Doctor shares 'vaping maths' that lets you know how bad the electronic cigarettes really are
While the NHS says vaping is 'one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking', Dr Karan Raja doesn't think it's right for everyone.
The UK doctor and NHS surgeon said in a video posted on social media that vaping might not always be the best solution for overcoming addiction.
"If you think vaping is the best way to quit smoking, you've been lied to," he said.
"First, some vaping maths. A single vaping pod can contain around 60mg of nicotine, depending on the brand and strength.
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"For comparison, one cigarette can deliver around 2mg of nicotine to the body, so one vape pod is easily a pack of cigarettes or more and, because vaping is smoother and comes in fun flavours, people can puff away and chain vape through multiple pods."
Although Dr Karan mentioned in the comments that smoking 'clearly has more harmful effects' than vaping, he thinks there might be safer ways to quit.
Meanwhile, the NHS say 'nicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking. It's also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking'.
"Vaping is not completely harmless and we don’t know yet what the long-term effects may be," they said.
The health service clarified that 'children and non-smokers should never vape', adding that 'some people find vaping helps them because the hand-to-mouth action is like smoking, plus you get similar sensations, like throat hit'.
"Any smoking is harmful and you will only get the full benefits of vaping if you stop smoking completely," the NHS said.
"Some people manage to make a full switch very quickly, while for others it can take a bit longer."
Last June, the government banned the sale and supply of single-use vapes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The ban on disposable vapes was introduced to address environmental waste concerns and to stop young people from vaping.
In an interview with LADbible, the owner of Manchester Vapeman insisted that many of his customers have used vaping to quit smoking.
"You know, in reality, it does help people," Zeb said.
"So I don't see it disappearing or anything, because we've helped hundreds of people through our shop quit cigarettes, and eventually they end up quitting vaping as well.
"So they've quit smoking totally, and they’re coming to our shop, and there’s us helping them do that. So if it wasn't for vaping, maybe they'd still be smoking."
If you plan to use vaping to quit smoking, the NHS says 'a vape bar, pod device or vape pen are good choices, as they are discreet, make small clouds and can give high amounts of nicotine. Starter kits come with a range of flavours'.
"Whichever vape you choose, make sure you use it daily to help you make the switch from cigarettes," they added.
Anish Vij