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Our mission is: Advocate (for vapers and consumers), Inform (the public and government) and Educate (smokers and other members of the public) about electronic vapourisers and e-cigarettes.
What About Nicotine?
The voice of Vapers for Vapers in New Zealand
What About Nicotine?
We have heard time and time again that nicotine is the stuff that is bad for you in e-cigarettes and personal vapourisers. In the media, from the GP or even the smoking cessation nurse. All of the foregoing people, for all their good intentions, are ill informed.
Isn’t Nicotine addictive and bad for your health?
Studies have shown that the nicotine, which is allegedly the addictive substance in cigarettes, is actually not as addictive when delivered in vapour as opposed to combustible smoke. The reasoning is that there are other compounds in cigarettes (for example there are over 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, compared with a max of 10 in e liquid) that when combined, create the “need” or “addiction” that cigarette smokers have. Cigarettes actually contain MAOI’s, which are antidepressant medications – which explains much of the “addiction” and “depression” and “mood swings” that come from when someone tries to quit smoking.
Nicotine, on the other hand, is no more addictive than Caffeine. You are exposed to it every time you eat a tomato, aubergine or broccoli. It is a naturally occurring substance in the Solanum family of vegetables, as well as in tobacco.
Is there any scientific research done overseas regarding the use of Electronic Cigarettes and vaping and health effects?
Yes. In the UK there have been two reports released in the past year with regards to vaping and health. Both of these studies were done in medical laboratories with large groups of people to assess the health effects of vaping vs. smoking.
The first was the Public Health UK report, which can be accessed online here:
The second was the report by the Royal College of Physicians in the UK, which can be accessed here:
There is also the work of a cardiologist in Greece, by the name of Dr. Konstantinos Farsolinos, who has dedicated his research efforts into the truth about electronic cigarettes and is now considered *the* expert on e cigarettes and health. His website can be accessed at:
Lastly, there is an annual conference, called the Global Forum on Nicotine, where scientists gather to discuss vaping, smoking, nicotine and health and network with one another regarding their findings and how best to approach governments, affect legislation and organise communities. The most recent conference was this past June in Warsaw and the presentations and videos are now available for public viewing online here:
Medical research is happening in New Zealand too, through Auckland University (PATH Study, Ascend 2) and it is expected that those results will be available by the end of the year. (Dr. Chris Bullen & Dr. Hayden McRobbie).
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