At least 800 studies were analyzed, showing that the electronic cigarette is much safer compared to traditional cigarette or tobacco. But most authors of these studies are still hesitant to give vaping 100% clean bill of health. Everything in moderation, same goes with e-cigarette in general. Although it has minimal nicotine content, if consumed in large doses, it can still do damage in people’s health. For example, some studies show a glass of wine a day is good for our health, but too much alcohol will result in complications like liver cancer. The same idea applies with electronic cigarette or vape. Although e-cig is a better alternative to smoking compared to patches and gums, according to electronic cigarette reviews and studies, they still possess great risk and health hazards.
According to a study conducted by a professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University College London, they found out that one cigarette per day can increase the risk of heart diseases by at least 40 percent in males and 57 percent in females. Smoking one cigarette per day can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke. For people smoking at least one pack per day, the risk will be doubled. The study also shows that it is riskier to cut down consumption if you don’t have plans to quit entirely. It sounds absurd, and people who are trying to stop might question their efforts. But this will also challenge other alternatives like electronic cigarettes.
The good news is there is evidence that suggests using electronic cigarettes or vapes is much better compared to traditional and combustible tobacco. It helps smokers reduce the exposure to numerous carcinogens and toxins found in a real cigarette. Right now, England is one of the most vocal advocates of using the e-cigarette as an alternative to smoking tobacco. Their American counterparts are more hesitant about it. The United States Food and Drug Administration stated that vape manufacturers should avoid marketing their products for kids and young adults ageing 17 years old and below. It is also a major problem reported by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in their studies.
Another finding that has a significant impact on vaping is that it increases the chances kids and teens that don’t smoke to be engaged in a real cigarette after using electronic cigars. Even if it helps people quit smoking, an e-cigarette is still a gateway for non-smokers to use real cigarettes. According to NASEM, kids and teens using e-cigs are likely to increase the risk of using traditional tobacco in the future. Although it is much safer compared to smoking, doctors and researchers still can’t give it a clean bill of health. Unless you quit smoking 100%, any alternatives like vape, nicotine patch or gums are still a band-aid remedies, and it will give users more problems in the long run.
One thing is for sure; electronic cigarettes will keep any toxins that you will get from tobacco out of the public. The smell and the flavor of the flavorings used in vape juices are the reasons why people are using e-cigs, aside from the fact that it helps people quit smoking. Regulating vapes should start with the regulation of liquids used in vape juices. The catch-22 makes it more challenging to monitor electronic cigarette. Short-term public health programs will not gain any traction and appeal if people can’t see the positive long-term effects of the program.
But despite that, if we know all the dangers associated with tobacco and traditional cigarettes in the first place, the damage it will inflict on people’s health as well as people around them, we should make all the necessary action to avoid getting addicted to it. But that is the nature of addiction; immediate pleasure will always trump the long-term effect on our health and our life in general. Smoking is one of the biggest killers of our time, along with prescription drugs, illegal drugs and alcohol. If we know ways how to avoid or quit, we should give more focus on the solution. It is not just the smokers who suffer, their families, friends, co-workers, even people they don’t know, but are near them when they smoke are affected by cigarettes.
