Electronic cigarettes also known as E-cigarette is a recent craze among smokers. It is cutting down the need for normal cigarettes as it has some benefits attached to it. E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are often called e-cigs, e-hookahs, vapes, vape pens, tank systems, or mods. They come in many different shapes and sizes—some look like a regular cigarette, and some look very different. There is a lot of talk about e-cigarettes. Some of it is true, but some of it is not.
You may have seen ads or stories on the internet that say e-cigarettes are not harmful or are a good way to help smokers quit smoking. However, doctors and researchers still have a lot to learn about the health effects of e-cigarettes. This article will go through the difference between normal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.
Electronic Cigarettes
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that are in the shape of cigarettes that provide a way to get nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive drug (it stimulates and relaxes) that is naturally in tobacco. The most popular way for people to take in nicotine is to inhale it by smoking cigarettes. E-cigarettes also allow you to inhale nicotine, but they work by heating a liquid cartridge containing nicotine, flavors, and other chemicals into a vapor. Because e-cigarettes heat a liquid instead of tobacco, what the e-cigarette releases are what we consider as smokeless.
Benefits of Electronic Cigarettes
- Control Over Nicotine Intake
Most people say that e-cigs let you control your nicotine dosage. The e-liquids are available in a diverse range of strengths, starting from high-intense nicotine to mediocre to nicotine-free. You can choose how much strength you desire or how much intense substance you require for e-cigs. Mostly, the e-cigs begin with the high/intense levels of nicotine and then slowly work their way down to low levels of nicotine, and then finally tend to eliminate.
- Instant Satisfaction
The instant satisfaction is high and quick with electronic cigarettes and does the trick to kill your smoking cravings. Although they require preliminary tinkering, once the electronic cigarettes are ready to be lit, they take a single hit or push button on the device (some e-cigs come with the automatic draw). You can use the e-liquid for a very long time in a day with no systematic maintenance. The e-cig is ready wherever and whenever you desire to vape.
- Easy Availability
The electronic cigarette is much more accessible and widely available in current markets. Nowadays, you can easily find the substance/liquid in your local convenience stores, vapor shops, smoke cafes, gas stations, etc. You can even buy online, and the providers will directly deliver the stock to your doorstep.
- Health benefit
E-liquids contain the components like vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine, and food-grade flavoring ingredients. The primary idea behind smoking e-cigs is that they can offer potential health benefits by taking the low levels of nicotine when compared to old-fashioned cigarettes. The ingredients that appear to be present in e-liquids are free of carcinogens. E-cig resembles a regular cigarette, but it does not attempt to burn tobacco.
The main difference between Normal Cigarettes and Electronic Cigarettes.
The key difference between traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes is that e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco. But it isn’t just the tobacco in cigarettes that causes cancer. Traditional cigarettes contain a laundry list of chemicals that are proven harmful, and e-cigarettes have some of these same chemicals.
Since 2009, FDA has pointed out that e-cigarettes contain “detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could be exposed.” For example, in e-cigarette cartridges marketed as “tobacco-free,” the FDA detected a toxic compound found in antifreeze, tobacco-specific compounds that have been shown to cause cancer in humans, and other toxic tobacco-specific impurities. Another study looked at 42 of these liquid cartridges and determined that they contained formaldehyde, a chemical known to cause cancer in humans. Formaldehyde is in several of the cartridges at levels much higher than the maximum EPA recommends for humans.
The body’s reaction to many of the chemicals in traditional cigarette smoke causes long-lasting inflammation, which in turn leads to chronic diseases like bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease. Since e-cigarettes also contain many of the same toxic chemicals, there is no reason to believe that they will significantly reduce the risks for these diseases.
There are no long-term studies to back up claims that the vapor from e-cigarettes is less harmful than conventional smoke. Cancer takes years to develop, and e-cigarettes are relatively new to the United States. It is almost impossible to determine if a product increases a person’s risk of cancer or not until the product has been around for at least 15-20 years. Despite positive reviews from e-cigarette users who enjoy being able to smoke them where they prohibit regular cigarettes, we know very little about their safety and long-term health effects.
Dangers of Normal and Electronic Cigarettes.
They usually contain nicotine.
Nicotine is what makes tobacco products addictive. Be aware that some e-cigarettes that claim to be nicotine-free have been found to contain nicotine.
They are harmful to youth, young adults, and pregnant women.
The nicotine in e-cigarettes is harmful to developing babies and can lead to addiction and harm brain development in children and young adults into their early 20s. Although there is still much to learn about e-cigarettes, the evidence is clear that the harmful health effects of using e-cigarettes mean teens and young adults should not use them.
Electronic and Normal Cigarettes may contain other harmful substances.
While e-cigarettes typically have fewer chemicals than regular cigarettes, they may still contain heavy metals like lead, flavorings linked to lung disease, small particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, and cancer-causing chemicals. Being near someone using an e-cigarette can expose you to the aerosol and the chemicals in it. This is similar to secondhand smoke from regular cigarettes.
