Looking to learn about vaping and e-cigarettes? Read about the rise in popularity of vaping.
Over the past couple of decades, almost everyone has heard about the phenomenon of vaping.
But what exactly is vaping? Is it the same as using an e-cigarette? And what's so great about this new and ever-evolving trend?
Below, we'll be exploring the history and popularity of e-cigarettes, and why they're here to stay.
The History of E-cigarettes
Although vaping is a relatively new trend, its history reaches as far back as 1963, when a man by the name of Herbert A. Gilbert filed the very first patent for an electric cigarette.
Despite Gilbert's innovative design, the modern “cig-a-like” e-cigarette wasn't invented until 2003. It was a man named Hon Lik who was a heavy smoker. He had recently witnessed his father pass away from lung cancer. This inspired him to work at creating a more modern version of the e-cigarette..
After Lik's invention was introduced, the first cartomizer was invented in 2006. This included both an atomizer and a cartridge full of e-liquid.
Since then, countless individuals and brands have taken to designing and re-designing vaping and e-cigarettes, including new and innovative cartridges, atomizers, mods, e-liquids and more.
And today, vaping has truly become a hobby, where individuals are free to customize their own setups, all while having a ton of fun doing it.
How Does Vaping Work?
Although there are many different module designs, the principle of vaping and e-cigarettes is the same with virtually any make or model of e-cigarette.
Typically, a vape will be activated by either puffing on the device or by pressing a button. This will trigger the atomizer to heat up. As the users inhales, e-liquid is drawn from a reservoir or cartridge into the atomizer. The liquid is then vaporized into a fine aerosol that can be breathe in and exhaled.
Different devices will sometimes allow the user to adjust the temperature and heat output. This results in different strengths and thicknesses of vapor.
Harm Reduction
We would be amiss to say that vaping and e-cigarettes are perfectly safe and healthy.
However there certainly is a great deal of evidence to suggest that vaping an e-cigarette is safer than smoking tobacco.
In fact, studies have shown that the use of an e-cigarette doesn't only help with an initial attempt at quitting smoking. But they can also generally help by supporting long-term abstinence from the habit.
With that being said, many fear that vaping as a popular trend might actually lead to the “renormalization” of tobacco use and smoking behaviours, especially amongst younger teens and adults.
And while this certainly is a valid point, there's so much evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes present a unique method for harm reduction via nicotine replacement therapy. In turn, this can help prevent smoking relapses, which for many, outweighs the harm.
This is especially true when vaping is only used as a short-term substitute to quit smoking.
Today, many ex-smokers believe that vaping an e-cigarette is effective as a smoking cessation aid. Mainly because it fully substitutes the physical, psychological, cultural, social, and identity-related aspects of tobacco addiction.
In fact, most vapers agree that using an e-cigarette is more enjoyable and pleasurable than using tobacco. In turn, suggesting that vaping can be an effective, long-term substitute for smoking.
Different Flavors And Strengths
OK, so vaping is safer and more enjoyable than smoking. But why do people find it so much more pleasurable?
For starters, over the years, as vaping gained popularity, enthusiasts and brands alike have taken to designing new and innovative mods, atomizers and e-juice liquids. All of which makes vaping a fully customizable experience.
But most importantly, the e-juice liquids that are used to vape come in all sorts of different nicotine strengths. This can make vaping an effective tool at weening oneself away from their reliance on nicotine.
In fact, e-liquids can usually be purchased with nicotine strengths ranging anywhere between 0mg to 36mg of nicotine. This means that as a smoker trying to quit, an individual can start themselves off at a higher strength and gradually lower their dosage.
On top of that, e-liquids are available in hundreds if not thousands of different flavors. For smokers, this is usually a welcomed change from the harsh taste of tobacco smoke.
The Downside Of Vaping
While vaping an e-cigarette is certainly safer and more enjoyable than smoking tobacco, that doesn't mean that it's not without its own risks.
In fact, because of the number of fruity e-juice flavors available on the market, many worry that vaping may seem more attractive to younger children and teens compared to smoking cigarettes.
Additionally, because e-cigarettes are relatively new, there still hasn't been all that much research on the long-term effects of the practice. When a person breathes a foreign substance into their lungs, there's going to be some risk of harm. And the effects of that harm will vary from one person to another.
Therefore, individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma, should never use an e-cigarette.
The Popularity of Vaping in 2021
In 2018, it was estimated that there were roughly 41 million people worldwide who use an e-cigarette daily. In 2011, there were only 7 million people worldwide using one of these devices.
With that sort of exponential growth over the past decade, many believe that we'll only continue to see the same exponential growth into the future.
While vaping isn't completely without its risks, the evidence does suggest that it's safer than traditional tobacco use. Not to mention the fact that it's funner and more enjoyable than smoking tobacco. Mainly because of the hundreds of flavor combination currently available on the market.
