Vaping is a way of consuming nicotine that shares many similarities with smoking - you inhale a gaseous mixture that contains nicotine, and that nicotine is absorbed through the surface of the lungs. There are a few key differences though - smoking burns the tobacco, creating harmful chemicals and releasing the nasty chemicals found in the plant. Vaping is the action of heating what is known as ‘e-liquid’ into an aerosol, and e-liquids contain propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), nicotine and flavourings - which is why Public Health England’s review found that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than traditional tobacco cigarettes.
It is for those same reasons that vaping is proving to be a useful tool for smoking cessation. The action of vaping is close to smoking which fulfils the ‘action’ part of the addiction, if only psychologically. The e-liquid aerosol that is inhaled contains nicotine, and as the e-liquid aerosol is not as harmful as tobacco smoke, it takes longer for the nicotine to make its way into the bloodstream, so the nicotine craving takes a little longer to satisfy when vaping.
There are also nicotine free liquids available, so those who have switched from smoking to vaping can reduce their nicotine intake down to zero! This means that any cravings will be eliminated, and you can vape as and when you like, give up vaping altogether, or keep your vape devices in case you ever need to satisfy a temptation to smoke!
CELEBRITIES AND VAPING
Celebrities play a large role in ‘perception’ in today’s world. They hold influence over many of us - demonstrated by the large followings of celebrities on social media platforms - as well as influence over things like fashion, too. There are plenty of instances where this proves to have a negative impact - politics, anyone? - but sometimes, it can be a good thing!
When it comes to vaping, particularly in the United States, there has been a concerted effort by many media outlets to lambast e-cigarettes, vaping, and their safety. The reality is that, in the US, there is little regulation for the e-liquids that are sold, so many contain harmful chemicals like diacetyl - the chemical responsible for the lung injury known as popcorn lung - for flavouring.
There are also many cases of lung injury being caused by users mixing things like THC (tetrahydrocannibinol - the psychoactive compound found in Cannabis) in to their e-liquid by means of vitamin E acetate, which has been found in every fluid sample of lung injury collected by the CDC. (1)
In the UK, we have strict regulations in place for nicotine products, including e-liquids, so the instances of E-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury - or EVALI - in the UK are extremely rare, with one case being reported as of July 2020. (2)
Celebrities can help us present vaping in a positive light when articles are discrediting the value of e-cigarettes, particularly when important information is left out of these articles - as always, the devil is in the details! So which stars do we have to thank for their contribution to the vape game?
TV AND MOVIE STARS WHO ENJOY VAPING
Top of the list is everyone’s favourite Hollywood heart throb - Leonardo DiCaprio! Back in 2016, Leo used his vape mod at the Screen Actors Guild awards, which earned him a scolding from the American Lung Association, who cited a 2009 study in which the FDA found ‘detectable levels’ of some harmful chemicals as evidence that more regulation and review is needed to understand the dangers of 2nd hand vape aerosol.
The famous actor and playboy, Charlie Sheen, got on board with e-cigarettes so much so that he created two brands of his own! Sadly the two brands ‘Sheenius’ and ‘Nicosheen’ are no longer trading, but those brand names make me think that maybe Charlie has a future in marketing...
It looks like the new Batman will be able to create his own misty special effects, as next on our list is Robert Pattinson! The Twilight star presented an award at the 19th Annual Women in Hollywood event in Beverly Hills back in 2012, and was seen using an electronic cigarette that was reportedly given to him by Michael Heller, an entertainment lawyer and Lindsay Lohan’s manager. (3)
From a new version of the Dark Knight to an old version of his most famous adversary, the Joker, played by none other than Jack Nicholson! Jack has been pictured many times at signings puffing on his e-cigarette. The list of Batman villains that vape doesn’t end there, however - the UK’s Tom Hardy, who played Bane in the third instalment of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy, is another celeb who is often photographed with his vape pen in hand.
Samuel L Jackson is another red carpet regular that uses a variety of vape devices and has been pictured with a typical e-cigarette, and some bigger vape mods. Johnny Depp is another high-flyer that apparently took up vaping after using an e-cigarette for a scene in his 2010 film The Tourist.
The list of famous Brits that vape include Cara Delevingne; actress, award winning model and talented musician; the shortest third of Britain’s biggest petrolhead trio, Richard Hammond; and the man of music, Mr Simon Cowell, whose driver provided him with a vape device he could finally get on with, and has used vaping to cut down on his smoking habit. (4)
Saved for last is the American actress, producer and former fashion model, Katherine Heigl. Katherine used her vape on the Late Show with David Letterman back in 2010, and is often referred to as one of the main proponents of bringing vaping into the public eye for doing so!
SINGERS WHO VAPE
Bruno Mars is one of many singers that have made the switch from smoking to vaping, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother. Lady Gaga has also been snapped using a vape pen, as has Katy Perry, no doubt to prevent smoking damage to their vocal cords to ensure a long lasting singing career!
Ronnie Wood, Rolling Stones guitarist, also gave up the cigs in favour of vaping after his wife gave birth to twin girls - and Ronnie got grief from his bandmate, the infamous Keith Richards, for doing so! (6)
FAMOUS ATHLETES WHO USE E-CIGARETTES
Athletics is a field that requires, for the most part, the athlete to keep their body in top condition. High level athletes need a great respiratory system, and can’t afford to smoke because of the negative impact it has on the lungs and blood vessels.
As sportspeople are role models, have sponsorship deals, and many play on a team so are beholden to their teammates, they are less likely to smoke, and less likely to be seen smoking or vaping. With that said, there are a few examples of top level athletes using an e-cigarette such as Jimmy White (the snooker player) and David de Gea (Manchester United’s goalkeeper).
OTHER PUBLIC FIGURES WHO QUIT SMOKING USING VAPES
There is a whole world of YouTubers, TikTok stars and Instagram influencers on the internet that are a new form of celebrity, influencing millions of people, and some of the biggest stars to come out of this sphere are vapers too! The well-loved PewDiePie, known for streaming video games (among other things) has had a device close by on-stream, but there is also a microcosm of vape influencers - people on these social media sites who focus on vaping for their content.
7 CELEBRITIES YOU DIDN'T KNOW VAPED CONCLUSION
I think we would all be fairly surprised at some of the people on this list and, believe it or not, there are many more celebrities that have taken up vaping in place of a smoking habit. Your favourite actor or singer may be on that list!
Personally, I would prefer people used the studies out there to make an informed decision on vaping, but seeing celebrities we love and respect using these devices as a means to quit smoking is inspiring, encouraging, and goes a long way to dispelling some of the myths that have emerged around vaping.
So if vaping is good enough for these celebs to help them quit smoking, then maybe check out some of our popular e-cigarette and vape starter kits for yourself!
So if vaping is good enough for these celebs to help them quit smoking, then maybe check out some of our popular e-cigarette and vape starter kits for yourself!
REFERENCES
(1) Vitamin E Acetate as a Plausible Cause of Acute Vaping-related Illness
(2) VAPE ALERT Shocking scan reveals first case of vaping-related lung disease in UK
(3) Here's How Celebs Are Sneakily Promoting Products And You Don't Even Realize It
(4) Simon Cowell Cuts Down On The Ciggies - Thanks To Vaping
