To say that smoking is bad for your health is an understatement. For every cigarette you smoke, you reduce your lifespan by five minutes (at least that’s what the research says). Smoking in any quantity is not safe, say doctors, and even a single cigarette can increase your heart rate, cause palpitations, and put stress on your cardiovascular system.However, what about vaping?
Vaping as a trend has become extremely popular in the last few years. But, what exactly is vaping? Vaping means inhaling vapor from electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes, which heat a liquid containing nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Smoking, on the other hand, involves burning tobacco, which releases thousands of harmful chemicals.
Is vaping “safer”?
While vaping exposes users to fewer toxic substances than smoking traditional cigarettes, doctors say it still delivers dangerous chemicals like heavy metals, cancer-causing agents, and volatile organic compounds directly into the lungs.
No better than smoking
Both vaping and smoking irritate the lungs and airways. Smoking causes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by damaging lung tissue and increasing mucus production. Vaping also triggers inflammation and stress in the lungs, leading to symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Some studies show vaping can cause lung damage similar to smoking, including increased airway resistance and impaired lung function.
Heart and blood vessel damage
Nicotine, present in both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, raises blood pressure and heart rate, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Research finds vaping can worsen heart disease risk factors such as cholesterol levels and blood flow to the heart, sometimes even more than smoking. Both habits stiffen arteries and reduce blood vessel function, which harms cardiovascular health.
Risk of cancer
While smoking is a well-known cause of many cancers, vaping is not harmless. E-cigarettes contain carcinogens like formaldehyde and nitrosamines, though often at lower levels than cigarettes. Vaping also increases inflammation and may cause DNA damage. Other health effects include reduced immune function, asthma attacks, and even risks to reproductive health such as lower sperm count and pregnancy complications.
Is equally addictive
Both smoking and vaping deliver nicotine, a highly addictive substance that causes cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Vaping can increase nicotine dependence, sometimes even more than smoking. Nicotine affects the brain, causing anxiety, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. These mental health impacts add to the overall harm caused by vaping.
While long-term effects of vaping are still being studied, it is not a safer alternative to smoking, as people believe.
Experts say that if you want to quit smoking for good, go cold turkey (just don’t smoke starting now) rather than resorting to vaping, which is equally bad, if not more. While going cold turkey sounds extremely difficult (and it indeed is), you will eventually stop craving for a cigarette, and your body will thank you!
