This very issue is being debated as part of the ongoing controversy surrounding the use of vaping. It is often promoted as being a safe alternative to smoking but, in reality, the picture is much more complicated. Are the health risks of vaping greater or less than the health risks of smoking?
Let’s unpack what we know.
While traditional cigarettes can be a smoking gun for ill health, consider that a modern commercial cigarette contains no fewer 4,000 chemical compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide and arsenic, and is the direct cause of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and myriad other adverse health issues. The science is clear: smoking kills.
Vaping, by contrast, sees the user heating a liquid (often containing nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals) to a point where it is aerosolised and the vapour inhaled. Advocates of vaping claim that, compared with a cigarette, this substance exposes the user to significantly fewer harmful chemicals. This toxicological debit is often presented as the reason why vaping is likely less harmful.
However, “less harmful” doesn’t equate to “safe.”
Here’s what we need to consider:
Nicotine: Both cigarettes and e-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, an extremely addictive drug that increases heart rate, blood pressure, and narrows arteries. Exposure to nicotine, regardless of source, increases risk to cardiovascular health and brain development during adolescence.
Emerging Evidence [While we await the results of long-term studies, emerging evidence suggests that vaping carries its own dangers: there are studies linking vaping to lung injuries (EVALI), respiratory issues, and, potentially, cardiovascular issues.
Wildcard ingredients: There are few regulations to govern the vaping industry, and e-liquids can vary significantly, with unknown constitutions of the ingredients. This might include benzene and formaldehyde, both known to be carcinogenic.
Gateway to Smoking: Meanwhile, some studies have shown that young vapers are more likely than their non-vaping peers to smoke traditional cigarettes later in life. This ‘gateway effect’, and potential loss of a generation of non-smokers, is worrisome to public-health officials.
The Bottom Line:
Though it exposes the vaper to fewer toxic compounds than does smoking, vaping is not an unmitigated good in terms of health risks – and the long-term effects and their underlying mechanisms are not yet known, in large part because the regulatory landscape that surrounds the commercial production and sale of vapes is a regulatory quagmire.
Of course, the safest option is to not smoke and not vape, so if you smoke you should consider evidence-based cessation methods by consulting your healthcare professional or contact Humana Wellness – Best Rehabilitation Centre in Delhi.