A significant number of the population believe that vaping is not dangerous or risky. The current users of the e-cigarettes and vapes believe they are safer than the conventional cigarettes because of their ignorance of the device and general safety of e-cigarette. The traditional tobacco cigarette has been used for a long time despite its adverse health effect on the consumers. The two modes of smoking differ regarding the percentage of contents in them. E-cigarettes and vape have been in existence since 2003 and have recently experienced an explosion in popularity. It is a smoking sensation and a device that attempts to deliver flavorings and nicotine in a presumably harmless way. Its health effect is experienced in the long run hence it is unsafe and unhealthy just like the traditional tobacco cigarettes.
The tobacco cigarettes are puffed by the smoker and do not require electric energy when in use. However, the e-cigarettes have a 3.5V battery, small wire coil and e-juice to create a flavor to the user (Dufort & Owila, 2014). The e-liquid and e-juice contain propylene glycol, nicotine, flavorings, and glycerin. It is presumed that those who use vape pens and e-cigarettes have less harmful vapor than the harmful traditional smoke. Electronic cigarettes are revolutionary ways of smoking that have been well received by those who cannot stop smoking. The increasing scrutiny of electronic cigarettes caused the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S to announce their regulation formally. The regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems includes that of e-liquids, flavorings, atomizers and cartridges.
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The traditional tobacco cigarettes contain tar, toxic carbon dioxide gas and carcinogens. They contain tobacco which is a danger to smokers and the people around them. Smokers inhale these toxic substances and expose their bodies to lung cancer and other respiratory related diseases. The e-cigarettes are powered by battery devices full of liquid nicotine, propylene glycol and water. They are cigarette like and cylindrical. Vaping is the action that simulates the smoking sensation when one takes up a puff. It is suggested that e-cigarettes remove tar from the smoking experience in the traditional tobacco cigarettes to create a “safer” alternative way of smoking. Advocates of e-cigarettes argue that they have lower emissions than traditional cigarettes. The claim may be true in the sense that the health risks are lower in e-cigarettes than in traditional tobacco cigarettes. A study conducted in the Cancer Research Institute in the UK in 2015 found that smokers of e-cigarettes exclusive have lower levels of carcinogens than those who use traditional smoking (Pepper et al., 2015). The researchers concluded that e-cigarettes have low nicotine intake and reduce the risks involved in long-term smoking. However, long-term smokers cannot quit, and addiction affects both traditional and conventional smokers. The fact that the emissions reduced in conventional ways of smoking do not mean that users are healthy. Regular cigarettes are unhealthy, and so are the e-cigarettes.
Traditional tobacco cigarettes can affect a user faster than e-cigarettes. Those who support e-cigarettes have used this fact to promote vaping rather than reducing general smoking. Despite the increasing support e-cigarette and vapor using evidence from research, the dangers of e-cigarette extend beyond the risk of tar in the traditional tobacco cigarettes. Tobacco used in a short time can affect the lungs. E-cigarettes also have long-term effects on the lungs. Studies that support vaping provide a mere snapshot of its effect to show its benefits against traditional smoking. Few studies have looked beyond six months to evaluate the long-term effect of vaping and e-cigarettes. The carcinogen in tobacco causes lung cancer, while in e-cigarettes they cause damage to the lung DNA. The University of Connecticut found that e-smoking can cause DNA damage to the lungs and have the same effect as that of tobacco. The changes in DNA caused by both traditional tobacco smoking and e-cigarettes confer to the greater risk of cancer.
The US Surgeon General and FDA have both issued a warning to advise the public that e-cigarettes increase nicotine addiction among the young people and lead them to regular cigarettes instead of swaying them from it. This advice came as a result of the increase in e-cigarette use in the young people recorded since 2005. Nicotine is a major addictive substance in tobacco and can cause psychological addiction whether in the conventional or evolutionary mode of smoking. The use of vapor among young people has increased by 9% since 2005 (Pepper et al., 2015). The nicotine solution in the cylinders is a stimulant that leads to cigarette addiction. When one stops vaping, he or she gets into withdrawal and feel crabby or depressed. It is dangerous for people with a heart problem and may hurt human arteries. Nicotine also affects brain development among adolescents who are the major consumers of the vapor and electronic cigarette. It also harms the development of fetus causing lower birth rate and risk of sudden deaths of infants. Medical practitioners have warned pregnant women off using anything that contains nicotine.
In recently published concerns, the FDA has found anti-freeze in e-cigarette products and larger contents of formaldehyde in high voltage e-cigarette brands. The FDA warns that some e-cigarettes contains diethylene glycol, which is an ingredient used in antifreeze. Most of these chemicals are also present in tobacco smoke. The formaldehyde is used in building and increases the risk of cancer among those who visit vape shops. The ingredients in these e-cigarette products are toxic to humans. It is unclear what other ingredients may be found in the e-liquid solutions that are increasingly filling the market.
The U.S Surgeon General further disputes the argument that e-cigarettes are safer than the traditional tobacco cigarette. The institution found that prolonged use of e-cigarettes can cause irreversible lung damage. Prolonged inhalation of flavors such as diacetyl that imitates popcorn barter damages the human lungs.
An e-cigarette with one heating coil operates at approximately 3.8 volts and emits 0.46 micrograms per puff of a chemical known as acrolein, which is a server respiratory and eye irritant. Chemical emission in e-cigarettes changes depending on the cigarette’s battery voltage. High voltage causes the higher temperature in the coil hence more chemical is released in the process. As the heat goes steady, the e-cigarette emits more than eight micrograms per puff. The amount released using the electronic gadget is much less than that of a regular cigarette that releases from 400 to 650 micrograms (McAuley et al., 2012). However, the young population takes more than 20 puffs, which releases from 90 to 100 micrograms of acrolein, which is still dangerous.
There is a safety concern on the Advanced Personal Vaporizers, which is the most common one called a Mod. Mods are constructed by a lithium-ion battery, which is a metal tube casing. They also constitute 501 threaded sockets that users screw in their atomizer (McAuley et al., 2012). The major safety concern with these gadgets is that people have begun creating these modes as vaping becomes popular. The emerging modes are created to run a very low resistance coil which creates massive plumes of vapor when paired with a high current. Users who do not understand battery safety can accidentally cause overheating of the battery which can explode and cause a fire in front of their face. Thermal runways accidents can cause death or injury to a user.
Although many people are lead to perceive that vaping and e-cigarette are not dangerous as compared to the conventional tobacco cigarette, the general safety of e-cigarette and their health effect on the young people who continually use them shows otherwise. Both conventional and the revolutionized way of smoking have dangerous health effect because of toxic chemical emissions. Those who support the e-cigarettes believe that their emissions are lower than in conventional smoking and it reduces addiction to tobacco. However, the long-term effect of using it and many puffs taken by the young people leads to addiction and increases the risks of lung diseases. The Food Drug and Administration has warned the public off vaping because it contains nicotine that leads to addiction. Prolonged use of e-cigarettes causes irreversible lung damage. The e-cigarettes also contain diethylene glycol and formaldehyde, which increase the risk of infection on the respiratory system. The traditional tobacco cigarettes also contain chemicals that affect the lungs and may bring down the respiratory system. Neither the conventional nor the evolutionary mode of smoking is better than the other.
References
Dufort, A., & Owila, A. (2014). E-cigarettes: The holy grail of smoking cessation or a new addiction? University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine , 4 (2), 19-23.
McAuley, T. R., Hupke, P. K., Zhao, J., & Babaian, S. (2012). Comparison of the effects of e- cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke on indoor air quality. Inhalation toxicology , 24 (12), 850-857.
Pepper, J. K., Emery, S. L., Ribisl, K. M., Rini, C. M., & Brewer, N. T. (2015). How risky is it to use e-cigarettes? Smokers’ beliefs about their health risks from using novel and traditional tobacco products. Journal of behavioral medicine , 38 (2), 318-326.
