Are Geek Bars Bad for You?
Are Geek Bars bad for you? It’s a question on many a vaper’s lips right now!
Since arriving on the scene out of nowhere, Geek Bars have absolutely exploded in popularity, establishing themselves as the go-to devices for beginners and even the most experienced vapers looking for something quick and easy while they’re on the go.
But on the back of their recent resurgence, Geek Bars have attracted some rather unflattering media attention, with numerous reports questioning how safe these throw-away devices actually are. Scare stories suggesting disposables are too strong and questioning their safety are putting some people off the idea of switching to vaping, but are Geek Bars bad for you or is the media doing what it does best and exaggerating the “facts”? Let’s take a look…
Are Geek Bars bad for your health?
Let’s start off by first looking at why Geek Bars (and any other vape device for that matter) exist in the first place. The reason e-cigarettes were invented was to provide a healthier (and tastier) alternative to combustible tobacco products, which are the leading cause of preventable death in the UK with almost 80,000 people dying from smoking-related illnesses annually.
Easy to use and with no maintenance required, the hassle-free nature of disposables has meant they’ve become an immensely popular choice among those just starting their vaping journey, helping to turn millions of smokers into ex-smokers.
If you’re one of the people asking are Geek Bars bad for your health, you’ll be glad to know they’re much safer than smoking. In fact, Public Health England (PHE) carried out a landmark study that showed e-cigarettes are at least 95% safer than traditional tobacco products.
So are Geek Bars bad for you? Well, the short answer is no, not if you’re using them to help you quit smoking. Although they aren’t completely risk-free, we know by looking at the evidence that they’re significantly safer than cigarettes. With that said, as they’re not completely harmless, if you’re a non-smoker then you really should avoid vape devices.
If you’ve never smoked a cigarette then we’d strongly advise against vaping products, however if you’re using e-cigarettes to transition from smoking then you’re absolutely making a positive health choice.
Geek Bar side effects
Another concern among those who are yet to reserve a seat on the Geek Bar hype train is the potential side effects associated with disposable vapes.
Like with most things we put into our bodies, it’s possible to experience some side effects from vaping Geek Bars, although these are likely to be only minor. These include a cough, dry mouth and in some rarer cases people have reported experiencing shortness of breath and headaches. In extreme cases, there have been reports some have developed nosebleeds, but this is particularly uncommon.
Keep in mind we can experience side-effects from any number of things including food, medicines and beauty products. It’s also worth noting that most vapers will never experience any of these Geek Bar side-effects, but if on the off chance you do then you should discontinue use and take a break from vaping for a while.
Are Geek Bars dangerous?
Whether or not Geek Bars are dangerous comes down to a number of factors, one of them being where the device was purchased from.
If your Geek Bar has been purchased from a reputable seller then it’s no more dangerous than any other vape device, which as we’ve seen already is much safer than smoking cigarettes.
With that said, unfortunately, due to the product’s popularity, there are currently a lot of fake Geek Bars in circulation. Sold on the black market, these products can be dangerous because in truth there’s no way of knowing what’s actually in them. The ingredients could be completely different to those in a genuine Geek Bar, and the internal electrical components might also fail to meet the same high standards of the genuine product, making them potentially unsafe.
Counterfeits are a potential safety hazard regardless of the product, and sadly fake Geek Bars are no different.
Buy from trusted retailers
The only way of knowing whether your Geek Bar is the real deal is by purchasing it from a trusted, reputable retailer. That way you can be certain your product is exactly what it says on the tin.
If we’re talking about genuine, TPD-compliant Geek Bars sourced from a credible, UK-based retailer then no, Geek Bars are not dangerous.
In line with the EU’s rigorous regulations, standard Geek Bars contain 40mg of nicotine and only 2ml of e-liquid, so you don’t need to worry about the media’s reports about dangerously high strength Geek Bars that contain a gazillion cigarettes as these are simply not true.
If you come across the Geek Bar Pro being sold in the UK, tread with caution. That’s because, with 4.5ml of e-liquid and a higher strength of nicotine, these are intended for the American market where regulations are different. These vape pens fail to comply with TPD regulations, which makes it illegal to sell them in this country. They may also be fake.
There are a number of retailers in the UK stocking Geek Bar Pros, but whether the products being sold are fake or not, either way these sellers are breaking the law so they should definitely be avoided.
So there we have it. For all the people who were wondering ‘how bad are Geek Bars?’…hopefully the picture is now a little clearer. While nothing is 100% safe, if you’re using these devices to quit smoking then there’s absolutely no doubt they’re a much safer, far less damaging alternative to combustible tobacco products.