Addiction, especially nicotine addiction is very common amongst adults around the world and there are many who though are not happy with this addiction, and cannot get themselves to quit. Recently, many smokers have turned to e-cigarettes and vapes to put an end to their smoking habits and prevent harming their bodies. However, the question is: Are vapes and e-cigarettes really an ideal solution to end addiction?
Here are a few points about e-cigarettes and vapes that many are not aware of.
1. E-cigarettes don’t lead to quitting
Although e-cigarettes are promoted to help quit smoking, the end result is the opposite. They, instead, get more addicted to nicotine as a user gets more of it than they consume it from a traditional cigarette. The user is provided with an option of getting a higher concentration cartridge with higher amounts of nicotine and vapes have an option of increasing voltage for a better hit with more volume of the addictive substance.
Hence smokers do not quit smoking. Instead, they start using both traditional and e-cigarettes.
It is not completely safe
Almost all vapes contain artificial flavors which are inhaled along with nicotine. Researchers believe that these flavors contain harmful chemicals which are yet unknown to most people. Although it is established that e-cigarettes contain far less chemicals than traditional ones, the ones that are present directly attack the lung and have resulted in various lung injuries amongst vapors, primarily due to a culprit called vitamin E acetate which is a thickener and present in liquid used in vapes and e-cigarettes.
Vaping leads to heart and gum diseases
According to a recent study, e-cigarette users are 56% more likely to have an heart attack than non-users. The high levels of nicotine present in them directly shoots up adrenaline in the body and raises heart rate. This can lead to coronary heart diseases and heart attacks. Furthermore, the chemicals present also affect the gums by restricting blood flow and along with them nutrients to the mouth which damages the oral tissues.
A threat to the new generation
With the flashy colors used for marketing, the low per use cost and the lack of smell e-cigarettes are very common amongst the younger generation as it reduces the stigma attached to smoking. This is highly concerning as these vapes instantly kick start nicotine addiction rather than helping to quit. Nicotine addiction is now very popular amongst high school teenagers due to these smoke producing devices which many find very cool. It is now a new trend to get the latest vape in the most eye-catching colors and along with various new flavor.
The easy accessibility and feasibility of vaping
The most popular reason to vape is the feasibility of vaping. You can sit and vape anywhere from a cinema theatre to a school canteen without anyone noticing. This makes the use of e-cigarettes more popular than ever and increase nicotine consumption making users more prone to health risks.
Although there is no doubt that smoking is injurious to health, there is no solid evidence that vaping is not, the lack of knowledge around the risks of vaping and the chemicals used in the process make it something that should be avoiding.