Electronic Cigarettes
Electronic Cigarettes
Using e-cigarettes has become more popular among youth in the past few years. They quickly became the alternative for traditional cigarettes, in combination with their sleek design and unique flavors. Some may even believe that it is a safer choice as opposed to cigarettes, however, this is simply not true. When vaping, you are inhaling steam that comes from hot liquid. The liquid usually has nicotine and flavoring in it, and other additives. Both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance with multiple medical risks.
In addition to nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful ingredients, including:
Ultrafine particles.
Flavorants such as diacetyl.
Volatile organic compounds.
Heavy metals, such as lead, tin, and nickel.
Are e-cigarettes really less harmful than regular cigarettes?
Even though it has been found that e-cigarettes are less harmful than normal cigarettes, it does not mean that e-cigarettes themselves are a safe option. The smoke from a regular cigarette contains a mix of 7,000 chemicals, the aerosol from e-cigarettes is usually far fewer but not free of harm.
Lung Damage: Vaping coats the lungs with potentially harmful chemicals, which irritates the lungs. The substances found in e-cigarette liquid, such as diacetyl, formaldehyde, and acrolein pose risks to the lungs. Diacetyl is a food additive, known to damage small passageways in the lungs. This can result in the development of “popcorn lung”, another name for bronchiolitis obliterans (BO). Some symptoms of BO include coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical that can cause lung disease and contribute to heart disease. Acrolein is most often used as a weed killer and can also damage lungs. Inhaling the oily substances found in e-liquid can also cause vaping-related lipoid pneumonia, an inflammatory response in the lungs. Some symptoms include chronic cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood or blood-tinged mucus.
Secondhand Smoke: “The secondhand vapor is just water”. This is a myth, secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes are not harmless. As previously mentioned, there are a variety of dangerous substances in emitted smoke. Although secondhand vapor may not affect the lungs the same way as vaping, it is better to avoid it, if possible.
Continued Risks…
Interferences with brain development and function: Nicotine changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Nicotine also harms the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
Addiction: Using nicotine in adolescence may increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs.
Injury: Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.
Poisoning: Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions
1- Do I Have to Vape Every Day to Get Addicted?
Addiction is not a linear route, it will be different for every individual depending on the other factors, including genetics. The rate in which someone becomes addicted will be different. For some, smoking everyday won't get them addicted. For others, not smoking everyday will still get them addicted.
2- Why should I Quit?
Besides the health risks of smoking that were discussed, because this is a relatively new phenomenon, there still hasn't been comprehensive research. There could be unknown health risks that have yet to be discovered and other known risks could be more severe than perceived. Vaping could also have an effect on your social life and your favorite activities. For example, if you play a sport you may notice that your performance is weakened. Vaping can damage relationships as you may not be able to focus on them as much or be too preoccupied with this new habit. Lastly, vaping could be expensive. Instead, you could spend that money on other things you need or enjoy.
3- What About E-cigarettes That Don't Have Nicotine?
Most e-cigarettes do have nicotine. Even those that don't have chemicals in them. The long-term effects of e-cigarettes that don't have nicotine are not known.
4- How Can I Quit?
If you're having a hard time quitting, talk to your health care provider about local programs and websites that can help you quit vaping.