The Dangers of Vaping
Introduction
Vaping has become the new norm in modern society especially among the youth. The emergence of E-cigarettes, sold to customers as suitable or rather less dangerous forms of nicotine consumption has led youth astray into believing that the abuse and dependence of vapors are relatively safe. Vaping statistics show that e-cigarette consumption has skyrocketed among high scholars within the past year. Substantial research reveals that every day over three thousand five hundred youths are introduced to vaping. In recent years, the numbers have increased in worrisome numbers, with the majority of users aged between eighteen to thirty-five years of age. E-cigarettes come in the form of cartridges that can be smoked, refilled or replaced. These containers are filled with liquid nicotine or other harmful substances that are then inhaled at the disposal of the user.
Vaping is not safe for anyone. The explicit use of vaping substances poses health, social, and financial risks that can be detrimental.
Vaping related health challenges and complications pose as the greatest disadvantage of the use of vapors.These increased risks of respiratory, heart, brain, and digestive illnesses. A decrease in immune system functions and the repression of reproductive abilities have been cited as complications that vapor users face. The general health of vapor users is compromised. Besides nicotine, vapors containers have been found to contain potentially dangerous substances such as flavorings, a clear example of this being diacetyl, a chemical that is linked to serious lung disease. Other substances found in vapors are ultrafine particles, heavy metals such as lead, tin, and nickel as well as volatile organic compounds. Most of these substances can be linked to several forms of cancers. Vapors are marketed as an alternative to getting a nicotine dose without the danger posed by smoking. However, is this just a way of getting on a deadly habit? The use of vapors cannot be given a clean bill as it has been demonstrated on numerous counts to increase the affinity of deadly diseases.
There have been reported cases of hypoxic respiratory failure in patients diagnosed with acute eosinophilic pneumonia after the use of vapor, both in male and female clients. A popular case study once reported, involved the follow up of an eighteen-year-old previously healthy female, who had initiated the use of vapors six months prior to this diagnosis. She denied having ever used traditional methods of smoking. So dire was her progress that she was admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory support. The case of this patient was directly linked to the use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are thought to induce acute eosinophilic pneumonia by creating a strong inflammatory reaction that recruits neutrophils and macrophages into the lung space. This process is then quickly followed up by the deposition of necrotic tissue on the lining of the lung tissue and stirs up eosinophilic rich exudates within the lung and the alveoli. The condition of a patient diagnosed with this type of pneumonia quickly deteriorates and may rapidly need respiratory support. Recent studies show that the cytokine stimulation and mechanism of inflammation are similar both in traditional cigarette smokers and in E-citizen cigarette users. A few days after the inhalation of aerosolized cannabis, several cases of acute eosinophilic pneumonia have been reported among college students. The tasking efforts that follow the diagnosis of acute eosinophilic pneumonia include detailed laboratory testing, imaging analysis, steroid, and antibiotic initiation and possible oxygen dependence in the initial stages following diagnosis. A case study of one male college student reveals that after a recent onset of the use of vaporization of marijuana, on two separate occasions, the student has resulted in the need for prolonged steroid therapy.
These case studies are just but illustrations of the immense respiratory tract health dangers that vaporization pose. Vaping, even without any nicotine traces can cause changes in the lung tissue that makes this tissue susceptible to viruses and increase the risk of contracting pneumonia. This shows that even the very basic water vapors can be potentially harmful to the lungs. E-cigarettes contain certain harmful elements that are also released into the environment on exhalation. Primary components such as propylene glycol emitted can cause health issues that range from the eye to throat irritations. Long term exposure to these components, has been linked to the development of asthma in children. Studies have shown that exposure to these chemicals can constrict arteries, which could fatally trigger cardiac arrest. Just like in the case of traditional smoking, bystanders in close contact with people using vapors are exposed to dangerous aerosols and their health is jeopardized since heated propylene glycol contains altered chemical constitution that is known to be carcinogenic. Continued exposure to these substances to non-smokers could be fatal. It is unfortunate that these non-smokers absorb similar levels of nicotine as smokers do, thus the dangers of widespread vapor use, especially in non-designated smoking areas, are disseminated.
Disturbing conclusions reveal that from vapors have nanoparticles attached to toxic chemicals. These nanoparticles are small enough to allow for easy absorption by the user and the bystander. Some of these vapors that are currently in popular use have been studied and proven to contain carbonyls at levels whose consequence is cardiovascular toxicity. Very low exposure is attached to a very high risk of developing heart and cardiovascular disorders. Vapors and aerosols to be specific have a significant impact on the cardiovascular system. Daily users of e-cigarettes have double the risk of triggering a heart attack.
The use of e-cigarettes has grave effects on the reproductive system. Vapor use has been established to have enormous effects on children’s health. Prenatally, the use of vapors increases the chances of having low birth weight babies, premature births, stillbirths, and spontaneous abortions. The risk of deaths from sudden infant death syndrome is higher in children born to parents who used vapors during pregnancy. The use of vapors can lead to congenital coronary diseases. Fertility is reduced in people who use vapors. This is increasingly worrisome because most of the vapor users are young and energetic individuals who aspire to have families of their own someday. This reveals that the very fabric of family as we know it today may be at risk of falling apart in the future with the continued usage of vapors. Males who use vapors on a daily basis may have low sperm count and a higher number of damaged sperm that have a swimming pattern that is completely abnormal. Daily female vapor users, on the other hand, may experience dysmenorrhea, trouble conceiving, with chances reduced up to forty percent per cycle.
Vaping addiction is increasingly being recorded. Nicotine is very addictive and results in unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when cessation is attempted. Nicotine is the most common substance in vapes but other drugs such as marijuana can be vaped and have far-fetching health complications. When blood nicotine levels go down, an irresistible desire to vape accompanied by strong physical symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and intense craving for e-cigarettes pushing the user to the next dose of vape, creating a vicious cycle that can hardly be broken by sheer will. Dealing with these cravings is one of the hardest parts of quitting this habit. Considering the many disadvantages of vaping, dealing with a few withdrawal symptoms for the greater good my in itself be the fuel needed to quit.
Peer pressure among the youth can be pointed out as one of the leading factors that are fueling the initiation into vaping in modern society. The urge to belong and feel loved is a natural need in every human being. This has fostered the rising numbers of vapor users that we see today. The emergence of dysfunctional families and the everyday demands of the changing world as parents scramble for the heights of career expansion has left youth to their own devices. Boredom and the lack of substantial parental figures in the lives of the youths have provided a breeding ground for the popularization of vapors among the youths. This generation that is in itself struggling with self-identity and is sinking into depression has resulted in the use of e-cigarettes in a bid to allay these feelings.
Vaping is unhealthy even for the wallet. The ideal idea that many of these substances are addictive, works negatively against the user. Although vapors cannot be valued as expensive, they are not free either. The cumulative costs of vapors may be shocking to most users. Vaping can raise insurance costs, result in high medical bills in the event of health complications associated with vaping, affect a home’s financial value and raise life insurance rates, all of which affect the user negatively financially.
E-cigarettes affect users’ social lives, depriving them of the opportunity to live full, happy, and meaningful lives. The dependence on nicotine and other substances not only presents a financial burden but also creates a source of depression and moodiness. Addiction is linked to memory loss and living in constant fear of developing health complications in the short or long term. Documented effects of vaping on the reproductive system pose the risk of decreasing family and social units in the future if vaping is not curbed among the youth. Having a social for teens is important and may have a big impact on the decisions that they make in the future.
Addictive consumables have the ability to change th brain’s chemistry, which can alter behavior, personality traits, and induced psychological disturbances. People addicted to vaping may present with anxiety or panic attacks and may be incapable of making sound decisions. All of these traits negatively affect the quality of relationships with self and with other people. The use of addictive substances can also result in uncalculated risk-taking moves in order to sustain the addiction. The quality of sleep in people who vape regularly is significantly reduced. This can lead to general fatigue, irritability, and impaired productivity, further affecting the quality of life. The smell of cigarette smoke on clothes and breath does little to salvage this situation.
Following several vaping linked deaths, many countries such as Brazil have banned vaping. Such laws should allow for the consumer to be able to access products that meet strict manufacturing guidelines such as cessation of the use of carcinogenic substances in E-cigarette manufacturing. Samples ought to be thoroughly examined before such products are released to the consumer.
Raising the purchasing age of vapors is another law that can be put in place to minimize the use of vapors among the youth. This will ensure that any targeted recruits have the chance to make better-informed decisions because they have better-placed bargaining power.
Raising taxes on vapor products automatically raises the price of the said products, which begins to cut edge people who cannot afford them. This will mostly apply to the youth who have no steady sources of income.
Products that are proven to have extremely detrimental health effects ought to be banned.
Restrictions on the size of Vaping containers can help in the curbing of the vice.
It is paramount for States to support people who are willingly abandoning vaping by making integration into support groups easy. Rehabilitation of such individuals can be done for free. This kind of support will ensure that users do not slip back to vapor usage after suffering withdrawal symptoms.
Most vapor consumers are often unaware of the side effects that the products that they would so gladly swear by cause. It would be paramount to establish laws that indicate precisely the amount of addictive substance in a vapor and the expected side effects in the event of addiction or other eventuality.
CONCLUSION
The once thought of safer replacement for traditional smoking is turning out to be a headache for many States, especially with the number of youths blooming every day. The situation at hand is dire as vaporing has become the in-thing among the youth. It is an unfortunate dangerous trend that is robbing the youth of the opportunity to create lasting and impactful solutions in society. The future of any society is youth. Many States are moving with the utmost speed to ensure that this future is protected. The disadvantages of vaping far outweigh any benefits that may be associated with it, especially when the issue of addiction is examined, the health burden that is likely to come with vaping, and the disintegration of the future generation are not points that can be taken lightly.
References
Antwi-Amoabeng, Daniel, and Raheel Islam. “Vaping Is Not Safe: A Case of Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia following Cannabis Vapor Inhalation.” Case Reports in Pulmonology, vol. 2020, 2020, pp. 1-5.
Raloff, Janet. “The Dangers of Vaping: Teens are falling for flavored e-cigs, but the vapors they inhale may be toxic.” Science News, vol. 188, no. 1, 2015, pp. 18-21.
Whyte, Chelsea. “Concern over vaping deaths.” New Scientist, vol. 243, no. 3247, 2019, p. 7.