You may be wondering, is it safe to vape? Me too! So I made some research and now I'm more confident Vaping is better than smoking, here's why!

Safe to Vape?

There’ll be an estimated 55 million adults who vape by 2021, according to market research group Euromonitor, but with all the media focus in the past few months on the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths in the USA, you may be wondering, is it safe to vape?

Why I Vape

After I had a heart attack a few years ago, doctors warned me that if I wanted to avoid another one I needed to stop smoking tobacco immediately. Giving up smoking was tough, as we all know the nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive. But fortunately, around this time, I went to the States and discovered CBD. Among the many benefits of CBD for me is that vaping it seems to have helped me resist the temptation to return to my old smoking habit. I must clarify here, though, that although CBD vapes offer many potential benefits, they are NOT quit-smoking devices.  For starters, they don’t contain any nicotine, the addictive component of both cigarettes and many conventional vapes.

And, more importantly, Woodies vapes DON’T contain any of the chemicals you’ll find in both cigarettes and most other vapes - this includes vitamin E acetate, the chemical believed to be responsible for the vape-related illnesses and deaths in the USA.

Facts About Vaping

So let’s talk about the Vaping facts…

Figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from November last year put the number of cases of vape-related lung injury at 2000 with ­the death toll at 39. Donald Trump has announced plans to ban all flavoured E-cigarette products and US health chiefs have warned the public not to vape until the reason for the illnesses and deaths is determined.

Other countries, such as India, Brazil and Thailand, have all banned e-cigarettes.

Vaping in the UK

Here in the UK, there’s been no confirmed vape-related deaths and Cancer Research UK and Public Health England (PHE) have concluded that vaping is much less harmful than smoking – a report from PHE estimates that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking - and they, along with the NHS, endorse the use of e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking. Of course, there’s no denying there may be risks associated with vaping, especially as vape use is still relatively new in this country, but all agree it’s less harmful than smoking.

To put this into perspective, cigarette smoking kills 480,000 people each year in the US - almost 1 in 5 of all deaths - and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the “leading preventable cause of death” while www.nhs.uk reports that 78,000 people die from smoking each year here in the UK and many more suffer from smoking-related illnesses.

Vaping Nicotine, The Healthy Option?

Nicotine, although addictive, is a relatively harmless substance on its own. But when people inhale tobacco smoke, they are also inhaling a large number of harmful chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. By inhaling the vapour using an e-cigarette/vape/vaporiser, the user avoids inhaling many of the chemicals found in cigarettes, yet still, around 42 types have been found in vaping products.

Read More: What to do when your CBD vape cart crystallises?

CBD Vapes

Many CBD vapes currently on the market also contain chemicals but what we do know is that vitamin E acetate, a chemical used to thicken or dilute THC vaping liquid in vapes, is thought to be the main culprit in the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths in the USA. According to a CDC Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, traces of the chemical were found in all of the affected patients’ lung fluid samples tested. No evidence of other potential toxins, such as plant or mineral oils, was found.

It’s been reported that unlicensed cannabis suppliers in the USA use vitamin E acetate as a cheap cutting agent in their vape liquids, but licensed sellers could also be using it the safety procedures put in place by the regulating body, the Liquor and Cannabis Board, don’t include testing for the chemical.

My Advice to Anyone Concerned about Vaping CBD:

1. Please be aware that the World Health Organisation reported in 2017 that CBD alone causes no harmful side effects, so it’s essential that you choose a product that contains pure CBD.
2. Check the ingredients labels and AVOID CBD vapes that contain the potentially harmful thinning agents PG, PEG400 or VG – studies have shown that although classified as safe to eat, they become carcinogenic when heated and inhaled (vaped).
3. Avoid any vape products that contain vitamin E acetate, THC or synthetic cannabinoids.
4. Only buy from reputable sellers whose products have undergone independent laboratory quality assurance testing.
5. Stick to vape pens or cartridges that contain only pure, natural CBD distillate as this has been extracted from the cannabis plant either through CO2 or solvent extraction methods, so is free from harmful chemicals.

Woodies CBD Vapes & Cartridges

Please be reassured that Woodies uses only 100% PURE CBD DISTILLATE throughout our range, employing clean solvent extraction methods and winterisation, with further refinement through short-path distillation. The CBD used in all of our products has undergone independent laboratory testing to ensure its purity and our vapes contain NO vitamin E acetate, PG, PEG400 or VG, only completely pure and natural plant-derived extract.

I hope this has put your mind at rest, if so, please share. But if you do have further questions related to the safety of vaping CBD please let me know below and either myself or one of my team will do our best to provide you with answers.

Jx

Jamie Wood, Founder & CEO

@jwoody74