Week 2 hsa535 make up smoking vs vaping
Is Vaping Better Than Smoking? | American Heart Association
About Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes) | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
Please respond to the following:
- Review the following articles and answer the question below:
- Compare and contrast the health risks of vaping versus cigarette smoking. Provide support for your rationale.
- Be sure to respond to at least one of your classmates’ posts.
Classmate anna post
Compare and contrast the health risks of vaping versus cigarette smoking.
Per the CDC, e-cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, but that does not mean e-cigarettes are safe (1). We have long known that tobacco smoking contributes to heart disease and lung problems. Smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, including your heart. Almost one-third of deaths from heart disease result from cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke. However, e-cigarette smoking has been recently shown to increase the risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (2). It is also unclear what chemicals make up the vapor and the long-term impact of vaping on users’ physical health.
Vaping and cigarette smoking have distinct health risks. Vaping and cigarette smoking involve nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can lead to dependence. Both nicotine and non-nicotine toxins in cigarettes and e-cigarettes harm the cardiovascular system and can lead to premature death. Vaping is often considered a less harmful alternative to smoking for adults, but any form of nicotine is dangerous for young people. There is a growing concern about the appeal of vaping to young people. The adolescent brain is still developing, and exposure to nicotine during this critical period can have long-lasting effects. Nicotine can harm cognitive functions, impair attention and learning, and increase the risk of mood disorders.
Smoking exposes users to a wide range of known carcinogens, whereas vaping does not involve the combustion of tobacco and, as a result, has fewer known carcinogens. The absence of tobacco makes vaping less likely to cause cancer than smoking. While both vaping and smoking can affect the respiratory system, smoking is known to cause more severe and long-term damage due to the harmful byproducts of combustion. Secondhand cigarette smoke poses a significant risk to non-smokers, whereas secondhand exposure to vapor from e-cigarettes is generally considered less dangerous.
However, exposure to e-cigarette aerosol is not without risks, especially for vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women. The e-cigarette aerosol can contain toxic substances, including diacetyl, a chemical linked to severe lung disease (3). Thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products still remain unidentified. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of early death, while the long-term mortality risk of vaping is less clear due to limited data on its long-term effects.
It is important to note that the risk of some health problems may be lower with vaping than smoking because vaping does not involve tobacco combustion. Vaping can cause lung problems, including lung inflammation and a condition known as vaping-associated lung injury (VALI) in some cases. However, it is generally considered less harmful to the respiratory system than smoking due to the absence of tobacco. The long-term health risks of vaping are still being researched. It may take years to determine the full scope of risks associated with e-cigarettes. There is no such thing as “safe” vaping or “healthy” cigarette smoking. Both methods deliver nicotine and are harmful to the body. The best way to avoid potentially harmful effects to your health is to abstain from smoking and vaping altogether.
