By now you’re probably well aware of the disposable vape revolution. Over the past year or so, throw-away devices have become a popular choice for beginners and busy vapers on the move, but with an increasing number of negative reports in the media some people are now asking are disposable vapes safe.
If you’re one of those people who’s concerned about the safety of disposable vapes, fear not as we have all the information you’ll need to help put your fears at ease.
What are Disposable Vapes?
Disposable vapes are throw away units which have become hugely popular since their release a year or two ago. Since hitting the shelves, they’ve enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity to become THE go-to choice for those trying to quit smoking with a vape device.
Unlike other types of vape kits, disposables don’t need to be refilled or recharged – you just take the device out the box and begin vaping. Once it’s finished (either the battery will die or the e-liquid will run out) you throw it away and move onto the next one.
They’ve become favoured by those just dipping their toes into the world of vaping because of their low price point, ease of use and wide range of attractive flavours.
How Safe are Disposable Vapes?
The fact you’ve come across this article means you’re probably interested in trying disposable vapes, but you’re a tad concerned they may be harmful. If that’s the case, good on you as we’d always encourage people to do their research before using any new products.
With regards to safety, disposables don’t pose any more danger than regular vapes. A landmark study carried out by Public Health England concluded that vapes are at least 95% safer than combustible tobacco products.
The vast majority of vapers are ex-smokers who swapped their deadly habit for something that’s proven to be much less harmful, and separate research shows vapes are by far the most effective stop-smoking aid on the market.
So are disposable vapes safe? The answer is they’re as safe as any other type of vape device which, as the evidence shows us, are a much safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. So if you’re using them to quit smoking, then you have nothing to worry about regarding their safety.
Why is Everybody Talking About Disposable Vapes?
Since their arrival disposables have stolen a lot of headlines – usually for the wrong reasons – but what’s the reason for the media’s consistently negative reports and are they justified?
Never ones to shy away from a juicy story (whether factual or not) the media began publishing reports about “super-strong vapes” when they learned about Geek Bar Pros being sold in the UK. In these reports, they wrote about the devices containing the equivalent to over 100 cigarettes.
They’ve also published a lot of stories about kids using vape devices and suggested disposables are to blame, but do these theories stand up to scrutiny? Let’s take a closer look.
Problems with Media Reports
Although they attract readers, the issue with stories such as these is they neglect to mention a number of facts which would provide much more perspective.
Firstly, the type of device discussed in these reports isn’t even legally sold in the UK. Every product sold on these shores is required to meet the Tobacco Products Directive’s (TPD’s) rules and regulations, which state that no device can contain more than 20 mg nicotine per m/l, while the overall capacity is also capped at 2ml.
The Geek Bar Pros mentioned in the reports contain 5ml of e-liquid and way over the allowed nicotine content, so the media was discussing a product that’s not even sold in the UK – well, not legally anyway (more on that later).
We should also point out that when reports compare vape devices to cigarettes, it makes absolutely no sense. Vapes contain none of the tar or carbon monoxide found in cigarettes, which are responsible for the vast amount of smoking-related illnesses, so saying any disposable is the equivalent to even a single cigarette would be wrong.
Another issue with these reports is they’re forever accusing the manufacturers of marketing disposables to children, which they say is working as there’s currently a youth “vaping epidemic”.
The problem here is that not only is there zero evidence that manufacturers of disposable vapes are targeting kids, but the number of youths using vape devices has actually fallen over the past two years. Chances are you didn’t read about that one in the news though!
The anti-vaping witch hunt is just another example of the media trying to create hysteria out of nothing, but thankfully, due to the countless studies and information available at our fingertips, we can see these reports for exactly what they are: a load of hot air!
Stay Safe by Avoiding Knock-Offs
Now we’ve established disposables are no more dangerous than any other vape device, it’s important to mention this comes with a caveat – your device needs to be a genuine article, manufactured by the company named on the box.
As is always the case with sought-after products, unfortunately there are millions of counterfeit disposable devices out there waiting to be snapped up by some unsuspecting vapers who think they’ve stumbled across a bargain.
Sadly, while they might get a great deal in terms of price, they might pay with their health. That’s because there’s no way of knowing what’s actually in these devices. They most certainly aren’t TPD-compliant and they may contain dangerous ingredients.
So stick to a retailer who is both reliable and trusted, and remember that if they’re selling products that exceed the TPD’s limit on nicotine content then it should be a real red flag.
Best Disposable Vapes on the Market
We’ve all heard of Geek Bar and Elf Bar disposables. These two have been pretty much the gold standard since disposables started to take off, so opting for either of these guarantees you’re getting a great-quality product.
With that said, these established brands now have real competition with a number of other devices entering the market.