5 facts to know about electronic cigarettes
Approximately nine out of 10 smokers say they want to quit smoking. Stating that quitting smoking is one of the best things that can be done for health and that smoking damages almost every organ in the body, especially the heart, he works as the Clinical Research Manager at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Ciccarone Heart Disease Prevention Center in cooperation with Anadolu Health Center. Dr. “Approximately one-third of deaths due to heart disease are caused by smoking or exposure to smoke from someone else’s cigarette,” said Michael Blaha.
Emphasizing that people use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to facilitate the transition to quitting smoking completely, Michael Blaha gave important information about electronic cigarettes.
Fact One: Fewer chemicals than cigarettes, but still not harmless
E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavors and other chemicals to create water vapor that you inhale. Regular cigarettes made from tobacco contain 7 thousand chemicals, most of which are poisonous. Although it is not known exactly what chemicals are in e-cigarettes, there is no doubt that they expose the person to fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes.
Fact Two: E-cigarettes are also harmful to your health
Nicotine is used as the main ingredient in both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes and is very addictive. Even if you ignore the urge to smoke, it will cause you to miss smoking and experience the symptoms caused by its deficiency. Nicotine is also a poisonous substance. It raises your blood pressure and causes a spike in your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and your chances of having a heart attack. There are still many unknowns about e-cigarettes, including what chemicals create the vapor and how it affects physical health in the long term.
Fact Three: Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes
E-cigarettes and regular cigarettes both contain nicotine, and research shows that nicotine can be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Many e-cigarette users can get much more nicotine from a tobacco product because extra-powerful cartridges with higher nicotine concentrations can be purchased or the voltage of the e-cigarette can be increased to draw more substance into it.
Fact Four: Electronic cigarettes are not the best tools to quit smoking
Although e-cigarettes are marketed as helping people quit smoking, e-cigarettes have not yet been approved as a smoking cessation tool. According to a recent study, most people who want to use e-cigarettes to kick their nicotine habit continue to smoke both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Fact Five: A New Generation Is Becoming Addicted to Nicotine
E-cigarettes are more common among young people than traditional tobacco products. The United States Surgeon General stated that e-cigarette use among high school students increased by 900 percent in 2015, and 40 percent of young e-cigarette users had never consumed regular tobacco products before.
Dr. Michael Blaha stated that there are three reasons why e-cigarettes are attractive, especially among young people. First, many young people believe that using e-cigarettes is less harmful than smoking. Second, the cost per use of e-cigarettes is lower than traditional cigarettes. Third, flavors such as apple pie and watermelon are often added to e-cigarette cartridges, which appeal to younger users. Both young people and adults find the absence of smoke attractive. Since e-cigarettes have no smell, this reduces the stigma of a person being a smoker.
Label information of e-cigarettes does not match their contents
Chest Diseases Specialist Dr. from Anadolu Health Center in cooperation with Johns Hopkins Medicine. Esra Sönmez stated that one of the frequently asked questions from patients in smoking cessation clinics is the place of e-cigarettes in the treatment of tobacco addiction and said, “E-cigarettes are tried to be attractive to young people by adding fruity and sweet additives. Studies have shown that different e-cigarette brands may contain different ingredients, and their contents do not match the label information. E-cigarettes cause addiction and deterioration in respiratory system functions in the user. “In addition, while the data on the short-term health risks of e-cigarettes is quite limited, the long-term health risks are also among the unknowns,” he said.
