Cigarettes vs. Vaping: What’s the Real Danger?

Smoking cigarettes can be harmful to your health, but how bad is it? What makes smoking cigarettes so risky? With the increasing awareness of the dangers of smoking cigarettes, vaping, or the use of vapor, is an option that does not require as much attention. There is no definitive answer, however, having the right information is important when considering switching or looking into the different components.

The debate over whether vaping is altering as much as a majority of people assert is one of the most crucial concepts we will examine.

The Physiology of Cigarette Smoking

Understanding the gravity of the intricacies of smoking cigarettes is vital to seeking alternatives. Smoking a cigarette may appear as simple as picking a cigar stick, but the truth is much scarier.

The makeup of a single cigarette contains more than 70 dangerous carcinogens which are known to result in cancer. This single item also contains over 7,700 additional chemicals. Tar is the most notorious and bitter substance which further includes glue. Tar can delay the lungs, can cause chronic pain during breathing. This also increases the chances of suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder or COPD.

Carbon Monoxide is a toxic gas that can lead to organ failure because it has the ability to damage lung tissues and deprive vital organs of oxygen.

Nicotine is without a doubt one of the most relentless of all substances in nature because it is remarkably addictive and makes its users dependent.

How Smoking Changes the Body?

The impact of smoking is not only limited to the lungs as it has an effect on the entire body. Here are some examples of how smoking can adversely affect your health:

• Respiratory System: A chronic case of smoking can lead to bronchitis, emphysema, and the infamous smoker’s cough.
• Cardiovascular System: Including an increase in blood pressure, vasodilation, and greater incidences of strokes and heart attacks.
• Immune System: Weakened immune response makes the body susceptible to infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Cigarette smoking remains one of the leading causes of death that are preventable, and the effects smoking has on the body are damaging.

Understanding Vaping

The Basics of an E-Cigarette

Vapes contain three primary components:

• Battery: Provides power to the device.
• E-liquid: Contains nicotine along with flavored e-liquids, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin.
• The Heating Element: Makes it possible for the liquid to be turned into vapor.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, vaping does not rely on combustion as a process and therefore does not have some of the negative byproducts created from smoking cigarettes.

Is Vaping Healthier?

Though not entirely safe, vaping is thought to be less harmful than cigarette smoking by 95% according to Public Health England. Vaping aids in the reduction of carbon monoxide, thereby minimizing the damage to the lungs and heart. However, the long-term consequences are not fully studied.

Harmful Elements in Cigarettes

The smoke which comes from a burning cigarette contains a lot of harmful elements such as:

• Tar: The tar has the ability to accumulate in the lung, restricting airflow and giving rise to a host of respiratory diseases along with lung cancer.
• Carbon Monoxide: Comes in the form of gas, this leads to swelling of the oxygen content in blood which gets consumed by the body’s organs and heart.
• Formaldehyde: It is the component that is used in preserving body parts, and yes, it does come in the form of cigarette smoke.
• Ammonia: It is found in cleaning solutions; this compound aids in the absorption of nicotine.
• Lead, Arsenic, Benzene: An irrefutably shocking combination. The smoker inhales every time a puff is taken.

Why Switch to Vaping?

Less Harmful Elements
The move from smoking to vaping eliminates many harmful constituents of cigarettes like carbon monoxide and tar, making it less harmful to the heart and lungs.

Improved Breathing Function
A number of smokers notice an improvement in breathing, i.e., less wheezing, reduced cough, and better breathing within the first few weeks of switching to vaping.

Enhanced Smell & Taste
You no longer have to endure the poignant scent of cigarettes. Vaping offers several flavors for you to enjoy. Ensure that you are using regulated products.

Cost Effectiveness
While vaping has some setup costs, it is much cheaper than buying cigarettes over a long period of time.

Concerns of Vaping

• Is vaping addictive?
  Regardless of mode of consumption, nicotine is addictive. However, vaping offers control to its users to decrease the use of nicotine over time.
• Are e-liquids safe?
  The more reputable brands of e-liquids will have safety tests conducted. Nonetheless, unregulated products can pose a threat, which is why it’s important to stick to reliable suppliers.
• Is vaping a gateway to smoking?
  With attractive design and great taste, vaping has become popular among non-smokers; however, recent studies suggest that most vapers are former cigarette smokers trying to find alternative smoking options.
• Cigarettes, nicotine, and vaping—are they the same?
  Smoking is highly dangerous not only because of nicotine, but due to the chemical compounds present in cigarette smoke, including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. By vaping, one can smoke nicotine without risk from the harmful chemicals. However, vapers should avoid vapes with nicotine so as to not become addicted.

The Verdict: Should You Switch to Vaping?

Stopping smoking has always been a problem, and to some, vaping is considered a “lesser evil.” Vaping can help avoid inhaling hundreds of harmful chemicals while improving health and saving money.

The sooner you come to the decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which includes eating healthier, the better. Although it is far from ideal, for someone who is trying to quit, it is the safest option.

Vape Dragon

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