if you’re a vaper in need of a good giggle, there’s a gold mine to be found in the FDA’s ‘The Real Cost’ campaign twitter page. Most of us are well aware of the anti-vaping stance of the US department of health. But, their latest campaign efforts really add a Hollywood flare to their misinformation. Let’s go through a few of their more recent claims and get some of these vaping myths busted.
If you vape, nicotine cravings take control. Are you possessed by nicotine?
This short video shows a girl who clearly needs a vape. She’s tapping her fingers whilst sat in class. I’ve become irritable when I go without a vape for some time, but I’ve never experienced twitching. The next scene shows the girl going full demonic possession and crawling across the floor. Back arched and scratching down the lockers. Only her vaping in the toilets stops this fit of evil.
They say that all lies are based in truth, and there is a sliver of truth to this outlandish video. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Basically, if you’ve never smoked then don’t start vaping. But this level of dramatisation shows nicotine withdrawal to be much worse than it actually is. When giving up nicotine the most common side effects include:
Irritability
Tiredness
Frustration
Restlessness
Difficulty sleeping or concentrating [1].
Nicotine cravings can be somewhat unpleasant for those around you. But, research has shown that vaping is the most effective form of nicotine replacement therapy [2].
Vape contains toxic chemicals!
I don’t know where they’re getting their e-liquid, but in the UK this is an utter lie. There are several short videos that claim vape liquid contains harmful toxins such as nickel, lead, chromium and even formaldehyde!
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR) states strict guidelines as to what can be in e-liquid. In fact, chapter 6 of the TRPR specifically states:
No person may produce or supply a tobacco product containing: […] additives in quantities that increase, to a significant or measurable degree, the toxic properties of the product when it is consumed.
TRPR, Chapter 6, 2(b).
That means that all manufactured and imported e-liquids must conform to these regulations. So, you can rest assured that all liquids sold on TECC.co.uk are safe from these nasty chemicals that the FDA claim are in your juice.
Vape can contain some of the same chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
The only element that vape shares with cigarettes is the nicotine. In fact, a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine recently proved how little vaping shares with smoking. The study compared biomarkers found in the blood of quitters who used vapes to that of participants that quit cold turkey. As you can see in the following graph, they were pretty much identical, apart from nicotine.
References
[1] NHS Inform. (2022). Cravings when you stop smoking. [Online]. nhsinform.scot. Last Updated: 19 December 2022. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/stopping-smoking/when-you-stop/cravings-when-you-stop-smoking [Accessed 13 February 2023].
[2] University of Oxford. (2022). E-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine-replacement therapy in helping smokers quit. [Online]. ox.ac.uk. Last Updated: 17 November 2022. Available at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-11-17-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective-nicotine-replacement-therapy-helping-smokers-quit [Accessed 13 February 2023].
[3] Kanobe, M N. et al. (2022). Part three: a randomized study to assess biomarker changes in cigarette smokers switched to Vuse Solo or Abstinence. Sci Rep. 12(20658). [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9712618/ [Accessed 13 February 2023].
