5 Facts About Vaping You Need To Know (2024)

If you've been thinking about kicking a smoking habit, you're not alone. Nearly 7 in 10 smokers say they want to quit. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. Smoking damages almost every organ in your body, including your heart. Nearly a third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and passive smoking.

You may be tempted to use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other disposable vape devices) as a way to ease the transition from traditional cigarettes to not smoking at all. But is smoking e-cigarettes (also called vaping) better for you than using tobacco products? Can e-cigarettes help you quit smoking once and for all?Michael Blaha, MD, MPH, director of clinical research atJohns Hopkins Ciccaron Center for Heart Disease Prevention, shares health information about vaping.

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it is still not safe.

E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic. While we don't know exactly what chemicals are in e-cigarettes, Blaha says, "There is virtually no doubt that vaping exposes you to fewer toxic chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes."

However, an outbreak has occurredlung injuries and deaths from vaping. As of February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 2,807 cases of e-cigarette or vaping-induced lung injury (EVALI) and 68 deaths attributed to this condition.

“These cases appear to mainly affect people who modify their vaping devices or use e-liquids adapted from the black market. This is especially true for vaping products that contain THC,” Blaha explains.

The CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern in people with EVALI. Vitamin E acetate is a thickening agent commonly used in THC vaping products and was found in all lung fluid samples from EVALI patients examined by the CDC.

The CDC recommends that people:

• Do not use THC-containing e-cigarettes or vaping products.
• Avoid using informal sources such as friends, family, or online stores to obtain a vape device.
• Do not modify or add substances to a steam appliance that are not intended by the manufacturer.

Johns Hopkins University research on vape ingredientspublished in October 2021 reveals thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products, most of which have yet to be identified. Among the substances the team was able to identify were several potentially harmful substances, including caffeine, three chemicals never before found in e-cigarettes, a pesticide and two flavors linked to possible toxic effects and respiratory irritation.

2: Research shows that vaping is bad for your heart and lungs.

Nicotine is the main substance in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes and is highly addictive. It causes you to smoke and experience withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the urge. Nicotine is a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and increases your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of this happeningheart attack.

Is vaping bad for you? There are many unknowns about vaping, including what chemicals make up the vapor and how they affect long-term physical health. “People need to understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to your health,” says Blaha. “New data suggestslinks to chronic lung diseases and asthma, as well as correlations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking withcardiovascular disease. You're exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don't yet understand and that are probably not safe."

3: Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes.

Both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which research shows can be just as addictive as heroin and cocaine. What's worse, Blaha says, is that many e-cigarette users actually get more nicotine than they would from a combustible tobacco product: Users can buy extra-strength cartridges, which contain a higher concentration of nicotine, or increase the voltage of the e-cigarette. to get a bigger hit on the fabric.

4: Electronic cigarettes are not the best way to quit smoking.

Although they have been promoted as a tool to help you quit smoking, e-cigarettes have not received approval from the Food and Drug Administration as a smoking cessation tool. A recent study found that most people who planned to use e-cigarettes to break the nicotine habit ended up continuing to use traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

In light of the EVALI outbreak, the CDC advises people who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking to weigh the risks and benefits and consider using them first.other FDA-approved smoking cessation options.

5: A new generation becomes addicted to nicotine.

Among young people, e-cigarettes, especially the disposable type, are more popular than any traditional tobacco product. According toNational Youth Tobacco Survey 2021More than 2 million U.S. high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, while more than 8 in 10 youth used flavored e-cigarettes.

According to Blaha, there are three reasons why e-cigarettes may be particularly attractive to young people. First, many teens believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Second, e-cigarettes have a lower price per unit of use than traditional cigarettes. Finally, young people and adults find the lack of smoke attractive. Because they have no scent, e-cigarettes reduce some of the stigma of smoking.

“What I find most disturbing about the rise of vaping is that people who would otherwise never have smoked, especially young people, are taking up the habit,” says Blaha. "It's one thing when you switch from smoking cigarettes to vaping. It's another to start using nicotine with vaping. And becoming addicted to nicotine often leads to using traditional tobacco products on the road."

CDC researchshows that vaping among young people has decreased slightly since 2020. Children who were at home under their parents' supervision during the COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing to this trend.

But, Blaha says, interpreting the data is difficult because young people often change their preferences and, when surveyed, may not consider using disposable products such as "puff sticks" for vaping. The same CDC report says that single-use e-cigarette use has increased by 1,000% among high school students and 400% among high school students since 2019.

Weapons a de COVID-19 pandemic

When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Blaha says, data shows e-cigarette sales fell, possibly because people spent more time at home and avoided stores and public spaces.

But Blaha sees a trend that worries him: interest rates continue to risedailyE-cigarette use among all vape users. "The number of people who vaped daily used to be 1 in 5, but now it has increased significantly, which is worrying because it means more nicotine addiction. I'm watching that closely."

Vaping, smoking and other lung irritants can worsen breathing problems associated with COVID-19.

Do you want to quit smoking?

There is a strong correlation between themsmoking and cardiovascular diseaseand between smoking and cancer. But the sooner you stop, the faster your body can recover and repair itself. Talk to your doctor about which smoking cessation program or tools are best for you.