It’s fairly common knowledge that smoking cigarettes around children are generally considered a huge ‘no-no’. From the introduction of a smoking ban in cars with passengers under 18 to the pictures of sick children plastered across cigarette packets, smokers aren’t given the chance to forget just what damage secondhand smoke can do to their children. Enter the e cigarette – this electronic device has been hailed as an effective method for smokers to slowly wean off of cigarettes and eventually quit and is often thought of as being a healthier alternative – but is it safe for kids to be around? We’re exploring the potential benefits and risks compared to smoking, below.
What Does Vaping Entail?
Most of us will have seen or heard of vaping by this point, but not everyone truly knows or understands just how it differs from smoking. The liquids still contain nicotine, so what makes it different? The answer to that is simple – vaping is the act of inhaling a vapor, while smoking involves inhaling smoke. Vaping requires no combustion, meaning that many of the harmful chemicals present in cigarettes aren’t present in e liquids. Instead, e liquids are often crafted from natural products, though nicotine and other chemicals are still present and should be noted.
Is It Healthier Than Smoking Cigarettes?
While vaping arguably poses its risks, it is certainly healthier than the traditional cigarette alternative. Even just when considering second-hand smoke, cigarette smoke typically features over 20 toxins that can prove harmful to your children, while an e-liquid vapor features very few and none are thought to be harmful. Of course, a degree of skepticism should be had considering that there are very few results to go off of just yet, but one thing is certain – vaping is a safer alternative. How safe it has yet to be discovered.
Is It Safe To Do Around Children?
Like all new technologies and trends, there are always arguments for and against their use and in this case, we’ve decided to take this approach for comparing.
For
For parents that already smoke, switching to vaping could definitely be a healthier alternative not only for your children but for you too. With fewer chemicals to worry about and no current correlation between the vapor and any long-lasting diseases, including cancer, it could be a better alternative. Alternatively, you could choose to Vape outside away from your children in order to better protect them in case any of the vapors have the potential to be harmful.
Against
Although vapor might be healthier, actual liquids, on the other hand, can prove extremely damaging to children and given that most e liquids are designed to taste like sweets, the temptation to ingest the liquid from the bottle is likely if they get their hands on it. Liquid nicotine is toxic for both adults and children and can lead to nicotine poisoning if ingested and for this reason, keeping e liquids out of reach is a must. Similarly, your kids will do what you do and if you want to avoid them smoking in the future, even cutting out vaping could be an ideal choice. Additionally, you could follow the previous advice about smoking outside, though this is a decision for you and your family to make for yourselves.
While vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking for both you and your kids, it’s also a habit best kept away from them to help prevent any accidents or long-term conditions that haven’t been tested as of yet. If you’re looking to quit smoking, vaping can be a great gateway, however, so it could be something to consider regardless.
