Electronic or regular cigarettes… which is more dangerous?
Can vaping be less harmful than regular smoking?
According to a report published by The Telegraph newspaper, the harms associated with tobacco smoking are indisputable. More than 75,000 people die every year in the UK as a result, and two out of every three smokers die from a smoking-related disease.
Doctors are universally reluctant to condemn vaping. Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, says vaping is “much less harmful than regular smoking, but it is not risk-free.”
As with regular smoking, it is the way nicotine enters the body that causes the problem: for cigarettes, carbon monoxide and tar from burning tobacco enter the body, while in vaping, the chemical reaction between the liquid and the metal releases toxic metals. Including arsenic, chromium, nickel, formaldehyde and lead.
Addiction problem
A regular cigarette contains about 12 mg of nicotine. While “Elf Bars” – among the most widely used types of e-cigarettes in the United Kingdom – contain 20 mg of nicotine per 2 mg of liquid, which is equivalent to about 40-50 cigarettes in less than 600 puffs. While nicotine itself is not terribly harmful (it is a stimulant like caffeine); It is highly addictive.
This may be partly why e-cigarette use is on the rise: A recent study in Britain found that from January 2021 to August 2023, the prevalence of disposable e-cigarettes rose from 0.1 per cent to 4.9 per cent. percent of the total adult population. Even more alarming is that 14.4 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 use e-cigarettes. The study indicated a 7.6 percent increase in the use of e-cigarettes among boys between the ages of 11 and 17, even though it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18.
While vaping is “much safer” than regular smoking, says Professor Nick Hopkinson of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, he acknowledges the increased risks for young people. He adds: “It is possible that the chemicals found in e-cigarettes over the years have caused lung disease. “As the lungs grow, they may be more susceptible to this.”
14.4% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 use electronic cigarettes (archives – Reuters)
Hopkinson points out that there are rare examples of chronic allergic reactions to e-cigarettes (in 2019, a patient in Illinois was hospitalized for an unexplained illness after reporting vaping) and is believed to have died from injuries caused by the lungs’ reaction to e-cigarettes. .
But he says one of the biggest problems with e-cigarettes is behavioral: E-cigarettes are so addictive that they can be hugely destructive. Although there is data on the effects of regular smoking, it does not exist regarding vaping. So it is difficult to compare long-term effects accurately. But what do we really know about what they do to the body?
When taking the first puff
Regular smoking: “Once smoke is inhaled, cells in the lining of the lungs and alveoli, the fragile air sacs in the lungs, are exposed to a series of toxic chemicals,” Professor Hopkinson says. This process leads to inflammation, stress, and activation of white blood cells. Cilia – the hairs in your throat that help catch bacteria – are also damaged by passing smoke, and the goblet cells scattered throughout them begin to produce mucus.
Vaping: The first suction releases a battery-powered electrical current to heat thin wires saturated with a liquid containing nicotine and other chemicals, including flavors. The hot liquid turns into vapor, which, when inhaled, passes through the lungs and enters the bloodstream; Which increases heart rate and blood pressure. The lining of the nose and throat is also irritated by chemicals that are inhaled.
A 2019 Harvard study found that two chemicals widely used to flavor e-cigarettes may also have an effect on cilia function, just as cigarettes do. In both cases, nicotine will bind to proteins in the brain within 11 seconds; Which leads to the release of dopamine and serotonin, which gives you a feeling of happiness.
After a few minutes
Regular smoking: The reaction of white blood cells begins to change the lining of the lungs; Which will produce more mucus. You will also get a large dose of carbon monoxide at this point; This affects the delivery of oxygen to the lungs and other organs, damaging muscles and blood vessels and making you cough. The nicotine in a cigarette – a mild stimulant – will cause your blood vessels to constrict, and will also make you feel more energetic.
The nicotine in the cigarette causes constriction of blood vessels (archives – Reuters)
Vaping: Nicotine starts working properly; Which increases heart rate and blood pressure similar to a dose of caffeine or exercise. An American study conducted in 2021 found that e-cigarette users have an increased heart rate, frequent breathing, and mouth temperature. Blood oxygen levels also decrease significantly after smoking for 20 minutes.
After half an hour of smoking electronic and regular cigarettes, cells are exposed to oxidative stress, which can cause fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, and headaches.
after a week
Regular smoking: The same thing happens every time you light a cigarette, but it takes a certain amount of addiction to chronically change your body, although at this point you will probably start to notice changes in your teeth (which will become yellow), gums, lips and skin (which will become drier). ). Some of this damage is reversible – if you stop smoking – for example, the carbon monoxide inside your body will go away within 24 hours.
Vaping: The blood vessels will begin to harden.
After a month
Regular smoking: After a month of smoking, you will witness accumulated damage to the lungs, airways, and blood vessels. The DNA damage that leads to cancer begins at this stage. Your sense of taste and smell will also be affected.
Vaping: Vaping continuously for a month can cause lung inflammation; This is due to the entry of nanoparticles resulting from the steam into the lungs; This will be worse if you use a flavored e-cig.
After one year
Regular smoking: Signs of gum disease will likely begin to appear. You may also experience a decrease in fertility and, for men, sexual performance.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart disease, emphysema and stroke (Archives – Reuters)
Vaping: One study found that people who used e-cigarettes for at least six months had higher levels of infections and mouth sores and up to a 100-fold increase in oral thrush. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine tracked e-cigarette smokers for three years and found that they had a 1.3 times higher risk of developing respiratory diseases, such as lung disease, compared to people who did not use any tobacco product. The risks of stroke and cardiovascular disease increase with regular cigarette smoking and long-term use of e-cigarettes, while nicotine can have an impact on brain development in young people.
After 20 years
Regular smoking: Every organ and organ system in your body will have been damaged at this point. You will be at greater risk of heart disease, emphysema, stroke, leukemia, asthma, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and your overall risk of cancer will increase significantly. Even if you’re just a social smoker (smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes a day), a 17-year Columbia University study found that your risk of dying from lung cancer isn’t much lower than those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.
Vaping: There is no data on the long-term effects of vaping; So it’s hard to define. Biomarkers show changes in blood vessel function and lung damage.
Endocrinologist Dr Gareth Nye from the University of Chester says: “Heavy metals found largely in e-cigarette aerosol, such as chromium, copper and aluminium, have been reported to disrupt many cellular processes, such as aerobic respiration; “Which leads to the production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress.” He adds: “Apart from the lungs, there is increasing evidence that metal particles (from e-cigarettes) can enter the bloodstream and lead to fundamental changes in heart function and cardiovascular responses.”
Your gum health may have been affected: Vaping reduces saliva production, a known cause of cavities, and if you smoke flavored e-cigarettes, the sugar and flavors will damage your teeth, too. A recent study showed that e-cigarette users are 2-2.5 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-users.
2024-03-02 14:31:37
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