Parasteh
E-cigarette stands for electronic cigarette. It is the battery-operated gadget that discharges a vaporized solution to inhale. The vaporized solution is composed of nicotine. It is an alternative for tobacco smoke, which is one, gets a sensation of smoking without inhaling the actual smoke.
These devices or gadgets come up with multiple common names, such as e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, vapes, and sometimes termed vape pens.
What are E-cigarettes?
A vape device or E-cigarette is a gadget or electronic device that may look like a pipe, a pen, or a USB drive. The liquid or solution inside may smell fruity or minty, but people don’t know that it can have high nicotine content. Refills or liquid come in flavors such as cool cucumber, mango, and mint, which may seem natural and harmless. The nicotine in vape devices may affect brain cells thus influencing the development of healthy brain cells in young people.
Shapes of E-cigarettes
They come in different shapes and designs to attract customers. Some have the appearance of USB drives and some look like pens, light and long.
Recommended reading: Smokers Beware
Vapes as tobacco products
Makers of vapes advertise them as tools that help people to quit smoking or at least cut down on tobacco smoking. However, the Drug and Food Administration (FDA) classifies them as one of the tobacco products.
United States federal law forbids the sale of tobacco products to underage people that including anyone under the age of 21. However, vaping is attracting a great number of youngsters into it. Vaping is very famous among teens nowadays.
How do they work?
- The mouthpiece: It contains the liquid solution i.e. the flavor.
- The atomizer: Its purpose is to heat the liquid, making it vaporize so that a person can inhale it.
- The battery: The chargeable device that powers the heating element.
- The sensor: It activates the heater when the person sucks on the vape.
- The solution: E-liquid composed of a mixture of nicotine, a base, which is propylene glycol, and flavoring.
Flavors come in many ranges to satisfy the consumer’s taste, from menthol to watermelon or chocolates.
Recommended reading: Interesting Facts about your Stomach
Risks of vaping
Manufacturers of vapes advertise their product as a healthy alternative to cigarettes claiming that it can bypass all the health concerns related to tobacco smoking.
Some people might quit smoking because of E-cigarettes. However, there is ongoing research on vapes that e-cigarettes can cause serious health risks, significantly to people who have never done common smoking.
Vaping is strictly forbidden to:
● Children or young adults
● Pregnant women
● Non-smokers
Reasons to avoid vaping
Vaping can be harmful and pose serious concerns for young people’s health. A few of the reasons are listed below.
Nicotine content
Most vape devices contain nicotine even more than regular cigarettes, which are harmful and can be lethal and the reason is:
● It is addictive
● It affects brain cell development which continues up to the age of 25 years
● It can harm a fetus in case of pregnancy
Recommended reading: 3 Yoga Asanas best for weight loss
Amount of other toxins
Several toxins, other than nicotine, that appear in vapes are carcinogens, acrolein, benzene, diacetyl, propylene glycol, hazardous metals, and other minute particles that can enter the lungs.
Many of these are also in regular cigarettes.
Secondhand smoke
Vaping produces secondhand smoke that means low-quality smoke. As we know that e-cigarettes contain almost the same chemicals as present in regular cigarettes, smoke formed by vaping may be dangerous to surrounding people.
Harm brain
During youth, the use of nicotine can influence the reward system located in the brain. Thus, consuming nicotine is a source of pleasure for them. However, it can damage the learning and attention part of the brain with time. It can also cause mood swings in the young generation.
Conclusion
Researchers raise a concern about the increased use of vapes among the young generation. They advise the parent to take steps to stop their children from using it. Education should be given to colleges and schools to discourage its use.
