The many threats to human health and environment cigarette smoking poses has been widely recognised for more than a century now. Through the years, it has continued to become a persisting devastating habit that millions of people have often struggled to date. Because of this, vaping was founded and marketed as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. Eventually, however, the truth about vaping slowly surfaced.
Vaping is a modern alternative to smoking wherein an electronic cigarette is used. In this case, the smoker inhales the vapour from the battery-operated vaping device which has a cartridge filled with a liquid chemical that usually contains nicotine. These liquids get heated by the device until a vapour is produced for the vape user to inhale. Vape cartridges available in the market today usually vary in terms of flavour.
As per the experts, vaping and cigarette smoking are actually equally dangerous. Every parent must start feeling alarmed when their kids use any vaping device. Thus, a lot of vaping prevention measures are now circulating online to reveal the ugly truth about vaping and its possible effects to the human body.
Necessary vaping prevention measures
- Nicotine invasion – It was once a mystery how vaping turned out to be addictive when it was supposed to be a harmless alternative to cigarette smoking with safe, artificial liquids used until it was proven that most of the liquid chemicals used for vaping actually had nicotine. Unfortunately, as a consequence, one of the major negative effects of vaping is how the nicotine eventually turns vaping as a simple habit to a devastating addiction with its innate addictive component, thereby significantly affecting brain development. Studies show that nicotine is actually very addictive and can hamper the brain development process especially in children and teens by affecting their learning, memory, concentration, attention, mood, and self-control. Moreover, nicotine can also awaken other addiction types in adults.
- Improper use of vape devices – Unfortunately, there are also people who fill their vape cartridges with marijuana, TCH oil, and other illegal and harmful drugs. As we all know, these drugs can truly irritate the lungs, and the human brain and behaviour, thereby putting the overall human health at serious risk.
Other effects of vaping
Some people who have made vaping their daily habit may still be battling against smoking addiction. Although this addiction can vary from one person to another, at some point there has to be an end to this routine. Otherwise, vape users may still face serious respiratory health risks.
There are vape liquids which do not contain nicotine. However, safety is still not guaranteed. The chemicals that vape users inhale can still irritate the lungs and the human body. Not to mention, there have also been a number of vape-related accidents noted from all over the world since the device is battery operated.
If you see your loved one using a vape device, then you might want to do them a little educating and advise them to quit vaping before problems arise and before they reach that addiction phase. Existing vape users, more often than not, need the right blend of motivation and set of reasons to quit. If you noticed your child or loved one already hooked with vaping, help them quit successfully by making them understand the risks present as they vape. If they are heavily addicted, then more often than not, you need to give them extra focus and attention and help them cope with the withdrawal symptoms easier.
Vaping prevention 101
While quitting vaping is still a long process that vape users need to surpass, fortunately for non-vape users, prevention is way easier. Ideally, if you want to discourage your loved ones to vape, then you have to reiterate about its negative impact on their health and how it is almost the same with cigarette smoking. Risks and negative effects of vaping are as follows:
- Addiction – Majority of humans on Earth have vices including coffee and cigarettes. Unfortunately, some of these habits can become a full-on addiction. Research shows that there is a fine line between habit and addiction like the chemical reactions they cause in the brain and the time a person spent engaging in a particular behavior. However, the latter takes place when a person becomes unable to function normally and properly without it. And what makes it sadder is, a lot of addicts will tend to continue indulging in their addiction even when this particular activity causes physical, financial, and social burdens in their lives. Vaping, these days, is apparently one of the many common addictions the world continues to battle and this is one great reason why people who are interested in vaping must shrug off the thought of joining the vaping community right away. Once you get in, it gets harder to leave and quit.
- Brain risks – Since most vape users use liquid chemicals that contain nicotine, vaping clearly does not differ from cigarette smoking any positively. Sadly, this nicotine can affect the development of the brain especially for teens and children, eventually causing them to suffer problems relating to focus, concentration, and learning. Aside from that, permanent effects on their impulse control and mood may surface eventually.
- Toxin effect – The vapour that vape devices produce is clearly not made out of water but of harmful chemicals no matter how pleasing their scents appear to be. Since these vapours contain fine particles, the chemicals might stream straight into the lungs, posing respiratory threats in the long run. It may be vaping but it still is as devastating as cigarette smoking after all.
- Curiosity risks – Some studies showed that those who vaped became more curious and open to try other kinds of tobacco products instead like cigars, hookahs, and cigarettes. Hence, those who have liked the idea of trying to vape because it is not that harmful compared to cigarette smoking may still face worse addiction in the future because of giving in to their curiosity.
Take away
Besides these, vaping hobby is also financially burdening since the cost of vape devices and their cartridges is no joke. Before your loved ones even joins the bandwagon, introduce to them other recreational and healthy hobbies instead where their money can be of good use. You may want them to motivate to try out some fun sports.
Fortunately, you can now find a number of local vaping prevention programs and sites that are committed to helping people quit or prevent vaping. There are also schools that teach vaping prevention measures as early as during elementary years to make sure children of the new generation become fully aware that such a hobby is not fun but rather dangerous especially to their age.
Jason Smith did his degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.
