Yes, it’s a less dangerous alternative to smoking, but is the nicotine content of your vape juice having a negative effect on you?
Most people start vaping because they want to cut down on cigarettes but still enjoy their nicotine intake. THis means that, depending on the amount you smoked before, you’ll be choosing a specific strength of nicotine in your vape juice, or adding your own to nicotine free juice. Whilst nicotine is not the most unhealthy thing in tobacco, it is still addictive and, in large quantities still can have negative effects. It goes without saying then, that the less you take in the better, and the better your chances of quitting altogether.
What is nicotine and what does it do?
Nicotine is naturally occurring chemical which you can find within the nightshade family of plants, more specifically tobacco plants. The chemical releases endorphins in the human brain and is therefore addictive, increasing for a limited period of time, focus and concentration. Nicotine is therefore a substance which gives that satisfying edge to cigarettes.
What are the negative effects of nicotine?
Nicotine has been associated with the negative qualities of cigarettes, but it is often misunderstood that nicotine is a carcinogen. This is definitely not the case, and it’s a range of other factors that mean that when ingesting it, you should take care. After all, there’s a reason nicotine is reserved for over 18’s. Whether you’re buying a premium e liquid or a cheap one, the caution surrounding nicotine should always be the same.
Nicotine poisoning
Nicotine can be poisonous in large quantities. Whilst you could never smoke or vape enough for it to be lethal, those working on tobacco farms have to wear protective clothing as exposure to concentrated nicotine can cause skin irritation and can lead to death if ingested. Vaping a vape juice with more nicotine than your body can tolerate will make you feel nauseous and can lead to vomiting, but only if you’re not used to nicotine. On top of this, nicotine in e liquid is highly concentrated and should not be ingested from the bottle under any circumstances. This is why you should always keep vape juice bottles away from kids and make sure your bottles are child proof due to the rising number of kids mistaking vape juice for candy, the sweet smell deceiving them.
Higher blood pressure
High blood pressure is another reason people stray from too much nicotine. Vasoconstriction occurs in your arteries in the short run when ingesting nicotine, increasing the heart rate when you first ingest nicotine. THis can be bad for people suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure, but otherwise is only a short term effect of vaping.
What level of nicotine should you vape at?
So, if you are unsure what vape juice to buy from the vape shop, just remember that the highest level of nicotine you can purchase within a juice is 20 mg, and the lowest before 0 is 3 mg. This means that if you were a heavy smoker, you should opt for a nicotine content in the alte teens, whilst if you were only a light or non-smoker before, then you should opt for the lower levels.