Since 2007, “Vaping” (or e-cigarettes) have been present in the United States. Beginning as a means to an end, e-cigarettes were considered a replacement therapy for smokers. People who regularly smoke cigarettes, having become addicted to Nicotine, would use e-cigarettes to wean them off of the addictive substance and eventually become “non-smokers”. Of course, when it comes to Vaping VS Smoking, at some point, mankind took it too far. Now, “vaping” is seen as a crisis among teens.
Where did this trend lose its traction? When did it change from a replacement therapy to a replacement for the real thing? The first thing that needs to be understood is that humans are, well, human. We easily become addicted to things that make us feel good! Nicotine is a stimulant, it’s highly addictive, and it’s damaging to everything it touches. On top of the nicotine, cigarettes contain other harmful chemicals. Do e-cigarettes contain the same substances? Is it bad for you? Why are High School children ending up in the hospital because of “vaping”?
In this article, we will examine these quandaries. Here are 5 things you need to know about Vaping VS Smoking.
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Vaping VS Smoking: Which One Is Healthier?
- Vaping Is Not Harmless
Electronic Cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive drug (one of the most commonly abused drugs) and the liquid that is used in e-cigarettes contains concentrated amounts of nicotine because it is meant to be used as a replacement cigarette. Of course, the vaping liquid contains other hazardous chemicals (flavors and such) and even metals that can cause sickness and respiratory issues. All of these things combine to create an aerosol that you inhale!
Not surprisingly, many high school students have attached themselves to this trend and are unaware of the lasting effects of this habit. When it comes to Vaping VS Smoking, both methods of use put things into your body that aren’t supposed to be there, which is never a good thing. - Vaping VS Smoking: They Are Both Addictive
Let’s cut to the chase: Vaping and Smoking mediums all contain nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance most commonly inhaled via an aerosol created by vaping, or the smoke from a cigarette. Both of these methods are unhealthy (one slightly less unhealthy) and both of them are highly addictive. - Nicotine Use Among Teens Is An Epidemic, Says FDA
In 2016, 1 in 10 high school students was vaping. Fast-forward 3 years, and in 2019 it has risen to 1 in 4. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, an estimated 5.3 million youth are vaping. This does not mean that these teens are tossing their e-cigarettes out the window and picking up a pack of cigarettes, but it does mean that their underdeveloped brains are experiencing a more intense addiction to nicotine as well as other problems with brain development. - Cigarettes Aren’t As Unhealthy As They Used To Be (They Are Still Bad)
Don Draper smoked Lucky Cigarettes in AMC’s Mad Men, and because of that bad boy approach to daily living, Lucky Strikes stock soared, even though production was about to come to a halt. Smoking is not just affecting your lungs. Smoking cigarettes harms nearly every organ in your body (including your heart). Nearly 1/3 of heart disease-related deaths come from smoking or second-hand smoke. While Don Draper makes a drag from a Lucky Strike look harmless and studly from the outside, we have the outsider privilege of knowing that he’s destroying his body with cigarette smoke. - Vaping VS Smoking: No One Wins
In 2019, this epidemic breached the front pages of the news everywhere when Simah Herman was photographed in the ICU holding a sign that read: “I want to start a no vaping campaign.” Days before, she had been driven to the hospital by her father because she couldn’t breathe. A few short days later, her lungs were filled with fluid and she was put into a medically induced coma. Her parents were shocked to learn from a friend that she had been smoking a vape pen. She claims to have smoked one nicotine cartridge per day, which is equivalent to one pack of cigarettes.
Read More: Understanding The Nature Of Addiction And How To Overcome It
So which one is healthier, vaping or smoking? In the case of Vaping VS Smoking, well, no one wins. These addictive habits are not only expensive, but they are costly to human life. Tobacco use, or any nicotine product, before the age of 25 results in shocking damage to the development of the brain, while increasing the chances of becoming addicted, regardless of whether it was inhaled from an e-cigarette or a tobacco cigarette.
It is important to maintain open communication with your loved ones about the effects of nicotine and the role it plays in addiction and the overall health of your family unit. There are pages and pages of potential legislation when it comes to keeping our community healthy and safe, but in order to make real and drastic changes, it has to start with us at home.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on Why You Still Matter To Your Teenage Children.
