A news report published on The Moultrie Observer’s website mistakenly identified vaping as the “smoking of water vapor” and we’re here to set the record straight.
“The smoking of water vapor — “vaping” — usually with nicotine added and the option of various flavorings …”
What Vaping Really Is
Vaping has nothing to do with water vapor and it’s certainly not tantamount to smoking. Smoking and vaping are two very different things. Smoking is what you’re doing when you light a cigarette and inhale the smoke into your lungs. Vaping is what you’re doing when you inhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette. Here’s the thing though, while the two are clearly different, there’s more to our clarification here than the difference between vaping and smoking. The fact of the matter is that vaping does not involve water vapor.
It’s Not Water Vapor
It is, as it turns out, a somewhat common misconception that vapers are inhaling water vapor laced with nicotine and flavoring. Sure, there is sometimes nicotine in vape juice. And yes, there is often flavoring added to increase the e-juice’s appeal. As for water vapor, no, there is no water vapor. What’s actually in there, in the e-liquid that is, is either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin or some combination of the two. These are known in the world of vaping as PG and VG for short. It’s not water, it’s PG, VG, or a mixture of the two.
Next time you hear someone refer to the vapor emitted by an e-cigarette or similar vaping device as water vapor, you’ll know the difference. Also, next time you hear someone refer to vaping as smoking, you’ll know that the two are by no means the same. While similar in appearance to observers, the difference between the two is less than subtle.
Smoking Is Not Vaping
According to Public Health England, who conducted a government mandated e-cigarette evidence review, the difference appears to be significant. Their study found that e-cigarettes are likely 95% less harmful than cigarettes. So like we said, while they appear the same, the difference between the two is less than subtle.
