Vaping is the act of inhaling aerosols formed by heating either wax or liquid containing compounds like nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), flavored nicotine and cannabidiol. There are several technologies available to create this aerosol, such as battery-powered electronic cigarettes, vape mods and e-cigarettes. Although smoking has declined steadily over the past 50 years, vaping devices, sometimes known as e-cigarettes, have emerged recently (Chan et al. 61). A study conducted in 2014, in twenty-eight European nations indicated a sturdy rise in vaping. More so, the study revealed that in every ten adults more than one reported to having vaped (Chan et al. 61) According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, vaping products use associated lung injury (EVALI) is a serious and potentially fatal respiratory condition caused by injury to the alveoli (Smith 81). Furthermore research shows and proves that vaping can cause stress and depression. Based on the fact that vaping aids in quitting smoking nicotine cigarettes, and the health impacts of vaping, the necessary vaping regulations should be enforced in America.
Vaping can cause many health-related problems
During the 2019 summer, an acute, unexplained, and lethal respiratory ailment linked to vaping developed in the United States, particularly in young adults. The number of reported cases climbed substantially and peaked towards the end of September 2019 (Smith 81). The CDC dubbed the condition driving this emerging condition as Ecigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (Hall et al. 985). The CDC first suspected nicotine vaping as the source of the epidemic since the outbreak coincided with a significant surge in the use of nicotine vaporizers among US teens. More so, according to case–control studies, majority of the patients had vaped illegal cannabis oils tainted with vitamin E acetate (Hall et al. 986). The CDC advises against using e-cigarette containing THC or vaping devices, as well as any electric-cigarette or vaping devices purchased from unofficial sources (Navon et al. 1036). According to the CDC, since February 2020, two thousand, eight hundred and seven individuals had been admitted in hospitals in the United States with EVALI. More so, CDC has confirmed 68 EVALI-related fatalities.
EVALI, in its utmost serious form, appears as acute respiratory distress syndrome. Studies on imaging anomalies in patients who survived ARDS have revealed that the condition can be entirely resolved. The degree of resolution described in various investigations varies greatly, with around twenty-five and eighty-five percent of survivors of ARDS having persistent fibrotic abnormalities on the chest imaging (Smith 86). As a result, it is speculated that a subset of EVALI victims may acquire comparable chronic fibrotic alterations, although further research will be required to verify this hypothesis. Furthermore, most of the chronic pathologic complications associated with cigarette smoking, like lung cancer and emphysema were not identified until years later, if not decades, after the practice became widespread (Smith 86). It may require a comparable period of time for the long-term pathologic consequences of Ecigarette usage to become evident.
Vaping is a very addictive habit.
Nicotine is an addictive drug, young adults and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to addiction. After quitting smoking, nicotine withdrawal symptoms like irritability, nervousness, poor concentration, impaired memory, and sleeplessness can develop (Jankowski et al. 1). Electronic cigarettes are a new type of nicotine administration device, and their usage is increasing rapidly in many nations. Electronic cigarettes were proposed as a method of reducing nicotine dependency, and they have been shown not to be as addictive as regular cigarettes (Jankowski et al. 1). Nonetheless, there have been numerous cases of persons becoming addicted to electronic cigarettes and experiencing similar nicotine addiction symptoms, including a dose-response impact.
Worse, most e-cigarette consumers take more nicotine as they would from traditional tobacco cigarettes: users may purchase cartridges which contain a higher nicotine concentration, or adjust the power of the vaping device to obtain a greater dose of the material (Johns Hopkins Medicine). E-cigarette usage has also been linked to an increased danger of addiction, especially among the youth, due to higher exposure to nicotine levels compared to persons who use traditional cigarettes, because e-cigarettes are smoked when and where smoking is forbidden (Jankowski et al. 2). While some claim that e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking or lessen their addiction, others claim that e-cigarettes does have a detrimental influence on quitting successfully (Jankowski et al. 2). Using e-cigarettes may well have minimal effect on lowering frequency of using nicotine. Therefore, more study is required to offer data on the usefulness of electrical cigarettes in stopping smoking, particularly among young individuals.
Vaping can increase depression and anxiety
While it is commonly recognized that nicotine affects developing brains, particularly making young individuals more prone to addiction, the troubling links between nicotine use and mental health are less well documented (Truth Initiative). Previous research has shown a bidirectional relationship between smoking and depression, implying that depressed people may vape as a kind of self-medication or that vaping may result in enhanced depressive symptoms (Chan et al. 66). Though nicotine use has not been proven to directly promote mental health disorders, peer-reviewed research show alarming associations between vaping, and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, and an increased risk of being diagnosed with depression.
As shown in a 2019 JAMA research of over 30,000 active e-cigarette users over the age of eighteen, constant vaping is associated with a 2.4 times increased risk of depression as compared to non users (Truth Initiative). According to the study, active e-cigarette smokers had 1.67 times higher odds, and ex e-cigarette smokers had 1.52 times greater odds, of having at least a single day of bad mental health over the previous month in comparison to never smokers who indicated zero days of bad mental health (Truth Initiative). Research suggests that the trace metals within vape fluids may also play a part in the possible relationship between depression and vaping.
According to the findings of a 2017 research of roughly twenty five hundred ninth grade students in Los Angeles, participants who used e-cigarettes more frequently were related with higher depressed symptoms (Truth Initiative). Therefore, it is vital to both discourage young adults and teenagers from smoking or vaping, as well as to assist persons who are hooked in quitting as early as possible. Furthermore, quitting smoking not only breaks the nicotine addiction and reduces the health hazards connected with nicotine use, but it can also enhance mental health.
Vaping can be used as a getaway drug
The FDA has not yet authorized e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, or rather a getaway tool. Furthermore, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a team of health professionals who provide recommendations regarding preventive healthcare, recently concluded that there is little evidence to recommend electrical cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid for adults, even pregnant women. However, if utilized as a complete replacement for all cigarettes and other smoked tobacco substances, e-cigarettes may benefit non-pregnant individuals who smoke. Present research on the subject has shown conflicting results. A Review by Cochrane discovered evidence across 2 randomized controlled trials showing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can assist individuals who smoke to quit smoking when compared to using non-nicotine e-cigarettes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). However, the present study has some drawbacks, such as very few trials, sample sizes are small and considerable margins of errors across the estimations.
According to a new CDC report, many individuals are using electric-cigarettes to give up smoking (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). However, the majority of adult e-cigarette enthusiasts do not quit smoking cigarettes but instead continue to consume both products, a practice referred to as dual usage (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Dual use, whether of e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or even other recreational drugs in addition to normal traditional cigarettes, is not an effective approach to protect health (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Since even smoking even a few cigarettes a day might be harmful to an individual’s health, it is critical to quit smoking altogether.
Vaping helps smokers stop smoking and it’s better for them
According to various studies, the most prevalent motivation for vaping was to give up smoking. Furthermore, a recent survey projected that over six million citizens of the European Union nations had either quit or decreased smoking rates with the use of nicotine vaping products (NVPs). The usefulness of NVPs as cigarette quitting aid is also supported by findings from various randomized controlled trials (Chan et al. 62). Unlike the pharmaceutical nicotine replacement treatment (NRT), NVPs are advertised as less dangerous alternatives to tobacco cigarettes rather than as medications. As a result, unlike NRT, the NVPs are still not sold with a ‘treatment’ schedule (Chan et al. 62). Some people who smoke may utilize NVPs as a comprehensive long alternative for cigarettes, whereas others merely try them due to curiosity or start vaping when smoking has been prohibited.
Over time, evidence shows that as the usage of vaping devices in quit efforts grows, so does the proportion of effective quits within England (Public Health England). It is projected that over fifty thousand smokers who otherwise would have continued smoking quit using a vaping device in 2017 (Public Health England). Findings from systematic evaluations conducted following the Public Health England’s (PHE) 2018 study demonstrate that vaping products are much more successful than NRT in assisting individuals quit smoking (Public Health England). The PHE’s recommendation maintains that smokers can use vaping devices to assist them stop smoking, whereas nonsmokers must not. Vaping products have far less hazardous chemicals compared to cigarettes, but they also have their own risks.
In conclusion, Vaping is the act of inhaling aerosols formed by heating either wax or liquid containing compounds like nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), flavored nicotine and cannabidiol. There are several technologies available to create this aerosol, such as battery-powered electronic cigarettes, vape mods and e-cigarettes. Furthermore, nicotine vaping is a health risk for pregnant women and their growing fetuses, and it can also cause E-cigarette or vaping product- use associated lung injury. More so, Electronic cigarettes were proposed as a method of reducing nicotine dependency, and they have been shown not to be as addictive as regular cigarettes. Previous research has shown a bidirectional relationship between smoking and depression, implying that depressed people may vape as a kind of self-medication or that vaping may result in enhanced depressive symptoms. Vaping can also be used as a getaway drug as research indicated it can help smokers to quit smoking traditional cigarettes that contain nicotine. What is more, the PHE’s recommendation maintains that smokers can use vaping devices to assist them stop smoking, whereas nonsmokers must not. Vaping products have far less hazardous chemicals compared to cigarettes, but they also have their own risks. Therefore, based on the fact that vaping helps people quit smoking nicotine cigarettes and the health implications of vaping, the relevant vaping legislation should be implemented in the United States.
Work(s) Cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 May 2021, www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html.
Chan, Gary, et al. “Predicting vaping uptake, vaping frequency and ongoing vaping among daily smokers using longitudinal data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Surveys.” Addiction 114 (2019): 61-70..
Hall, Wayne, Coral Gartner, and Billie Bonevski. “Lessons from the public health responses to the US outbreak of vaping‐related lung injury.” Addiction 116.5 (2021): 985-993.
Jankowski, Mateusz, et al. “E-cigarettes are more addictive than traditional cigarettes—a study in highly educated young people.” International journal of environmental research and public health 16.13 (2019): 2279.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Vaping Facts You Need to Know.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in Baltimore, Maryland, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping.
Navon, Livia, et al. “Risk factors for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI) among adults who use e-cigarette, or vaping, products—Illinois, July–October 2019.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 68.45 (2019): 1034.
Public Health England. “Vaping Better Than Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Stopping Smoking, Evidence Suggests.” GOV.UK, 23 Feb. 2021, www.gov.uk/government/news/vaping-better-than-nicotine-replacement-therapy-for-stopping-smoking-evidence-suggests.
Smith, Maxwell L., et al. “Vaping-related lung injury.” Virchows Archiv 478.1 (2021): 81-88.
Truth Initiative. “Ways Vaping Affects Mental Health.” Truth Initiative, 10 Sept. 2021, truthinitiative.org/research-resources/targeted-communities/3-ways-vaping-affects-mental-health.
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