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Do you think vaping is WORSE than smoking cigarettes? Every 6 months, I have to get a blood test done for a medication I’m on. The nurse does a check up on you before the blood test. I’ve been going to this clinic for almost a year.

Back story: When I first started going to this clinic, the nurse did a physical on me before I was prescribed any medications. I was honest and told her that I have a bad addiction to smoking cigarettes. She took note and told me all the ramifications of smoking (I know it’s bad for you. I was a “stupid” teenager whose now paying the price, lol). After the physical, I was prescribed my medication.

Around 6 months after I was on the medication, I went in to get the blood test and check up done. She asked me how the smoking is going. I told her that I actually finally quit smoking cigarettes but vape on occasion. She freaked out and said “vaping is worse than smoking cigarettes.”

I’ve been using my vape for months now. I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes every 2 days. Sometimes a whole pack in one night. I got FED UP w/myself and decided to stop. I went cold turkey and with my mental health struggles, it was extremely difficult. So I decided to try vaping.

The vape has helped me completely stop. I try not to do it too much though. My breathing is so much better. I know it’s still harmful and an addiction, but it’s helped me so much in the process of quitting those nasty cigarettes. Eventually I’ll have to stop, but vaping makes me feel much better mentally and physically in comparison to the cigarettes. I know I’ll eventually quit vaping now too, but with my current life and struggles, it’s a hard time for me to do that.

I disagree with the nurse. As mentioned above, vaping has saved me from cigarettes. I ended up doing my own research on the Internet. Some say vaping is worse, others say vaping is better. What do you think? If you have any knowledge or articles you want to share, feel free as I’m open-minded to hearing people’s thoughts on this.

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VeronicaAnn 7 Aug 24
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48 comments

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10

Do your research. Don't rely on people's opinions.

From the American Heart Association

Many people think vaping is less harmful than smoking. While it’s true that e-cigarette aerosol doesn’t include all the contaminants in tobacco smoke, it still isn’t safe. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

Most e-cigarettes deliver nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm the developing brains of teens, kids and fetuses in women who vape while pregnant. Some types expose users to even more nicotine than traditional cigarettes.

In addition to nicotine, e-cigarette vapor includes potentially harmful substances such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to a serious lung disease), cancer-causing chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. Users breathe in these toxic contaminants, and non-users nearby risk secondhand exposure.

The liquid used in e-cigarettes can be dangerous, even apart from its intended use. Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing or absorbing the liquid through their skin or eyes.

E-cigarettes have been linked to thousands of cases of serious lung injury, some resulting in death. While the exact cause is still not confirmed, the CDC recommends that people not use e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes’ biggest threat to public health may be this: The increasing popularity of vaping may “re-normalize” smoking, which has declined for years. Reversing the hard-won gains in the global effort to curb smoking would be catastrophic. Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death and is responsible for 480,000 American lives lost each year.

[heart.org]

My cousin is a scientist. He's employed by Dunhill who owns most cigarette brands. His job is to keep the addiction as strong as ever. He gets paid a fortune including a luxury home and perks. I cannot stand him. It's up to smokers to beat the habit by just going off it. Ok it worked with me. Maybe join a group like Smoke Enders like they have here. You definitely live a cleaner and healthier life not smoking. ...problem is people have started to socialise with their habits. Now that is bad!

8

Some very serious problems with vaping and lung damage and shows up faster

bobwjr Level 10 Aug 24, 2020
7

Any time you put foreign particles in your lungs, you slowly damage the fragile thin membranes of the alveoli. This results into two conditions over time:

  1. scar tissue, which reduces oxygen exchange permenantly, which makes you feel like your asphyxiating, and makes you heart work harder, enlarge your heart just to maintain your o2 level, and increases your chance of heart attack due to low oxygen levels

  2. cancer, which can potentially kill you.

6

The only thing I have against vaping is that many people quit smoking to do it. If you're going to quit one terrible habit, why take up another?

Deb57 Level 8 Aug 24, 2020

I strongly agree with you on this 👍

5

I smoked for over 40 years starting in 6th grade and was a pack a day plus smoker. About 6 years ago I quit by vaping. I no longer have shortness of breath, persistent cough, etc. Most people picture vapers as blowing huge clouds which require you to inhale a lot more than smoking. You don't have to make huge clouds for vaping to be effective for quitting smoking. The amount of nicotine delivered via vaping is much less depending on what you order, right down to zero.

5

Vaping is less harmful than smoking...you can get vaping essences that have reduced or no nicotine in them, helping you you break the nicotine addiction. Vaping uses water vapour not smoke and because of this is less harmful to the lungs. I think the nurse is wrong when she states that vaping is worse than smoking, and would challenge that assertion. I am not, and never have been a smoker, but one of my sons used vaping to completely stop smoking a few years ago on the suggestion of his doctor, so that was one medical professional who believed it was better than smoking cigarettes, and he was right.

5

As far as I know, vaping products still are not regulated for content. It's kind of a toss up.

This is what I understood as well. Some vaping products are created by individuals and have no controls on the content.

5

Maybe you should look into why you are smoking at all, after all once upon a time you did not smoke and you survived.

@VeronikaAnnJ Well good on you for working on it, however still once upon a time you did not smoke.

4

I smoked cigarettes off and on from age 19. ...was more off than on. ...the about 22-23 yrs ago I was smoking again, so thought to myself, Damnnnn this smoking. I opened the cig pkt broke all the cigs in half and threw it in the bin. I said f off out my life. No one was around. I didn't go back. It worked 😅

@creative51 exactly, otherwise you take on a new dependancy and the plan is to get rid of (substance or any) dependancy.

4

When I read things like "someday science will invent a safe cigarette" I know in advance that it is written by as smoker.

4

I tried the same thing switch to vaping instead of cigarettes, and it worked well in that aspect, but I noticed i had less energy believe it or not. I eventually went to nicotine tablets to quit altogether.

4

Vaping is not harmful apart from being addicting. Cigarettes are bad for your lungs, vaping is not. Where's the question here? One not harmful the other extremely harmful. A doctor recommended vaping to me when I couldn't quit smoking. That was many years ago and I haven't smoked since.

3

Also try to find a healthy replacement for smoking, something that appeals to you and that you comfortable with.

3

I would recommend going cold turkey and simply just quitting immediately. I did this a few years ago and up until today I do not crave anymore. I know it's the hardest but it's the most effective.

3

Vaping was a thing in europe for about a decade before the US. If you want to see the results of vaping, couldn't we just look there?

3

I'd go with @LiterateHiker 's website info. All I do know is that many places allow neither inside their buildings. When I worked for the Dept of Corrections, it was NOT allowed.

3

They are both bad... But.... Vaping is the lessor of two evils as long as you use the right ones... Quitting completely would make you feel soooo much better..

3

I also used vaping to quit smoking (up to 2 packs per day). Before I quit smoking, I was hypertensive and having bouts of tachycardia. When I switched to vape, I experienced all the physical signs of quitting smoking: improved lung function, better smell and taste, improved cardiovascular endurance, lower blood pressure (105/68), improved heart rate (58 rbpm), tachycardia disappeared, etc. The fact is, there just isn't enough known because there hasn't been enough research. Popcorn lung has nothing to do with vaping and is actually related to popcorn factories (pretty easy to look up). Any time we put something besides oxygen in our lungs, it's probably not good for us. But, given that you can elimate the thousands of KNOWN toxins in cigarettes, it's possible that vaping is the lesser evil . At this point, you have to make the best decision you can with what we know and work with your doctor. I don't think it should be a permanent replacement, but there is limited evidence to say it's as bad or worse. The best choice is to quit completely, but not everyone can quit cold turkey (believe me I tried snd tried and tried)

3

As someone who smoked from 17 to about 58 I can honestly say it was the worst decision I ever made. Vaping is just a substitute that doesn't break the habit . the only way to quit is just quit. If you can't feel the pain of withdrawal then how can you know what your enemy is capable of?. You can't fight what you don't know. I am 68 and of course don't smoke now but the damage is done. I struggle to get out of bed.. Walk to the mailbox. I can't mow the lawn except on a riding tractor. Hiking the Appalachian Trail was on my bucket list....scratch that...wanted to restore a sailboat and do the Caribbean and South America...don't see that happening. Smoking ruins your life in your later years. If I had it to do all over I would be climbing mountains right now and conquering oceans. If your young...STOP...while you still can

3

Smoking pot is less dangerous than vaping and cigs.

Smoking cannabis isn't good for asthma but actually acts as a partial preventative to lung disease. Vaping cannabis is the best of both. Vaping nicotine is harmless and prevents withdrawal from nicotine and is an oral fixation which smokers need in order to quit. Nicotine addiction and vaping nicotine is harmless in and of itself.

Depends if you’re prone to pot induced psychosis really doesn’t it?

@Theresa_N - The American Heart Association disagrees with you on the harmlessness of nicotine, but as with many substances, there are two sides of the coin. Several medical sources agree on the potential harmful effects of nicotine while at the same time others comment on its demonstrated benefits. Neither side should be ignored.
[medicalnewstoday.com]

@Theresa_N these studies at universities disagree, I think.

[health.harvard.edu]

[med.stanford.edu]

[mphdegree.usc.edu]

@RussRAB Some spray insecticides contain nicotine, at least the did some years ago; it's been quite a while since I read labels on insecticides, except bait types. Anyway, that reinforced that smoking cigarettes was bad for ones health.

@desertastronomer Doesnt do that for me, but I may be allergic to pot.

@EdEarl - Soaking cigarette butts in water with dish detergent has been a home remedy insecticide I've heard of. I couldn't say if it was nicotine that was the only agent, but it could be. Some plants do produce chemicals toxic to insects. It's part of their evolutionary defence against the insects wanting to feast on them.

3

Taking a slightly different vector , my son-in-law uses chewing tobacco . A couple of years back , he was put in hospital and they cut out 95% of his stomach . He now survives on a liquid diet , has lost a great deal of weight , and can no longer hold down a job . Switching one form of poison for a different one , still means you're poisoning yourself .

2

Last time I checked, vaping does not kill 400,000 people a year; big tobacco does

2

I tend to listen to science...john hopkins says that though both are harmful, vapeing is less so because of the multitude of harmful toxic chemicals in cigarettes.

2

It is definitely better for the people who are exposed to it than when the people are exposed to 2nd hand smoke. People who vape already have a habit that is really hard on their health I have no idea which one is worse.

2

At present, I think cigarettes are worse, but both are bad. Just how bad vaping is has yet to be fully determined. I expect the results will be that it is also very bad, but bad in different ways than cigarettes.

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