapour, so there's no smell or burning. No tar, no tobacco, and none of the other nasty stuff.
  • Vaporising (using e-cigarettes) has next to none of the health risks of smoking. There are carcinogens found in the liquid, but in quantities so minute (they'd need to be around one thousand times stronger in order to be dangerous) that you're probably at more risk from eating potato chips.
  • The only ingredients in the e-liquid are: Propylene glycol (a compound commonly found in food and pharmaceuticals), vegetable glycerine (ditto), flavourings, and a small amount of nicotine.
  • I've seen e-liquids with anything from 30mg down to 0mg of nicotine in them, so you can choose your amount and use it to help taper off.
  • If you choose your own e-liquid rather than buying the pre-filled cartridges, you've got an incredible range of flavours to choose from. I like mint, vanilla and coffee, personally, but my partner likes the cigarette-flavoured ones. They make some really bizarre flavours like Jagerbomb, sherbet, Red Bull, mojito (tastes like bathroom cleaner) and Turkish Delight (tastes like perfume). The natural flavours seem to be the nicest.
Smoking Cessation Or Replacement?
This really depends on the person. My boyfriend has tried quitting smoking multiple times over the past twenty years, and it's got to the point where he doubts he'd be able to quit for good.
He switched to e-cigarettes and has stopped coughing, doesn't crave them, and is happy he can smoke anywhere he wants. For him, it's probably a replacement (at least for now) but I'm probably going to use it to quit.
However, nicotine isn't much worse for you than caffeine — it's just addictive. I don't mind being addicted to something that's not harming me, and keeps me alert and relaxed, so I might just keep vaporising.

Should I Stop Smoking Real Cigarettes And Start Smoking E-Cigarettes?
If you're already smoking, I'd definitely say so. It's so much cheaper, and even if they do find that it's not entirely healthy in the long term, it's still a million times better for you than smoking is!
However, if you don't smoke, there's no reason to start, really — but again, if you're going to start smoking cigarettes, you're better off starting to vaporise instead.
More Information
The best forum I've found for everything and anything to do with e-cigarettes and vaping is E-Cigarette Forum. I started with a standard starter kit, but after reading up about everything online (primarily on that website) I'm now vaporising with a custom kit and buying e-liquids separately as opposed to pre-filled cartridges.
Just To Conclude...
If you want to quit smoking but think you'll have trouble with both the physiological and psychological sides of the addiction (as in, the nicotine and the act of bringing a cigarette to your mouth and puffing) then I'd strongly recommend using e-cigarettes to help you quit.

natalie johnson Profile
natalie johnson answered
They are supposed to be worse. They deliver nicotine right away and they are not regulated (they just changed this law but it's not in effect) so there's no telling how much nicotine is in them. Stay away from them.
Holly North Profile
Holly North answered

Stepping into the health debate around electronic cigarettes is a messy and frustrating exercise.  These devices are either the best technological solution to the smoking pandemic or the biggest looming threat to public health.


Arthur Wright Profile
Arthur Wright answered
They're supposed to be, but I have never heard anyone ever say they actually work, so since I don't smoke, I really don't know. I always hear they're supposed to work by everyone who has tried quitting.

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