A Simple Experiment Shows Vaping Should NOT Be Tarred With the Same Brush As Smoking
A powerful new video produced by Public Health England proves beyond all reasonable doubt that vaping is considerably safer than smoking.
In an experiment carried out by tobacco expert Dr Lion Shahab and observed by celebrity TV GP and journalist Dr Rosemary Leonard the simple yet shocking test showed just how much damage the tar from smoking a month’s worth of lit tobacco can do to a smoker’s lungs.
Three large glass jars were filled with cotton wool balls and 4 weeks worth of cigarettes – a vape device and fresh air was pumped into each of them – separately of course. As you can see from the photo below the results are not only obvious but terrifying and should be the kick smokers around the world need to get them on the path to quitting.
The jar on the right shows the result of tar build up using an lit cigarette whilst the one on the left is obviously showing a pretty much clear result from vaping – which is almost as clear as the jar of fresh air!
The video was made in conjunction with PHE’s latest stop smoking campaign Health Harms which once again puts e-cigarettes and vaping front and center of England’s harm reduction strategy. The campaign also includes a personal ‘Quit Plan‘ and the experts say ‘don’t try to quit alone’.
Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England, said:
It would be tragic if thousands of smokers who could quit with the help of an e-cigarette are being put off due to false fears about safety. We need to reassure smokers that switching to an e-cigarette would be much less harmful than smoking. This demonstration highlights the devastating harms caused by every cigarette and helps people see that vaping is likely to pose only a fraction of the risk.
We want to encourage more smokers to try and quit completely with the help of an e-cigarette, or by using other nicotine replacement such as patches or gum, as this will significantly improve their chances of success. If you’re trying to stop smoking, our free online personal quit plan will help you find the support that’s right for you.
Dr Lion Shahab – based at the University College London says lives of smokers are at risk because of the belief that vaping is as bad for their health as smoking adding:
The false belief that vaping is as harmful as smoking could be preventing thousands of smokers from switching to e-cigarettes to help them quit. I hope this illustrative experiment helps people see the huge damage caused by smoking that could be avoided by switching to an e-cigarette.
Research we and others have conducted shows that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and that using e-cigarettes on a long-term basis is relatively safe, similar to using licensed nicotine products, like nicotine patches or gum. Using e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement such as patches or gum will boost your chances of quitting successfully.
Dr Leonard echoed his thoughts and said in her daily dealings with patients at her surgery she too was surprised how many smoker thought [wrongly] vaping was just as harmful to health as smoking:
I wanted to be involved in this experiment because every day I see the devastating impact that smoking has on people’s health, but I rarely get the opportunity to actually show people what is happening inside their bodies when they smoke.
I regularly give patients advice about quitting and when I recommend e-cigarettes, I am often surprised to hear the misconceptions some people have about them. The results of this experiment clearly show that every cigarette you smoke causes tar to enter your body and spreads poison throughout your bloodstream. Vaping is much less harmful than smoking and I really hope this experiment will encourage smokers to make a quit attempt. No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to stop.
Yet more positive news on vaping coming from the UK – are you watching America?
And hey next time that annoying bloke down the pub or at work starts banging on about vaping being just as bad for your health – show them this video…it really should shut them and the whole anti vape argument down for good…though sadly one doubts it…
