The Dangerous Truth About E-cigarettes

Source from:  Belleville News-Democrat 11/20/2017

When it comes to tobacco, there is more than cigarettes and chewing tobacco, as e-cigarettes—or electronic cigarettes—are becoming more popular worldwide.

Tobacco companies often market e-cigarettes by using them as a way to quit smoking. Most often, e-cigs contain nicotine solutions that are heated to make water vapor. Within the generations, teens and younger adults are using e-cigarettes or “vapes” as a way to avoid picking up a tobacco habit or to help them quit.

As mentioned, young people tend to use e-cigarettes more than older adults or the elderly. In 2014, a national high school survey found that more individuals vaped rather than smoked a traditional cigarette. Also, 17 percent of U.S. 12th grade students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days compared to 14 percent for tobacco cigarettes. Some influences that may lead a younger person to try an e-cigarette may be the price, the taste and peer pressure.

A significant influence, however, is the taste, as e-cigarettes contain flavorings such as strawberry, butterscotch, cotton candy, etc. This allows for someone to smoke without smelling like a cigarette, having bad breath, or the taste of the cigarette. All of these can lead to the use of e-cigarettes. Since there are not enough cases of death or injury with e-cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration has not declared e-cigarettes as harmful, but the FDA has not approved this form of tobacco use either.

The main question many people ask is if vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive. When an individual stops using it, they can still go through withdrawals. But the problems go beyond nicotine. Some e-cigarette brands contain chemicals including formaldehyde and other ingredients used in antifreeze that can cause cancer.

The flavors in e-cigarettes also cause problems within the body. Some e-cigarettes use a buttery-tasting chemical called diacetyl, a well-known harmful chemical that causes lung disease, which is also called “popcorn lung.” Along with the internal health risks of e-cigarettes, there are also external health risks. Moreover, when e-cigarettes glitch, they explode. Whether it explodes in a person’s pocket or while inhaling the e-cigarette, the effects can be serious. Some injuries can be burns on the hands and face, fractured bones and loss of eyesight.

For any questions about tobacco, please contact the Health Promotion Office at 256-7139 and ask about the Tobacco Cessation Class offered from 10-11 a.m. evern Tuesday in the Health Promotion Classroom.  Enditem