Aussie's horrifying revelation after 'googling' vape: 'Tell me why'
In Australia, it's estimated over a million people use a vape every single day.
While nicotine in any amount is unsafe to consume, an Australian woman was horrified to find out just how many cigarettes her "vape is equal to" after an eye-opening Google search.
Social media personality Cassie told followers online this week how she was curious about the volume of nicotine in her IGET vape, so she embarked on a quick search. "I googled the nicotine content in the vapes I usually consume — tell me why, apparently, one IGET Bar is equal to 230 cigarettes," she said.
"230! I go through two of those a week — what the f**k," the young Aussie said in astonishment at the fact she apparently smokes the equivalent of 460 cigarettes in seven days.
Experts say that though vaping and smoking cigarettes each produce nicotine, the delivery methods differ, as does how much an individual will consume.
A typical cigarette contains around 10-12 milligrams of nicotine, with a smoker inhaling about 1-2 milligrams per cigarette. Vapes, on the other hand, can have nicotine concentrations ranging from three to 50 milligrams per millilitre of e-liquid.
The amount of nicotine a user absorbs depends on their vaping habits, such as puff frequency and duration. Both can lead to addiction and harmful health effects.
While the result of Cassie's search is plausible, nicotine delivery ranges depending on individual usage patterns, and different vapes and cigarette brands have varying nicotine levels.
Such comparisons are more like rough estimates rather than precise equivalents, according to the federal government.
Social media users make 'insane' discovery about their vapes
Earlier this year, another vaper based in the US made a similarly concerning discovery after his friend exhaled in his electric car.
Back in August, the driver shared his shock at realising the air quality inside the vehicle drastically decreased after the exhale. Astonished, he took to social media, showing a view of his control panel which revealed the quality rating went from "good" to "very unhealthy" almost instantly after exhaling.
"Oh my God," he said in the video. "And people drive around with their kids in the car? That was insane. I am so thankful that my car has that feature, because it has just opened my eyes".
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia at the time, Deputy Chair with the Royal Australian College of Practitioners (RACGP) Victoria, Dr Aadhil Aziz, said this technology increased in prevalence after the pandemic, and while generally helpful, readings shouldn't be taken on face value.
He questioned the accuracy of sensors in vehicles altogether, particularly as some don't even specify proper measuring units.
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"They've always had filters, but filtration systems became much more advertised in a post-Covid world. I think Tesla calls it biohazard detection or something like that, so they're very much around," Aziz told Yahoo News.
He said the sensor may be perceived a good thing because it essentially warned the man that "vaping is bad". But he more generally warned Australians against relying on this kind of technology when it comes to genuine air quality measurements.
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