Are E-cigarettes a Safe Alternative or a Dangerous Unknown? Essay

One of the most recent issues in public health today concerns the damaging effects of cigarettes. The destructive effects of cigarettes have given birth to a popular alternative called vaping. The use of e-cigarettes could be good for the people who have failed to quit smoking. This fact is evident because it reduces the intake of the harmful products found in conventional cigarettes. While the use of e-cigarettes keeps on rising, anxiety about their lasting effects on human health has endured. This reality has resulted in several questions. Does the popularity of e-cigarettes present potential health risks? Are e-cigarettes a safe alternative or a dangerous unknown? This paper precisely examines the harmful effects of cigarettes and the rise of a healthier alternative, namely electronic cigarettes (vaping).

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What are e-cigarettes? An e-cigarette is a long tube that looks like a cigarette, pen, or pipe that produces a vapor for users to inhale. They can be re-used and are replaceable with cartridges while others are disposable (Paddock 1). Most liquids include flavoring and nicotine calculated in various measures, but not tobacco. The devices are of different forms such as e-hookah and vape pens and are distributed in the market as a safer choice to cigarettes. Therefore, they represent a rising section of the market for products that contain nicotine. However, the health impact of this new alternative product is unclear. This has attracted both the critics and advocates into an unending debate concerning the safety of the product to the users.

What are the known facts about e-cigarettes? They seek to resemble the usual cigarettes, but without necessarily burning tobacco. They are marketed to help reduce or quit smoking, and it is recorded that many people have found this helpful (Belluz 1). Regardless, a study reveals that e-cigarettes have a negative impact on the health of the users. Therefore, health professionals and authorities are aiming to tighten up regulations to dishearten young people from the use of this alternative.

The number of people using e-cigarettes keeps on rising in different regions. For instance, in the U.S, about two in ten adult cigarette smokers have been introduced to the electronic cigarettes. With reference to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), it is estimated that 3.7 percent of adults in the country use the new product every day (UAB Medicine News 1). The rising number of users is an indication that the majority have accepted e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative to the traditional cigarettes. Regardless, there is a major concern whether these users understand the risks associated with the electronic cigarettes.

Reports by the World Health Organization show that tobacco kills approximately 5 million individuals who smoke annually. Moreover, over 600,000 non-smokers are killed because of exposure to second-hand smoke (Paddock 1). Indeed, tobacco is a leading cause of deaths today. The dangers of smoking cigarettes are very many ranging from cancers, stroke, heart attack, bronchitis, and even emphysema. Currently, there are several mechanisms put in place to address these harmful effects of cigarettes and warn people about the disadvantages of smoking. These approaches include communication, use of tracking systems, research capabilities, laboratory facilities, and planning. Such measures need to be appropriately implemented so that the health problems associated with smoking are dealt with for once and for all.

Electronic cigarettes are operated using a battery to deliver flavored nicotine to the users. There are over 250 brands of e-cigarettes distributed on the U.S markets. The popularity of this new alternative has seen the devices come in different forms such as cigars, combustible cigarettes, and pipes that deliver nicotine (Brazier 1). Other devices are made like everyday items, for instance, pens and USB memory sticks. It is worth noting that the availability of these many brands presents diverse working ways, hence delivering dissimilar toxicants to the users. The increased popularity of the e-cigarettes across different markets has raised concerns whether they are a safe alternative or unknown threat.

Electronic cigarettes, just like the normal cigarettes, have common physiological actions. For example, reducing exhaled nitric oxide that replicates inflammation linked to airway damage. The use of e-cigarettes increases exposure to viral infection, and the nano-particles found within this new alternative have the capacity to trigger inflammatory reactions that are highly connected to asthma, heart disease, and diabetes (Anisman 367).

A close investigation to electronic cigarettes revealed that they include traces of toxic elements as well as carcinogens, an indication that they are harmful. There is a study pointing out that electronic smoking assists addictive nicotine users to downsize on cigarettes. A British medical organization advised smokers to change to e-cigarettes as the best option for the nicotine obsessed to stop smoking tobacco (Abadinsky 94). When compared to the regular cigarettes, electronic cigarette's vapor contains a short life, which lessens the danger of second-hand smoke. Despite this fact, it is agreeable that the toxicological and health threats of both second and third-hand electronic cigarette smoke, mainly in children are not known.

Several electronic cigarettes companies advertise and market their product as a medium to help smokers quit. However, it is evident that the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has never approved any e-cigarette as a safe alternative or helpful approach to assist smokers to quit (UAB Medicine News 1). Many have failed to quit regular smoking after being introduced to e-cigarettes. Reflecting on 2015 information from the Surgeon General, 58.8 percent of the individuals who lately used electronic cigarettes did not stop smoking cigarettes. Although broadly accepted as a better alternative compared to the conventional tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes are truly not healthy. In that sense, there is a lot to learn concerning the dangers and consequences of using the new product so users should take keen note on this fact.

Although manufacturers market e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative, there are several risks associated with them that have attracted the concern by authorities and other relevant agencies. Here are some facts and reasons why e-cigarettes pose a danger to the users. They contain nicotine, which has an addictive substance that prompts changes in the teenager's brain. Increased use leads to exposure to the harmful substance, thus causing problems in the lungs. Those who aim to stop smoking will end using medically monitored and conventional methods in that perspective. The marketing, flavoring, and the approach that the product is not harmful to ones' health entice teenagers to begin vaping (Brazier 1). There is fear that this enhances the possibility that they will smoke traditional cigarettes as time goes by.

There is need to shape and sustain the infrastructure for dealing with smoking as a major health problem affecting humanity today. The first important thing is to look for finances to promote the infrastructure and mechanisms used to deal with smoking. This will be helpful especially with the rise in electronic cigarettes in markets. With enough resources, it will definitely be possible to address every issue related to smoking. For instance, laboratory equipment will be properly equipped to encourage research work. The findings obtained from such studies will be very helpful in dealing with this public problem. The other approach is to address the issue from learning institutions. For instance, children and students in school can play a huge role in shaping the society once they understand all dangers associated with smoking (Belluz 1). Students in institutions of higher learning can as well be informed of such dangers. They will help pass the message to other people and by so doing promote the fight against smoking.

Conclusion

Currently, it should be revealed that the current resources in dealing with smoking and its dangers related to cigarettes and e-cigarettes are inappropriate and inadequate. That being the case, there is the need to invest more resources and money into tobacco studies because its dangers are real. Tobacco companies should not at all influence these studies, as it has been the case. This is because most of the tobacco companies will definitely influence the results so that they can benefit them. The infrastructure put in place to address the dangerous effects of smoking are also inappropriate including communication, planning, laboratory equipment among others. Since these resources available are not appropriate, I would recommend that the above issues be considered immediately to save the population from unnecessary deaths caused by tobacco as well as e-cigarettes.

Works Cited

Abadinsky Howard. Drug Use and Abuse: A Comprehensive Introduction.Cengage Learning Copyright. 2017.

Anisman Hymie. Health Psychology. SAGE. Copyright. 2016. Print.

Belluz Julia. "4 big Takeaways from the most comprehensive report on e-cigarettes yet." Vox. 23 Jan 2018. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/1/23/16923070/nas-report-e-cigarettes-health-risks

Brazier Yvette. "Are e-cigarettes a safe alternative to smoking?" Medical News Today. 16 Aug 2017. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216550.php

Paddock Catharine. "E-cigarettes safer alternative to smoking combustible cigarettes, study confirms." Medical News Today. 7 Feb 2017. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315708.php

UAB Medicine News. "E-Cigarettes: Are They Really a 'Safe' Alternative to Cigarettes?" UAB Health Finder. https://www.uabmedicine.org/-/e-cigarettes-are-they-really-a-safe-alternative-to-cigarettes-