Smoking its way into the market, electronic cigarettes are a new trend many smokers are turning to. Grant Hepworth is the owner of Smokers Revolution a vape shop located in Lethbridge. Hepworth says e-cigarettes are a better alternative for folks who want to quit smoking.
“We actually use it as substitute… as apposed to having a cigarette, you have this,” said Hepworth.
Karen Goodison, medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services South Zone says there is little information for what goes inside an e-cigarette. She says there is also a lack of information on what the health risks surrounding the device might be.
“We do know, they contain propylene glycol and that’s the same thing they use to create party fog. That sort of dry ice looking fog, and some studies show that they can be a long irritant.” said Goodison
Although researchers are still in the early phases of studies, Goodison says e-cigarettes could be a serious irritant to the body.
Hepworth opened up his shop to educate people on e-Cigarettes. He says that a lot of people claim the product is harmful due to a lack of knowledge.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of misconception,” says Hepworth.
Using the product for up to five years, Hepworth says he has conducted a lot of research on the device. He says since people started using e-cigarettes there have been no reported deaths attributed to them.
PG is NOT used in asthma inhalers, and scientific studies show that vaping is NOT an effective way to quit smoking cigarettes. It is an effective way to get addicted to nicotine though.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4122246/
2 years without a cigarette, completely due to vaping.
my taste is better, breathing improved and i have more energy.
big tobacco dumps millions funding this “science” you speak of, the results are beyond clear for me and many friends.
vaping is better than smoking cigarettes. thats a non-debate.
I hope the public health community reaches out to the vaping community. Or visa versa. It is completely evident that the spokesperson Karen Goodison, medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services doesn’t understand the product. Nor does she seem to realize that propylene glycol is a base ingredient used in asthma inhalers and other approved health products. Or maybe she does and has an agenda? I hope the later isn’t true.
As we delve into the regulations we have come to realize that our own public health officials really don’t understand the products especially when we read their public statements. Hopefully this so called “authority” will reach out to the Vape shore owner for some knowledge. Maybe even spend part of her day in his shop to see the people he is helping, how their lives have changed and go over some research together with him.
Public Health and experts in the vaping industry really need to get together and have some open dialogue, otherwise articles like this are going to continue.