The Severity of Emissions From Vaping Vs. Smoking: A Comparative Study - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the United States, smoking remains a leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, making it a grave threat to public health. Vapinghas often been marketed as a safer alternative to conventional smoking (Kesimer, 2019). E-cigarettes were first developed in 2003, and were introduced into the U.S market in 2007. Because vaping is relatively new, the level of research in this field is young (Goldenson et al., 2016). Hence, there is no definite comparison between the severity of emissions from vaping and those from conventional cigarettes. That said, vaping is not a safe alternative to conventional smoking because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, toxic chemicals and heavy metals that lead to brain impairment, lung disease and cancers.

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First, e-cigarette vapor contains nicotine, which extremely addictive and can lead to brain impairments in children, teen, and fetuses of pregnant women who vape (Goldenson et al., 2016). While the conventional cigarettes use free-base nicotine, e-cigarettes use nicotine salts as key components in the e-liquids (Morean et al., 2016). In the United States, nicotine levels in e-cigarettes have been found to be in excess of 4%, driven by the surge in the demand for higher nicotine e-cigarettes (Goldenson et al., 2016). Whereas the levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes are variable, some exceed the levels found in conventional and combustible cigarettes. This is particularly true because the nicotine salts lower the PH levels of e-liquids, allowing the use of higher levels of nicotine to be used with minimal irritation (Morean et al., 2016). As an example, the JUUL brand manufacturers affirm that their product contains a similar level of nicotine content like conventional cigarettes, and that the e-cigarette delivers the nicotine 2.7 times faster than other brands (Goldenson et al., 2016). Thus, vaping exposes a user to nicotine just as regular smoking does.

Second, e-cigarette vapor contains toxic substances like diacetyl, and heavy metals like lead, tin and nickel. These chemicals and metals are known to cause lung disease, and cancer, hence threatening the lives of both users and the non-users through secondary exposure. In the United States, more than eight hundred cases of lung diseases had been reported by September 2019, with twelve fatalities attributed vaping. All the patients reported that they had used vaping devices. Further, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most of the affected patients reported that they had used e-cigarettes that contained nicotine. In addition, there has been an ongoing outbreak of severe lung illness that has been attributed to vaping. As of November 2019, more than two thousand cases of lung illness had been reported, with thirty nine fatalities. It is estimated that in more than 80% of the cases, the patients reported having used vaporized products. Further, the Centers for Disease Control reported that the Vitamin E acetate component was also a significant concern and was found in twenty nine of the collected samples (Kesimer, 2019). Thus, vaping exposes a user to toxic contaminants just as regular smoking does.

The promoters of vaping argue that e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful as compared to the inhalation of combustible tobacco from regular cigarettes. They further argue that vaping is a can help smokers to quit smoking and overcome their addiction.Other arguments in favor of vaping are that it does not have noxious odors due to the aromas of the flavors used, that a user is able to control the level of nicotine intake by choosing the desirable quantity of nicotine in one's vape, and that the user has control over the vapor output that they exhale, at their convenience (Walley et al., 2019). It is, however, noteworthy that there is not substantial empirical data to back these assertions.

However, the arguments in favor of vaping are not valid because even though e-cigarettes have been found to contain lesser toxin that combustible cigarettes, they still contain substantial levels of harmful chemicals (Hart et al., 2018). Also, there has been no evidence to prove that vaping can help a smoker to quit. In fact, existing research indicates that dual use of conventional and e-cigarettes is the higher likelihood, and therefore, smokers who are trying to quit should use proven therapies because vaping is not a proven cessation therapy (Kesimer, 2019). With the apparent health risks that have been attributed to vaping such as lung disease, brain impairment, and poisoning when swallowed, breathed or absorbed through the skins or eyes, its downsides far outweigh the purported benefits.

Thus, vaping is not safer than conventional smoking because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, toxic chemicals and heavy metals that lead to brain impairment, lung disease and cancers. Many downsides of vaping have been documented, and with the increasing rate of e-cigarette use among the young people, there is exposure to many health risks. Whereas e-cigarettes aerosol do not have as many contaminants as tobacco smoke, they are not safe because they deliver nicotine which is highly addictive and causes brain impairments among the consumers. The toxic contaminants and heavy metals have also been linked to severe lung disease that has caused morbidity and mortality among consumers in the United States. Overall, vaping has been linked to severe lung disease and death. For these reasons, vaping should not be recommended as a safe alternative to conventional smoking.

References

Goldenson, N. I., Kirkpatrick, M. G., Barrington-Trimis, J. L., Pang, R. D., McBeth, J. F., Pentz, M. A., ... & Leventhal, A. M. (2016). Effects of sweet flavorings and nicotine on the appeal and sensory properties of e-cigarettes among young adult vapers: Application of a novel methodology. Drug and alcohol dependence, 168, 176-180.

Hart, J. L., Walker, K. L., Sears, C. G., Lee, A. S., Ridner, S. L., & Keith, R. J. (2018). E-cigarette use and perceived health change: Better health through vaping?. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 16.

Kesimer, M. (2019). Another Warning Sign: High Nicotine Content in E-Cigarettes Disrupts Mucociliary Clearance, the Essential Defense Mechanism of the Lung. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, (ja).

Morean, M. E., Kong, G., Cavallo, D. A., Camenga, D. R., & Krishnan-Sarin, S. (2016). Nicotine concentration of e-cigarettes used by adolescents.Drug and alcohol dependence, 167, 224-227.

Walley, S. C., Wilson, K. M., Winickoff, J. P., &Groner, J. (2019). A public health crisis: electronic cigarettes, vape, and JUUL. Pediatrics, 143(6), e20182741.