Exposing Electronic Cigarette Myths

How are Myths Born

As we know human beings are story teller’s by nature. Our thirst for knowledge is only surpassed by the strong urge to understand this knowledge, apply and build upon it. Each individual has a multitude of varying attributes and characteristics that are either intrinsic or have stemmed through our personal experiences. One of the most fundamental of these is curiosity. Curiosity is one of mans most powerful  tools that drives us to explore the unknown, learn and develop. It can be said that this particular human feature is a primary building block of knowledge itself.

See what sets us apart from the other animals that walk the earth is not that we have a higher intelligence, although this to a degree does play a part, but our valuable ability to be introspective – that is to question the meaning and purpose of our very existence. Humans have a strong desire to communicate and it is the story that acts as a sort of bridge between seeking out new knowledge and the communication used to connect with another to obtain it.

Humans are not the most logical of creatures and as a result we are not programmed to seek “the truth” but rather to “win”. We only have to take a step back in time to see that when humans don’t understand something they will come up with their own explanations as to explain the phenomenon. Surely you all must have heard of the stories of Egyptian, Roman and Greek Gods?

Top 3 Electronic Cigarette Myths

Now we have a basic understanding of myths and their origins let’s take a look at the most common myths associated with Electronic Cigarettes and see how they came to be.

Electronic Cigarettes Are As Bad As Cigarettes

Its Origin:

Our good old friend the FDA reported to find carcinogens in nicotine cartridges. The media jumped on this statement and had a field day claiming that they were just as bad as regular cigarettes.

The Truth:

Ok so the FDA did find levels of nitrosamines however tests on other nicotine products such as the highly recommend nicotine patches and gum also contain the same nitrosamines. A independent study by Dr Murray showed that the average e cig contained around 8.18ng nitrosamines per 1g of e liquid. Basically this means that 8ng in 1g is equal to 8 parts per trillion. Yes very small! If we compare this to the nicotine patch and a regular cigarette, tests showed that the patch contained 8ng (0.18ng less) and the cigarette 11,190ng.

The Second Hand Vapour Is Dangerous

Its Origin:

Anti smoking groups claim that like the cigarette smoke, the vapour from an electronic cigarette is dangerous to none smokers/vapers.

The Truth:

Recent research on second hand vaping shows that the vapour from an electronic cigarette lasts around 11 seconds compared to the 20 minutes of cigarette smoke. These devices have also been proven to only contain a very minute, barley detectable, amount of the carcinogens found in cigarettes. More info can be found here

Electronic Cigarettes Are A Threat To Children

Its Origin:

Anti smoking groups have said that the ‘gadget’ and sweet flavoured eliquids will appeal to the younger generation. Also with a high percentage of children browsing the internet nowadays with no supervision they claim e cigs are easily accessible.

The Truth:

If you look at the cheaper end of the electronic cigarette range they are usually sell between £30 to £50. I don’t know about you but when I was a child I would rather spend my money on a computer game or music rather than an expensive vaping device. Also while I agree with the amount of children surfing the web unsupervised is high, the children would first need to get hold of a credit card to make the purchase and then hide the invoice (not to mention internet banking) in order to buy a e cig and keep it hidden.

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge - Stephen Hawking

While e cigs, as far as understanding is concerned, are still in the shadows you should expect to hear more myths and misguided information. As seen above it’s only natural for myths to surround subjects that are generally unknown and misunderstood. The most important thing is to do the research yourself, collect the facts and figures and make an educated decision based upon these.

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