We talk about vaping and its use as an alternative to tobacco, and we dismantle other false ideas that can be an excuse to continue smoking.
More and more smokers are starting to vape to quit smoking. And the electronic cigarette or vaping generates the false expectation that it is healthier than tobacco and is even seen as a preliminary step to abandoning nicotine addiction. But is vaping really useful for quitting smoking? What dangers can this electronic cigarette pose? Are there other hoaxes that are used as an excuse to continue smoking? We give you the answers!
Is vaping good for quitting tobacco?
No. In the words of Dr. Mar Fernández Nieto , a specialist in Allergology at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University HospitalThis link will open in a new window : ” It is false that the electronic cigarette, the so-called vaping, helps to quit smoking.” In fact, there are many professional medical societies, such as the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thorax Surgery, that advise against it and even request that the use of electronic cigarettes also be prohibited in smoke-free spaces.
For his part, Dr. José María Ignacio García , head of Pulmonology at the Quirónsalud MarbellaThis link will open in a new window and Campo de GibraltarThis link will open in a new window hospitals , is blunt about this: ” The vaporizer is not an alternative to nicotine .” What’s more, the consequences of vaping can be greater.
The best way to quit smoking is to have the help of professionals, who, in addition to evaluating the history, can offer the most appropriate alternatives to reduce nicotine dependence.
What’s wrong with vaping?
Taking into account that the function of the lungs is to breathe pure air and carry oxygen from the alveoli to the blood, anything that acts as an impurity of that air will harm respiratory function. For this reason, Dr. Ignacio insists that ” any product or substance that is vaped is harmful to our body .”
Furthermore, our allergist points out that “numerous health alerts have arisen about the use of these products and the development of other pathologies”, such as:
- Pneumonitis, which is an inflammation of the lung structures
- Risks of other non-lung cancers
- Deaths
Another risk of electronic cigarettes or vaping is that you can acquire substances to vape that do not have adequate health control. Regarding this, our pulmonologist points out that ” there is no single electronic cigarette and different substances are used that can be obtained in different ways without health control.”
4 truths about tobacco
The risk also exists in passive smokers
It is not necessary to inhale smoke directly from a cigarette to be exposed to the harmful effects of tobacco , and this is something that is often overlooked. In this regard, Dr. Fernández tells us that “the so-called passive smokers are also exposed to the same risk factors for cancer, asthma exacerbation, etc., as active smokers.” And the most affected are children, whose respiratory systems are still growing.
Light smoking carries risks.
Dr. Fernández emphasizes that “there is no number of cigarettes below which one is sure of not having lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, COPD or other pathologies caused or aggravated by tobacco inhalation.” Precisely, the latest study in the journal The Lancet observes that both passive smokers and those who smoked less than ten packs a year had a greater deterioration in lung function, compared to people who had never smoked.
The harmful effect on the child population
It is essential not to smoke in homes where children live, and you should not do it in front of them, since there is no ‘safe level’ of exposure to tobacco. Along these lines, our specialist mentions that “it is documented that minors who grow up in homes with smokers have a greater risk of suffering from respiratory infections and asthma, and that their lung function may be lower than that of children not exposed to tobacco.”
Pollution and tobacco
It is evident that the poor quality of polluted air can affect our body , so if the habit of smoking is also added, another risk factor is being added. So let’s not fall into the trap of not using it as an excuse to continue smoking.
Consequences of smoking, in figures
It is important to remember the negative figures caused by smoking:
- It causes 56,000 deaths a year in Spain, according to 2016 data
- It causes the death of more than a thousand children a year due to smoking during pregnancy, according to a 2010 study by the Institute of Medicine.
- Mainly responsible for lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD
- May worsen asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases
- It is considered a disease in itself
- It’s an addiction
Vaping is not only 95% healthier, according to the aforementioned research, but it also helps save , because although the initial outlay is more expensive (the device costs between 50 euros and 70 euros), refills only cost about 5 euros and They last weeks.
