Vaping refers to inhaling vapour from a vaping device or heated tobacco product and is a less harmful way to consume nicotine compared to smoking cigarettes. When heated, specially designed smokeless tobacco or e-liquids turn into vapour, which is then inhaled. This is similar to how water is turned into steam when it is boiled in a kettle.
Vaping is not risk-free and while the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, there is a wide consensus in scientific literature that vaping is a better alternative for smokers. When comparing vaping vs smoking, vaping has more preferable health outcomes over burnt tobacco smoking.
While vaping products are being used worldwide by smokers to help support them to leave smoking, they are by no means cessation aids. However, when it comes to vaping vs smoking, vaping products are a better alternative than continuing to smoke cigarettes. If you want advice on how to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether, speak with your doctor or local stop-smoking service.
IQOS is a smokeless, heat - not burn - tobacco vape that uses specially manufactured real tobacco, which is heated to a maximum of 350°C to create vapour, whereas cigarettes burn at 600-800°C. As smokeless tobacco contains real tobacco, nicotine is naturally present. Different tobacco flavours are in different tobacco sticks.
VEEV contains MESH technology, which is in constant contact with the e-liquid. This means the liquid is always being heated to deliver a consistent aerosol and vaping experience. Smart digital control detects when liquid levels are low to avoid an overheating ‘burnt taste’ or a ‘dry vape’. IQOS VEEV comes in two nicotine strengths, 1.6% (18mg) and now 3.5% (39mg) across a range of flavours in tamper proof pods that are made in Europe with pharmaceutical-grade nicotine. As pods they can be swapped out mid-vape to change flavours.
Coil-based vapes are generally user fillable and more labour intensive to maintain. The wick draws up the e-liquid that is heated to create an aerosol that is vaped. As these are manual, there is a risk of overheating the liquid or worse, a dry vape, when there is not enough liquid in the tank to vape.
Vaping is only for 18+ smokers or vapers. For 18+ smokers looking for a better alternative, completely replacing your cigarette with a vape will reduce harm to your health. If you’re not a smoker considering vaping vs smoking, you should not consider vaping or nicotine use at all.
Most airlines treat vaping in the same way as smoking when on a plane and prohibit their use when flying. Like most places, airports also ban vapes inside their terminals. Airlines also have their own policies on using or carrying vapes on board so you must check with them before flying. There is no known benefit to vaping vs smoking as it relates to public transport or using public spaces.
E-liquid is made using various combinations of Vegetable Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, flavourings and nicotine.
Tobacco sticks consist of three parts. The first component is high-quality compressed tobacco surrounded in aluminum foil. The second component is a hollow cylinder that channels the vapour flow. The third component of the tobacco stick is the biodegradable polymer filter. The polymer is made of corn starch and is especially designed for use in the tobacco sticks, and cools the tobacco vapour to a suitable temperature for vaping. Depending on the tobacco stick, flavourings may also be present.
Vaping has not been around long enough to fully evaluate any long-term effects linked to vaping. However, there is enough scientific evidence to show that when it comes to vaping vs smoking, vaping is significantly better for your health than continuing to smoke cigarettes.
The best option for smokers is to quit altogether and if you don’t smoke you shouldn’t start vaping.
The harmful effects of smoking on you and those around you are well understood. Unlike smoking, vaping doesn’t involve combustion, burning or the production of smoke, which means significantly less exposure to harmful chemicals for yourself and others. Thus, there is less danger from passive smoking in evaluating vaping vs smoking.
You can find more information on the safety of e-cigarettes and ‘passive vaping’ published by PHE (Public Health England) Here
Evidence shows that nicotine has a minimal risk of harm to health. The New Zealand Ministry of Health state that vaping products pose no risk of nicotine poisoning to users when they’re used as intended, but vaping liquids should be in child resistant packaging. Vaping products release negligible levels of nicotine and other toxicants into ambient air with no identified health risks to bystanders.
E-cigarettes and vapes have been found to be twice as effective at helping smokers to leave cigarettes compared with nicotine replacement therapy. A study funded by Cancer Research UK found that as use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts went up from 2011 onwards, so did the success rate of quitting. Another study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that e-cigarettes were more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine-replacement therapy when both products were accompanied by behavioural support. However, they are by no means cessation aids. If you want advice on how to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether, speak with your doctor or smoking cessation service.
In 2019 a large number of lung injuries were reported in the USA that were initially thought to be caused by vaping. However, US authorities later identified the injuries were being caused by people vaping on bootleg cannabis vaping products containing a vitamin-e acetate thickening agent.
More information can be found on the US Food and Drug Administration website here .
Vitamin-e acetate is not used in any Philip Morris smoke-free products.
The full range of vaping flavours and devices are available online from stores such as iqos.co.nz and from Specialist Vape Retailers around the country such as IQVape. Click here to locate the closest store to you.
Mint, Menthol and Tobacco flavoured vapes are available from supermarkets like Countdown, service stations and dairies.
You must be 18-years of age or older to purchase vaping products in New Zealand, whether that’s in person or online. iqos.co.nz having secure online age verification supported by age-verified delivery.
The key differences between vaping vs smoking hinge on inhaling vapour vs inhaling smoke. Vaping is a smokefree alternative with 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke* with IQOS, IQOS ILUMA and VEEV ONE. Unlike traditional smoking, which involves burning tobacco, vaping relies on heating either e-liquids or heated tobacco products to generate an inhalable vapour. This crucial difference not only offers a cleaner and potentially less harmful experience but also eliminates the production of tar and many harmful chemicals associated with the burning of tobacco.
* Important information: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free. Average reductions in levels of a broad range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette (3R4F).
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