Cigarettes are today’s most common way of smoking, and they have been since they were created. Cigarettes are not good for people, and not only do the people know this, but so do the companies that make them as well. In fact, cigarettes are the only known product that states when it is bought, on the side of the package, that it will kill those who buy it. This unfortunate truth has concluded that almost 60% of customers who buy cigarettes, die from the habit of smoking. The main tobacco-caused illness is lung cancer, and it is also the one people are most aware of; in addition to these results, 30% of all cancers are caused by tobacco intake. Along with this deadly disease, comes a wide array of dangerous illnesses that will also eventually kill people(Everyday Health). Although E-Cigarettes are still not good for people in general, scientific research and concluded results support that they are a healthier alternative to smoking.
Not only does smoking affect one’s immediate health, but the long-term health risks are just as severe. The immediate health risks include, coughing, wheezing, and blackening of the teeth. The long-term smoking health risks include, increased heart rate, and restriction of the lungs, all of which can be direct correlations with cancer, eventually leading to death. Another unfortunate downside to smoking, is the consumption of nicotine; nicotine is a stimulant most commonly found in cigarettes, causing the addiction to cigarettes for the sole purpose of consuming nicotine because after the high goes away, people are just going to want more.
In addition to hefty amounts of nicotine, cigarettes also contain cancer-causing acids, toxic tar, and can cause the blackening of teeth. One relative reason as to why E-Cigarettes are a more desirable action, is that the action allows for moderation of temperature from an electric current, leading to less or no smoke inhalation. When vaping, one consumes water vapor, mixed with a wide array of chemicals, causing harm to the body, but not on as big a scale as smoking. This reduced amount of smoke inhalation leads to less health risks, therefore a long-term goal of not dying, if people can control the habit. Scientists are currently studying the long-term health effects of vaping, and have currently found that it will affect the eyes(AsapScience). This video shows how while neither cigarettes or vaping are good for people, vaping is still a healthier alternative to action of inhaling smoke.
The question has come up more than once, what goes in a cigarette? Cigarettes are a deadly compound of chemicals, toxins, and nicotine; this compound is formed by these harmful substances, creating a cigarette. These substances include, candle wax, battery acid, barbecue lighter fluid, industrial solvents, insecticide, toilet cleaner, paint, rocket fuel, carbon monoxide, poison, tar, sewer gas, vinegar, and lighter fluid. Along with these potent substances, cigarettes include over 4,000 deadly chemicals. One of the most harmful substances in a cigarette is the tar, scientists believe this to have the most deadly effect towards the body.
Another reason why E-Cigarettes are better for people, is that although they do still contain some deadly toxins, they do not contain nearly as much a normal cigarette. E-Cigs are made up of a few things, water vapor, nicotine (if included), and the flavoring cartridge. The flavoring is really where an E-Cig starts to get dangerous. Some flavorings only contain minimal chemicals, causing little harm, while some flavors contain the chemical found in popcorn butter, glycerin, and even propylene glycol. The comparison between the compounds shows how much deadlier cigarettes are.
The Nature Publishing Group of the UK demonstrated a test performed by a team of scientists, presenting a model of human lungs and studying the effects on the model of a tobacco burning cigarette, or an E Cig. The results concluded that while they still produce negative health risks; E Cigs have a reduced effect on one’s health and are 95% less prone to health risk, while also discovering that long-term smoking will inevitably present unavoidable negative health effects.
A video on E-Cigarettes describes how the main purpose of vaping is to “get nicotine into the body via the lungs, without many of the downsides of conventional cigarette” (Riskbites). One pro to vaping is maintaining the physical experience of smoking without any smoke. Another good part of vaping is it does not produce the amount of poisonous toxins that regular smoking would, although it does still contain some. While all of these upsides occur, vaping is still not good for people, the body is still pumping the lungs full of a toxic mixture, and exposing oneself to high doses of toxins. When vaping,one is not just inhaling nicotine, scientists discovered that some E cigs contain hazardous chemicals and metals exposed to the lungs, although they are only present in low levels, too low to be dangerous. The video describes how without regulations on E cig performance and use, there may be higher risk exposure, without these regulations, E cigs may be more dangerous than people think.
“Secondhand smoke is known to cause cancer. It has more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 70 that can cause cancer.” “Secondhand smoke has the same harmful chemicals that smokers inhale. There’s no safe level of exposure for secondhand smoke” (Health Risks of Secondhand smoke). Secondhand smoke can be just as deadly as smoking, in fact, second hand smoke is often connected to cancers in the lungs, larynx, pharynx, brain, bladder, rectum and many more. Another major risk is to children, supporting evidence suggests second hand smoke is connected to children’s diseases such as lymphoma, leukemia, liver cancer and even brain tumors.
Studies show that children who have parents that smoke are more likely to get sick, have ear infections, cough and wheeze, and have damage in the lungs. These symptoms can develop while they are still babies. E Cigarettes do not contain smoke and do not involve the inhalation of such, therefore, no second hand smoke. Smokers do not only endanger themselves but those around them, by the action of SHS. Vaping severely reduces the health risk not just to those that do it, but to those around them. With no smoke inhalation, there is no chance of SHS and exterminates the health effects to those around them completely.
In conclusion, although E-Cigarettes are still not good for people in general, scientific research and concluded results support that they are a healthier alternative to smoking. Scientific tests, research, and viable sources support the fact that neither smoking or vaping are good for people, but these results also support that vaping causes reduced health effects. However, neither are good for people, explained by concluded results, but if one must smoke or mimic the action of smoking, or one is trying to quit, vaping is simply the lesser of two evils. Vaping should not be a long-term action, it is designed to be an alternative smoking in order to help you quit smoking and vaping all together.