While we do not know exactly what chemicals are in e-cigarettes, while vaping exposes you to fewer dangerous chemicals than traditional cigarettes, it is equally menacing
It is a popular belief that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, and the number of its users, particularly among youngsters, has increased across the world. Vaping, also known as e-cigarettes, heats nicotine—which is extracted from tobacco—and adds flavourings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale.
Regular tobacco cigarettes contain more than 5,000 dangerous and toxic chemicals. While we do not know exactly what chemicals are in e-cigarettes, experts believe that while vaping may be exposing you to fewer dangerous chemicals than traditional cigarettes, it is equally menacing.
Why is smoking bad for you?
Nicotine, the primary agent in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, is highly addictive. Doctors say it leads you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving.
While being extremely toxic, nicotine also raises your blood pressure and spikes adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack. The CDC notes that people who smoke are up to 30 times more likely to develop and die from lung cancer than those who don’t smoke. Research has also linked smoking cigarettes to an increased risk of colon, throat, and breast cancer, among other cancers.
Why is vaping bad for you?
According to Harvard Health, there are many unknowns about vaping, which include what chemicals make up the vapours and how they affect physical health over the long term. Studies suggest links to chronic lung diseases and asthma, apart from associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with heart disease.
Experts believe many e-cigarette users get even more nicotine than they would from a combustible tobacco product. Users can buy extra-strength cartridges, which have a higher concentration of nicotine, or increase the e-cigarette’s voltage to get a greater hit of the substance.
Vaping is also bad for the overall health of young people and pregnant women, as it impacts brain development and increases the risk of cigarette smoking later in life.
Other long-term side effects of smoking
Smoking has many long-term adverse effects on your body, which include:
- Reduces sperm count
- Increases the risk of loss of pregnancy and other congenital disabilities
- Increases the risk of cataracts
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Impairs immune system function
- Increases inflammation across your body
- Causes cancer in nearly any part of the body, including the lungs, kidneys, and stomach
- Triggers asthma attacks
- Causes blockages in the veins and arteries
- Increases the risk of a stroke
