Vaping

Jodi Green lost half her tongue to mouth cancer. It could have been worse if it wasn’t for e-cigarettes, she says.

Green is one of the many evangelists for vaping - an alternative to dangerous tobacco cigarettes - who told us their stories for this episode of Superfad. People like Green are adamant vaping is already making a vital contribution to reducing the harm caused by addictive tobacco cigarettes.

As vaping has become more a part of our communities, enthusiasts have formed their own groups, even running smoke-ring blowing contests (heard of the jellyfish?).

But the medical community is equivocal. A review of evidence on e-cigarettes commissioned by Public Health England described vaping as “95 per cent less harmful [than smoking] and of negligible risk to bystanders”. But an inquiry by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand said there’s a strong case for much heavier restrictions, citing studies showing the adverse effects of e-cigarettes on the lungs are immediate.

For this episode, Superfad hosts Laura Walters and Katie Kenny go inside the vaping community, hearing their stories, learning the lingo and trying out the trend for themselves. They also hear from health experts worried about a lack of clarity on the impact of vaping and regulators grappling with what to do about it.

Read more about vaping on Stuff: stuff.co.nz/superfad.

Join the Superfad Facebook group to share your thoughts on this trend, and others: https://www.facebook.com/groups/186422305302755/

Katie and Laura are hosting Facebook Live videos each Monday, where they answer your questions, and take you behind the scenes: https://www.facebook.com/Stuff.co.nz/