Why You Should Never Vape
Vaping has become a popular trend among teenagers and young adults, particularly those trying to give up traditional smoking.
With a host of different flavors to kit your vaporizer out with, every combination you can think of – from the sweet to the spicy – it’s no wonder vaping is considered cool and edgy.
NEED TO KNOW
What is vaping?
Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling vapor, which is produced by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or similar device.
These devices consist of a battery, liquid nicotine solution, flavorings and other chemicals that produce the vapor.
Vaping was initially introduced as a safer alternative to smoking, in the hopes that it would address two issues:
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helping those who wanted to quit traditional cigarettes but had difficulty doing so
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combating the indoor smoking ban that was introduced globally in the mid 2000s
You would think, then, that there would be no objections or downsides to vaping. The reality is, however, that there are several, from the possible damage to your health, to the changes in the law.
6 reasons why you shouldn’t vape
1) You’ll become addicted
One of the main ingredients in the vaping liquids is nicotine, the same ingredient found in cigarettes.
What is nicotine?
Nicotine is a stimulant that acts as an addictive drug. It’s a naturally produced chemical found in plants, including the tobacco plant.
Nicotine is the chemical that helps with withdrawal symptoms and provides a sense of pleasure for those who smoke cigarettes or vape.
It’s also highly addictive, making it difficult to quit once you start using it. The addiction can cause both psychological and physical dependence on nicotine, which makes quitting very hard without help.
When you vape, it’s easy to develop a strong dependence on nicotine, and the more you use your device, the greater the chance of becoming addicted.
Lots of flavors
The problem with vaping is that because there are so many different flavors to choose from, it’s easy to get addicted to the tastes, and thus to the act itself.
Whenever you get sick of one flavor, you can simply choose another. And you’ll always want to try out new ones, making you a perpetual customer.
This means that if you weren’t a smoker before, you could create a brand new addiction for yourself that could be impossible to overcome.
2) Possible risk to your health
The vapor may contain other harmful substances that are created in the chemical process that generates the vapor. These substances could increase heart rate and decrease lung function.
Not enough data
As vaping is still a relatively new thing, the full risks are as yet unknown, and research is ongoing.
Is vaping healthier than smoking cigarettes?
There’s a lot of misinformation floating about suggesting that vaping is harmless. While it is healthier than smoking tobacco products – i.e. cigarettes and cigars – it isn’t completely harmless.
In this Hopkins Medicine article, it talks about the heart and lung damage experienced by patients who regularly vaped.
3) It won’t stop you from wanting cigarettes
Although nicotine is present in most (but not all) vaping liquids, and though the act of inhaling and exhaling creates the same relaxing effect as smoking, vaping simply won’t cut it for long.
The truth is, it won’t stop you from wanting cigarettes. Eventually vaping will become less and less satisfying, and you’ll be right back to smoking in no time.
This is because you’ve continued to feed your nicotine cravings as opposed to getting rid of them completely. While you’re still addicted, there’s always the chance you’ll turn to cigarettes for that original rush.
4) Vaping is also banned indoors
So much for addressing the smoking ban, huh?
Shortly after vaping was introduced, businesses and governments extended the indoor smoking ban to apply to the use of e-cigarettes, putting a major spanner in the works.
Now, in most public places, if you can’t smoke there then you also can’t vape there.
5) Lots of hassle
Charging
E-cigarettes are so called because they run on electricity/batteries, which means you’ll have to charge and change them constantly.
Changing the vape coil
A vape coil is the heating element of a vape-pen or vaporizer. When electricity is used to heat up metal wire coils, it turns into hot air and produces vapor when inhaled.
These usually last just a couple of weeks before the taste starts to deteriorate. Thus, you’ll need to change these regularly in order to have a smooth vape.
Refilling the liquid
You have to keep refilling the vape flavors once you’ve smoked them. Depending on how often you vape, you could be doing this daily.
6) Vaping can be expensive
Though vaporizer prices run the gamut, a good one could easily set you back $50 and upwards.
Replacing the coils and stocking up on liquids for the vaporizer will also get pricey depending on how often you’re smoking.
If you live in a country where cigarettes aren’t taxed heavily, vaping might, in the long run, work out far more expensive than smoking.
Final word
Sometimes it’s best not to start a habit that you know won’t do anything positive for you or your body. This is one such habit.
If you’re not a smoker but you want to try vaping because you think it looks cool, don’t! While vaping may be less harmful than traditional cigarettes, it’s far more harmful than smoking nothing at all.