Is Vaping a Fad?

An important battle has been waged for years over whether e-cigarettes are benign or harmful. Critics claim that hidden dangers lurk behind the wiping fad. But to its most passionate supporters, vaping is a model for how smoking (and perhaps drug use in general) might evolve in the 21st century. With the proliferation of so many half-truths and bad science, the controversy may have left many consumers confused and bewildered.

E-cigarettes consist of two major components a lithium-ion battery, which heats up a nicotine-filled liquid, and a wiping atomizer, which turns this liquid into vapor. Although the nicotine is addicting, e-cigarettes contain only traces of the carcinogens and toxic chemicals found in regular cigarette smoke. Va ping also does not produce any ash or unpleasant fumes that may upset bystanders. Vaping is popular with many former smokers who want to indulge in a nicotine high without consuming noxious chemicals.

Since vaping became popular only a few years ago, the health community has remained divided on the safety of e-cigarettes. Critics claim that the long-term effects of wiping still remain largely unknown. Advocates argue that the direct danger from e-cigarettes is relatively minimal -a claim that is backed up by some evidence.

For instance, a study published by Cancer Research UK found that heavy smokers who substituted conventional cigarettes for e-cigarettes for at least six months had significantly lower levels of both toxic chemicals and carcinogens in their bodies. Mother landmark vaping study was conducted by the UK's Department of Health in August 2015.

Not only did it find that e-cigarettes are approximately 95 percent less harmful than traditional smoking, but the vast majority of the 2.6 million adults who use e-cigarettes in the United Kingdom are either current or ex-smokers. For critics who are worried that the allure of e-cigarettes risks promoting the use of more dangerous nicotine-based products, the study provides some comfort: less than one percent of regular e-cigarette users were previously non-smokers.

The implications of these studies are enormous. Tobacco is one of the largest causes of preventable deaths around the world. E-cigarette supporters argue that if more regular smokers made the transition to e-cigarettes, then it could potentially save thousands of lives per year - particularly among the poorest workers who have been slowto kick their smoking habits.

Professor Kevin, Director of Health and Well-Being at Public Health England, said, "E-cigarettes are not completely risk-free, but when compared to smoking, evidence shows they carry just a fraction of the harm." Statistics show that, as consumer preference shifts from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes, the market for vaping has expanded rapidly.

According to the CDC, the use of disposable e-cigarettes rose by about 320 percent between 2012 and 2013, while the sales of cartridges increased by 82 percent. Sales remain buoyant in part because many consumers buy expensive high-end products the require regular upgrades.

The number of e-cigarettes sold each year still pales in comparison to the number of regular cigarettes on the market. Yet even in such a competitive and trend-driven market, one thing remains largely true: e-cigarettes promise to help transform the way people consume nicotine.

The e-cigarette market is responsible for an estimated $2 to $3 billion of sales per year, and some experts estimate that sales of e-cigarettes will eventually reach $40 to $5o billion dollars a year. Driving this trend are former smokers, many of whom fervently believe in the efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes.