3 Important Advantages of Vaping Over Smoking

The number of adult cigarette smokers in U.S. is dropping dramatically. The Centers for Disease Control report the rate has gone from 20.9% in 2005 to 15.5% in 2016. In New York City where officials have been active in reducing tobacco use recent reports show the rate of smoking has dropped from 21.5% in 2002 to 14.3% in 2014. They hope to get that number down to 12% in the next few years.

Everyone who knows me knows that I can’t tolerate smoking in public. The health risks associated with second-hand smoke alone should be enough for people to refrain from smoking around other non-smokers. At least millions of smokers are switching to vaping. While I’m not an advocate of smoking anything, vaping seems to be a better option all around.

Flavors (and Smells) Beyond Tobacco

Don’t like the flavor of tobacco or menthol? Vaping e-liquids come in more flavors than you can imagine. Seriously, I checked it out once after coming across someone vaping what smelled like strawberry shortcake. That’s probably because the e-liquid was strawberry shortcake flavored. There are others like dulce dream and salted caramel macchiato that make me want to visit the local coffee shop more than smoke.

Few things are worse than the pungent ashy smell of cigarette smoke. The different flavors and lack of tobacco leaves means that vaping smoke doesn’t have the same offensive odor that clings to everything. In other words, vaping doesn’t leave you and everyone else around you wreaking of cigarette smoke.

Fewer Fire Hazards

Did you know cigarettes are to blame for a large percentage of residential fires in the U.S.? There are some scary statistics out there about the fire hazards associated with smoking cigarettes and cigars.

Nearly two decades ago UC Davis researchers found that smoking was the leading cause of fire disasters. Worse still, those fires killed 300,000 people a year worldwide. In the U.S. it was determined 30% of all fire deaths were associated with smoking.

Today the risks are just as great. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) notes that smoking materials caused around 17,200 home structure fires in 2014 alone. Although smoking only accounted for 5% of all fires, it leads to 21% of fire-related deaths.

Like smartphones, there’s a risk of battery-related fires with electronic cigarettes, but it’s far from a common problem. Between January 2009 and December 31, 2016 the U.S. Fire Administration recorded 195 electronic cigarette fires and/or explosions. Those accidents resulted in 133 injuries but no deaths. It’s also reassuring for vapers that only 60 incidents happened while the device was being used.

Cheaper Habit

If you’re going to have a vice you might as well choose one that’s cheap. Friends that vape instead of smoking have told me they’ve saved thousands of dollars by making the switch. Over the years, lawmakers have increased federal, state and local taxes on cigarettes to help dissuade people from smoking.

• Today the average cost of a pack of cigarettes including federal and state taxes is $6.16.
• The state of New York charges $4.35 a pack in taxes, which is the highest in the country. The average is $.1.72 per pack.
• Cities can also tack on additional taxes. Chicago charges the most in state and local taxes at $6.16 a pack. That means a pack of cigarettes with all taxes cost $12.32.
• And don’t forget about the $1.01 federal excise tax.

Over $10 a pack is a lot to pay for 20 cigarettes that may get smoked in a single day. To be fair, vaping cost more initially because you have to buy an e-cigarette and additional equipment. Many starter kits are around $40-50, but there are also ongoing costs and the device you use affects the overall price.

A survey from e-cigarette forum found that over half of vapers consume between 2-6 milliliters of e-liquid a day. You’ll also need additional cartridges to heat up the e-liquid. All said and done vaping costs as little as $1,473 a year whereas smoking is $2,248 a year on average.

There you have it. Three important reasons why, if you have to smoke, vaping is a better alternative to cigarettes.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.