Electronic cigarettes- harmfulness, addiction, research. What do e-cigarettes contain?

Proven content

Electronic cigarettes have become an element of urban culture, a gadget for hipsters and corporate people. Meet their other face – serious health problems and deep addiction. Recent research on e-cigarettes has sparked a debate about the harmfulness of this alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes – what are they?

The electronic cigarette is a reusable device. It is used as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, especially by people who want to quit smoking. E-cigarettes replace traditional smoking with inhalation – we inhale the vapor generated by heating the liquid (liquid) containing nicotine. Flavored liquids and nicotine-free liquids are available on the market. Ascending popularity of electronic cigarettes in recent years, it has been fueled by opinions that they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. However, there are more and more studies showing the pathogenic properties of e-cigarettes.

The nicotine found in e-cigarettes satisfies the craving for smoking similar to that found in normal cigarettes. These devices, in most cases, are powered by batteries, but you can also find those that use energy, for example, through the USB of a computer or a cigarette lighter socket. There are many on the market electronic cigarette models. Some of them may be similar, for example to a cigar or a pipe. Currently, the most common are pen-shaped e-cigarettes.

Substances present in e-cigarettes

The basic ingredient of e-cigarette liquids is nicotine, although there is also a nicotine-free variant on the market. There are also several other chemical compounds in the liquid, most of which are propylene glycol or glycerin, which are considered harmless substances. They are commonly used, for example, as thickeners in food, medicines or creams. Unlike this use in electronic cigarettes, however, they are heated and inhaled. Possible additives used in electronic cigarettes are flavorings or flavorings.

Main advantage of electronic cigarettes is to reduce the amount of harmful substances. Combustion of traditional tobacco products results in human-inhaled tobacco smoke with a significant amount of tar and carcinogenic substances. This problem disappears with e-cigarettes, the use of which excludes the burning process of tobacco. Instead, we only observe the heating of the liquid and the formation of an aerosol (instead of smoke) – inhaling it is an activity known as vaping.

The Chief Sanitary Inspector warns, however, that in the composition of the water vapor formed during heating e-liquids you can also find substances such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, acrolein, o-methyl-benzaldehyde and carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Read more:

1. Flavored electronic cigarettes can cause serious lung disease
2. Everyone knew they were harmful, but no one expected such an action

Vaping, i.e. smoking e-cigarettes

Joanna, a 35-year-old computer scientist, started smoking cigarettes in college. At first, sporadically, then more often, periods of smoking alternated with nicotine abstinence.

When e-cigarettes appeared on the market, she switched to vaping. E-smoking was cheaper and left no embarrassing smell or holes on clothes. The black and silver pen-like e-cigarette has become her favorite gadget. She took a drag at home, on the way to work, over coffee and on a walk, without provoking comments. Joanna has become a regular e-smoker. Although the device, which is called an electronic cigarette, has nothing to do with smoking. It is used to administer pure nicotine. This activity, which from the outside resembles traditional smoking, is called vaping.

1. Also read: Smoking damages the lungs. No matter how much you smoke

Of course, electronic cigarettes also contain nicotine (although there are also nicotine-free liquids), recognized as a drug by the World Health Organization. It has a stimulating effect in small doses. It causes increased secretion of adrenaline and the associated symptoms: loss of pain and hunger, increased heart rate, dilation of the pupils, etc. Overdosing is extremely unpleasant – it causes headache, diarrhea, a feeling of detachment from reality and exhaustion.

Electronic cigarettes and health

Joanna was satisfied with the change for several years. The stinking smoke was gone from her life. Instead, there is a whole lot of oils, vaporizers, batteries and chargers. She felt compelled to have them – all these accessories had to be and always work properly.

The real problems came later. They were related to health. She began to feel palpitations, shortness of breath. The cardiologist advised to stop smoking electronic cigarette. Joanna tried. It couldn’t. She couldn’t sleep, everything was irritating her. Eventually the child asked her to smoke. Joanna is still trying to quit e-cigarettes. At home, she manages not to smoke. It’s harder at work. Friends vape, Joanna often breaks down. More and more people have such problems.

For people who want to break the addiction, we recommend Stop Addiction – a Panaseus dietary supplement, which has a positive effect on well-being and additionally helps in removing toxins from the body.

In October 2019, the GIS, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education, developed a material warning against effects of using electronic cigarettes. According to the information presented, the harmful effects of e-cigarettes include:

1. respiratory tract irritation;
2. inflammatory changes in the bronchi and emphysema in the lungs;
3. the risk of pneumonia;
4. decrease in the efficiency of the immune system;
5. irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat;
6. effects on the central nervous system, including muscle tremors and spasms.

The common belief that electronic cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes is alarming. Fragrant aerosol instead of smoke and a modern form especially attract young people. In fact, this gadget is also addictive and is conducive to frequent use.

E-cigarettes – research and expert opinions

According to Dr. Bohdan Woronowicz, a psychiatrist and addiction therapy specialist, the story that e-cigarettes do not harm is a scam because they are addictive in a similar way as the classic ones. It starts with one, then there are more times, and finally traditional cigarettes are often used.

– Those who start e-smoking do not seek help because they think nothing bad is happening. They come to the therapist at an advanced stage of addiction, when they feel the health consequences of inhaling nicotine – explains the specialist.

In the opinion of Dr. Woronowicz’s claim that e-cigarettes do not harm is bending the facts, because they are addictive in a similar way as classic cigarettes. In the USA, almost 8 were tested. liquids for stuffing electronic cigarettes and it turned out that they all contained nicotine. Additionally, the aromas in some fluids contain substances that are harmful to the lungs and destroy the bronchial epithelial cells. A cloud made of electronic cigarettes exposes bystanders to passive smoking, even though the nicotine content is 10 times lower than that of a regular cigarette.

Dr. Woronowicz emphasizes that the use of electronic cigarettes supports addiction-related habits. Therefore, they cannot be recommended as a way of breaking addiction, just as drinking non-alcoholic beer is not recommended for an alcoholic. Sooner or later, instead of alcohol-free, he would use the normal percentage. Dr. Woronowicz admits that patients cope with addiction in various ways. Some people try to replace the traditional ones with e-cigarettes, but at some point they go back to the regular ones. There are also those who believe they have quit smoking because they are using nicotine patches or gums. But they chew so much gum they are constantly on a nicotine high.

Electronic cigarettes – symptoms of addiction

When should Joanna know things have gone too far? When she woke up at night to smoke. When the first dyspnea appeared. When the liquid ran out in the evening and no matter how I didn’t want to, she had to get another dose like a drug addict. Otherwise, there was anxiety, fear, trembling hands. She should note that everything in her life is organized so that she can take a puff. It is no coincidence that most of my friends are also smokers.

– When people start to lose health, they look for something that will help them quit smoking – they turn to hypnosis, acupuncture. They want someone to deal with the problem for them, they do not understand that they have to do this work themselves – adds Dr. Woronowicz.

Some people can quit smoking overnight, but most nicotinists find it very difficult. So much so that some, who are alcoholics at the same time, quit drinking alcohol but quit smoking – they fail.

Those who have had unsuccessful attempts to free themselves from their addiction also call the Telephone Smoker Assistance Center.

– There are several problems that have emerged with the e-smoking trend. People who have smoked cigarettes for several or several years and then converted them to e-cigarettes often stop controlling their use and are able to spend the whole day with a cigarette in their mouths. This deepens their physiological dependence and increases the number of addiction-related habits. E-smoking rituals are more extensive, devices can be personalized to your liking. All this makes it difficult to stop using e-cigarettes, admits Irena Przepiórka, a therapist at the Telephone Support Center for Smokers.

Interestingly, it has changed perception of e-smoking. More and more people do not want vapors of not fully known effect in their environment.

This was followed by changes in the law – it was introduced last year no smoking of electronic cigarettes in public places. You cannot sell e-cigarettes or liquids to minors. Further difficulties are also expected, such as the introduction of excise duty on liquids.

1. Find out more and learn about the most popular myths about smoking

Electronic cigarettes – a trap for the young

According to Irena Przepiórka, women and young people often fall into the trap of e-cigarettes.

– The image of e-cigarettes is created as nice, safe devices that do not cause yellow skin or wrinkled face. Women and teenagers buy it because electronic cigarettes seem to be the perfect solution. But that’s not true.

Nicotine is addictive and cardiotoxic, causes shrinkage of blood vessels and, consequently, the development of coronary artery disease, more frequent strokes and heart attacks. There is still a lack of studies that would say unequivocally what we really inhale into the lungs and how it works.

E-smoking can continue for many years without arousing opposition and condemnation from the environment. The rationalization characteristic of addictions perpetuates this state. Only when an e-smoker wants to quit “smoking”, it turns out that the problem of addiction is sometimes more serious than in people who smoke traditional cigarettes.

Irena Przepiórka advises people who fail to quit e-smoking to report to the Telephone Smoker Assistance Center, where therapists will identify problems and support them in the process of quitting smoking.

The prices of electronic cigarettes are rising

Also prof. Witold Zatoński, president of the “Health Promotion” foundation, sees a much more insidious enemy in seemingly more attractive than traditional e-cigarettes, especially dangerous to very young people.

He quotes the results of a scientific work published in the last issue of the prestigious scientific journal “JAMA Pediatrics”. 17 thousand. people aged 13–30. Electronic cigarette smokers are four times more likely to become conventional smokers than non-smokers.

prof. Witold Zatoński

That is why we are very afraid that e-cigarettes will stop the favorable changes that have taken place in Poland. In the last 10 years, the number of children aged 13-15 who smoke has been doubled. E-cigarettes can reverse this trend.

He accuses the producers of e-cigarettes that aggressively, e.g. through YouTube videos or blogs, they fight for young customers. They do it because each new person addicted to nicotine means a certain income for many years.

There are 8 million regular cigarette smokers in Poland. Among all smokers, there are approx. 2 percent. e-cigarette users. Experts are wondering how to lower these statistics. They hope that the introduction of excise duty on liquids from 2018 will help. This will increase the prices of electronic cigarettes, and hence the interest in these devices. Poland is no exception, as most European countries are struggling with both electronic and traditional cigarettes.

Most countries have already introduced or are introducing excise duty on electronic cigarettes. This does not mean that traditional smoking will be a more economical solution for the addicted person’s home budget. This is shown by the example of France, where traditional cigarettes will become more expensive from next year. They will cost 10 euros per package.

The editorial board recommends:

1. There are as many as 9 million smokers in Poland. “Restrictive legal regulations simply harm instead of helping”
2. See how smoking changes your body
3. What happens to your body when you stop smoking?

For a long time you have not been able to find the cause of your ailments or are you still looking for it? Do you want to tell us your story or draw attention to a common health problem? Write to the address [email protected] #Together we can do more