E-cigarettes, also known as vapes or e-cigs, are an increasingly popular alternative to smoking. It’s thought that there are around 3 million e-cigarette users in the UK, and they’re a highly effective way to quit smoking. But what are e-cigarettes?
Short for electronic cigarette, an e-cigarette produces vapour which is inhaled by the user. Unlike cigarettes, no smoke is produced, meaning e-cigarette vapour is free from carbon monoxide – a poisonous gas found in tobacco smoke. E-cigarettes also do not contain tar (a major cancer-causing substance found in cigarettes), or any of the other 4000+ chemicals produced by cigarettes.
E-liquid is made up of only four basic ingredients: water, nicotine, flavourings and a propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine base. It’s also important to note that you can get low-nicotine and nicotine-free e-liquids.
Types of e-cigarettes
There are many types of e-cigarettes available. They’re sometimes made to look like cigarettes, although others look more like pens or small boxes.
They’re battery-powered, so need to be charged, and usually refillable with e-liquid which goes into a small tank.
E-liquid
E-liquid, also known as vape juice or vape liquid, comes in hundreds of flavours and is used to create flavoured vapour. E-liquids tend to contain nicotine, although you can get nicotine-free varieties.
Aiming to reduce the amount of nicotine you take in is a good idea and it’s made easier with vaping as you can slowly reduce the amount of nicotine in the e-liquids you choose – either by buying lower-nicotine versions or by mixing your own and adding the nicotine yourself.
There are flavours of e-liquid that mimic the taste of a cigarette with tobacco and menthol options, but the possibilities are endless – there are dessert flavours (think doughnuts and sticky toffee pudding), fruit flavours and drink flavours (think lemonade and cola), to name just a few.
Should I consider vaping?
If you’re someone who has never smoked before, it’s not a good idea to start as nicotine is highly addictive. But if you’re already addicted to nicotine and smoke cigarettes then switching to vaping is by far the better option – Public Health England research has found that e-cigarettes are at least 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
Ready to take the first step towards a smoke-free future? Our expert team is here to support you every step of the way. Join thousands of others who’ve already quit with our free programme and get the support you need to quit for good!
