Cigarette smoking has been a favorite leisure activity for many over the years though vaping seems to be getting traction recently. But is vaping better than smoking? How do they compare in terms of health risks? Can you use one to wean off the other? Let’s explore their risks and differences.
The Basics: What Defines Each?
Smoking means lighting up a cigarette. You burn tobacco that releases nicotine and a ton of other chemicals. Studies say cigarette smoke has over 7,000 chemicals. Many are harmful, and at least 70 can cause cancer. The burning also makes tar and carbon monoxide. Tar stains your teeth and clogs your lungs, while carbon monoxide messes with your oxygen levels. It’s a rough deal all around.
Vaping uses e-cigarettes or similar gadgets that heat a liquid called vape juice turning it into the vapor you breathe in. The juice has nicotine, flavorings, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin. No burning happens here. That means no tar. But the vapor isn’t pure. It can carry heavy metals, odd compounds, and tiny particles. Those still hit your lungs.
Health Risks of Vaping and Smoking Compared
Let’s compare the health risks of smoking with those of vaping.
Smoking is Very Risky
Smoking’s health risks are no secret. Doctors and researchers have studied it for years. The National Health Service (NHS) says that smoking 25 cigarettes a day increases your lung cancer risk 25 times compared to people who don’t smoke. It doesn’t stop there, though.
Smoking also raises the chances of cancer in your mouth, throat, oesophagus, pancreas, and bladder. Pretty much every organ takes a hit. You’re looking at heart disease, strokes, and lung issues like emphysema and bronchitis too.
A Nasty Mix of Toxins
The real trouble comes from burning tobacco. That process unleashes a messy mix of chemicals. The worst ones include arsenic, benzene, and formaldehyde. They’re toxic, and they flood your system with every puff. Then there’s carbon monoxide, a byproduct of combustion. It cuts down on how much oxygen your blood can carry.
Low blood oxygen affects your respiratory system and organs involved with circulation, including the heart and arteries. Plus, it’s not just smokers who suffer. Secondhand smoke gets to everyone nearby. Kids end up with breathing problems. Adults face higher heart disease risks.
Vaping: Less Harmful, But Still Risky
Vaping skips the tobacco-burning step. That cuts out many chemicals that would otherwise hit your lungs. So, compared to smoking, it’s a lot less damaging. But don’t think it’s totally safe. Vaping still heats liquids into aerosols you breathe in. The heating process can often lead to the formation of harmful substances.
Trouble in the Lungs
Vaping studies point to real concerns. It can inflame your lungs and even weaken your immune system’s ability to fight back. Some vape juices have diacetyl, a flavoring tied to popcorn lung disease, also called bronchiolitis obliterans, which is irreversible and hard to treat.
We don’t fully know what vaporized propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin do over time. Vaping is still pretty new, so the long-term effects are not clear.
The EVALI Wake-Up Call
There was an EVALI (lung injury) outbreak that sent thousands to hospitals from lung injuries caused by vape juice. Unfortunately, several died across the world. The CDC pinned most cases on THC vapes, especially those that used vitamin E acetate as a thickener. That outbreak showed that unregulated vape ingredients could be quite risky.
Nicotine Content
Both smoking and vaping hook you with nicotine, but the doses can differ. A cigarette has about 6 to 28 milligrams of nicotine, with most brands having an average of 10 to 12 milligrams. However, you only soak up maybe 1 or 2 because burning it wastes a lot. Despite this, the amount of nicotine increases incredibly with regular smoking. Vaping’s all over the place— e-liquids range from zero to 50+ milligrams per millilitre. How much you get depends on your device and how you hit it.
Some vapes, like those JUUL pods, can pack as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes into one tiny pod. It’s great if you’re trying to cut back by picking your strength, but it can also crank up addiction, especially for newbies or kids. Most people who get addicted end up increasing nicotine strength, which drives up intake and vaping frequency.
What About Addiction?
Smoking comes with its rituals. You light up a cigarette and step outside for a break. That smoky smell lingers around you. It’s not just the nicotine pulling you in, but the whole experience keeps you hooked. This makes it hard to quit smoking.
Vaping has its appeal too. You pick out flavors and tweak your device to suit your style. It feels less intrusive, and there’s no stinky smoke to bother anyone. Trouble starts with those flavors.
They’re a massive draw for teens. Flavors like bubblegum, pastry, and blueberry options have attracted many first-time vapers. They are way too tempting for kids who wouldn’t even glance at a cigarette. While smoking rates are dropping among young people, vaping is on the rise. Some fear it might nudge teens toward cigarettes down the road.
Can You Use Vaping to Quit Smoking?
When it comes to public health, vaping often gets pitched as a helpful option for adult smokers. These are folks who can’t or don’t want to ditch nicotine completely. Most groups back e-cigarettes as a less harmful choice for smokers. They say it could lighten the load of diseases tied to tobacco. Some studies show vaping can work as a way to quit smoking. However, those using the method need support to wean off nicotine addiction.
However, vaping should not be promoted as an alternative for people who don’t smoke. This is because it is addictive and has several health risks. Most policymakers are in a dilemma, whether to ban vaping altogether or create countermeasures to limit access.
Final Thoughts
Vaping comes out as less harmful than smoking. While it skips the burning process and cuts down on toxic chemicals, it is not entirely safe. It might offer a safer path for adult smokers but is still deadly for young people and non-smokers. We’re especially unsure about its long-term effects and how it might hook the youth.
Smoking is a deadly habit. It drives thousands of toxins into your body and is totally unsafe. If you don't smoke, steer clear of both vaping and smoking altogether.