Tobacco is a societal issue that has persisted for years. Cancers, respiratory problems, bodily degradation. Cheaper and claimed to be less dangerous, the electronic cigarette seems to be the right alternative. With different flavors and adjustable nicotine levels, they could potentially improve smokers’ health.
“How did I manage to smoke for 40 years?” Jean Claude Rousseau, 67, runs an electronic cigarette shop on Garibaldi Square. The former smoker switched his Marlboros for an electronic device that has been booming since 2010. According to France Vapotage, with the advent of these e-cigarettes, nearly 1.6 million French people have quit smoking. Behind a plexiglass counter, the shopkeeper highlights the benefits of electronic cigarettes: “Since I started using electronic cigarettes, my breath has gradually improved, morning cough problems have decreased, and the smell of cigarettes has disappeared. It’s a pleasure.” In addition to being beneficial physically, they are especially advantageous economically, confirms Guillaume Faure, 27: “When I smoked, I bought a carton every week. I found myself with an empty bank account, partly because of cigarettes. Nowadays, the flavors last longer and I manage my money better.”
Economic savings, better hygiene of life, but is the electronic cigarette less dangerous than “traditional” tobacco? According to the English Public Health Agency, vapes are supposedly 95% less harmful than cigarettes. A general practitioner from Nice, who wishes to remain anonymous, explains: “The big advantage of electronic cigarettes is that it isn’t inhaled smoke — it’s vapor. The tobacco present in cigarettes contains more than 80 carcinogenic substances.” Every year in France, there are more than 18,000 cardiovascular-related deaths linked to tobacco. Studies have shown that so far, there is no established link between these diseases and electronic cigarettes. However, electronic cigarettes still pose several risks. Addiction, the presence of carcinogenic substances in some products, etc. But personally, I think they are less harmful than all the substances found in tobacco,” concludes the doctor.
Insufficient Solution
Despite numerous advantages, vapes are not suitable for everyone: “It’s not strong enough for me. I can’t satisfy myself with it, no matter how much I increase the nicotine level,” explains Magalie Chauvin, 40. Sitting on a bench in Garibaldi Square, Jack Coletti struggles to fulfill his cravings: “For me, it’s just a supplement. I still buy cigarettes. I have my little rituals that the electronic cigarette does not fulfill.” For Nathalie Ascensao Da Sousa, the problem is different: “It’s not so much the nicotine that I miss. I feel like I’ve eliminated one addiction, but a new one has been created…” Even though the popularity of the 2.0 cigarette increases every year, the mortality rate remains high, with more than 8 million deaths per year according to the World Health Organization.
