The Pros and Cons of Vape Pens Explained
Vape pens are everywhere you look and smell. Visit a college, and you will see the vapor lifting, twisting, and floating on the air. You can assume those students are using vapers for pleasure, to satisfy an oral need where tobacco smoking is prohibited, or to pose as “cool.”
Because vaping does not inhale the carbon by-products in cigarette tobacco, it is somewhat safer. Smokers have been using vape pens for years to wean themselves off cigarette habits.
So, vape pens are a popular alternative, but you should not use them lightly without considering the pros and cons of vape pen use.
Is vaping for you?
Vape pens present some risks to your health, so you want to make a decision that is best for you and your situation. For one example, vaping may be an effective option for those addicted to cigarettes. You can invest in fuel with enough nicotine to reduce your dependence.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Vape pens are handheld devices that contain a heating element. You add a pre-packaged cartridge of oil, turn up the heat, inhale the vapor through its mouthpiece, and exhale. The cartridges usually include scented and flavored oils, but they may include nicotine or cannabis.
The pros of using vape pens
Safe: Vape pens hit the market with big hype about their “safety” compared to cigarette smoking. Because there is no tar or carbon ash in the vape pen fumes, researchers determined it was safer relative to smoking cigarettes over an extended period. It followed, then, that vaping was better for the mouth, lungs, circulation, blood pressure, and skin.
No secondhand smoke: Vape pens do not circulate the secondhand smoke surrounding cigarette smokers. It does not embed the hair or clothes. It is an important distinction to note the vapors are not the result of carbon consumption. Like a room vaporizer, the pen heats oils to the point where they produce vapors. Of course, you might select a cartridge with oil that smells like tobacco, but most users opt for something with a lighter aroma of fruit or spices.
Reduced nicotine and tar: Vape oils do not contain the tar associated with carbon combustion, but they may contain nicotine. The presence of nicotine help vapers to move away from cigarette smoking. Nicotine oils are available with different percentages of nicotine. This helps users to wean themselves off in degrees while still enjoying a smoking experience. Most oils contain no nicotine.
Oral satisfaction: Nicotine effects cause the addiction to cigarette tobacco. It alters brain and body chemistry to crave more. However, smoking cigarettes also satisfies a psychological need to feed a fixation with oral input and intake. Cigarette addicts may have oral habits formed in their childhood, but the oral fixation is hard to break. Vape pens let them continue that habit without the attendant health risks.
Cost and convenience: Even high quality vape pens are moderately priced. The cartridges are available online or in legalized dispensaries. And, considering all the parts, supplies, and accessories, vaping is much cheaper than buying cannabis on the black or legal markets. The overall experience of buying and using is more convenient than consuming cannabis in other ways.
The cons of using vape pens
Unsafe: Vaper pens are safer than cigarettes, but they carry their own risks. There have been reports of overheating and burning users. However, in the past 24 months, there have been cases of serious respiratory infection, some leading to fatalities. Researchers believe they have traced it to the presence of toxins in some cartridge brands heavily marketed to teens. This raises enough red flags to make you read labels thoroughly looking for ingredients and third-party lap testing results.
Socially bothersome: People who do not smoke or use vape pens may object to the clouds of vapor released. Vape pens produce more vapor than cigarettes produce smoke, so many complain about sitting near vapers. Vaping is now banned in most of the places that prohibit tobacco smoking.
Cost commitment: Although vaping is cheaper than a habit of joint smoking, it does require repeated purchases of cartridges and parts. You might relieve some of the expense by shopping at vape shops where the clerks can direct you to savings and coach you on use. You may also find it smarter to invest in a high quality vape pen for its durability and reliability.
Sophisticated technology: Teen vapors were introduced to simple, low-cost, disposable vapers. But a serious commitment to vape pens requires some education and experience. The better vape pens are sophisticated devices with internal technology and sensitive elements. Depending on the pen, it may present challenges in regulating the heat, for example.
Potency: If you are vaping to wean yourself off cigarettes, cannabis potency may be a non-issue. However, if you are vaping as a preferable way to consume cannabis or as a supplement to your regular cannabis use, you will not experience the same results. Cannabis-spiked vape oils will have potency reduced by the oil’s solvents and processing.
No mistaking it!
You can get high using a vape pen with a choice vape oil. Many consider it a pleasant, convenient, and discrete way to use. In many locales with legalized recreational use, there are many cafes and beer gardens devoted to people using vapes. Because the voluminous clouds of vapor may prove bothersome to others, you might choose cartridges that do not produce a heavy sweetness or clingy aroma. If using indoors, you should ensure there is some ventilation, but you do not have to fear that aromas will last.
You should not vape at oil if you have a pre-existing respiratory condition or around those who you know to have such problems. You should research the known risk in using vape pens aware that the FDA has raised some concerns arising from the short-lived epidemic of infections. You need the research if you are to make a meaningful decision to vape.
