You may think that kicking the habit of smoking by turning to vaping will be easier on your health; but experts like Best Pulmonologist in Lahore seem to think otherwise. Read on to know more about e-cigarettes:
It may seem to be less harmful, but it is not actually safe
It appears premature to say that e-cigarettes are safe for health. While regular tobacco cigarettes contain more than 7000 chemicals most of which are toxic, e-cigarettes contain nicotine-derived flavorings and other chemicals that create an aerosol inhaled by the smoker. This aerosol is not totally safe for the lungs, although it is less toxic than cigarette smoke.
Ever since vaping became mainstream, there have been a number of lung injuries and deaths associated with it. In fact, as of January 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed about 60 deaths in patients associated with vaping.
One of the dangerous chemicals contained in e-cigarette is: vitamin E acetate, which is associated with lung injury. In many individuals presenting with EVALI (e-cigarette, vaping associated lung injury), vitamin E acetate was found in the lung fluid sample. This compound is used in vaping devices as a thickening agent.
Vaping has ill-effects on both the heart and the lungs
Both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes contain nicotine as the primary agent. Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant that raises the blood pressure, increases the heart rate and raises the likelihood of heart attack. It is this nicotine that creates the withdrawal symptoms and cravings if one doesn’t smoke.
Emerging data has found links between chronic lung disease, asthma, cardiovascular disease and vaping. People who are vaping are exposing themselves to all kinds of chemicals and ingredients that are probably not safe and researched upon.
They are both addictive
As mentioned before, nicotine is the primary agent in e–cigarettes, and it is nicotine that is addictive in nature. Thus, vaping can be as addictive as regular cigarettes. What’s dangerous is that e-cigarette users can get even higher nicotine levels through extra-strength cartridges than regular tobacco product. This increases the craving for nicotine and the high it creates. Therefore, when comparing regular cigarettes with e-cigarettes in terms of addiction, e-cigarettes may be worse.
They don’t actually help you quit smoking
While e-cigarettes have been touted as smoking cessation agents, they have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this use. This is only a marketing tactic used by these agencies to promote the vaping products. In fact, a recent study has found that people who intend to kick smoking, end up using both tobacco products and e–cigarettes when they take up vaping. This is due to the high nicotine content of vaping devices that makes it difficult to give up the habit of smoking.
In recent times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advices instead, the use of approved smoking sensation options instead of e-cigarette and vaping devices for adults. This is in particular due to the lung injuries associated with vaping products.
Nicotine addiction is rising in the youngsters
Many youngsters and teens are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes. In the year 2015, the US alone reported an increase of 900 percent in the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices. The reasons for this increased use of vaping devices appears to be: the lower cost of e-cigarettes in comparison to regular cigarettes, teens believing vaping is less harmful and the use of flavorings in vaping devices that appeal to the youngsters. For experts like Best Pulmonologist in Karachi the concern is that many people who never smoked are taking up this habit.