Electronic Cigarettes Essay

Introduction

The improvement of the health sector has unleashed the bitter truth that was long considered as normal in the previous ages; smoking. Although smoking was seen as cool in the 19th and 20th centuries, the developments of today’s technology have already revealed its drastic negative consequences on the human body. In this direction, this paper analyzes whether electronic cigarettes are a better alternative than traditional cigarette smoking. The main argument of the paper is to highlight the fact that although both should not be suggested, electronic cigarettes are better alternatives in terms of the human body and health. Using cigarettes is one of the leading risks for death.

Body Paragraphs

Tobacco smoking is a huge health problem for people around the world. As research was done by Global Burden of Disease, 8 million people died because of smoking in 2017 (Ritchie & Roser, 2019, para. 2). This study shows us that every seventh death on earth is because of smoking which means smoking is the second most significant risk factor of death on earth (Ritchie & Roser, 2019, para. 6). The reasons for people smoking differ from each other. However, the results do not change much in the end.

The precautions or punishments do not prevent the use of cigarettes. Smoking makes the user to be addicted to it because of the chemicals inside of it. E-cigarettes are produced alternatively to smoking cigarettes to be able to avert smoking addiction. The use of e-cigarettes increases rapidly in the last decade. There are over 50 million users of e-cigarettes today, which was 7 million in 2011 and 41 million in 2018 (Jones, para 2). The critical point here is to see whether e-cigarettes are a better alternative than traditional cigarettes, or they are anything else that causes addiction for people. Electronic cigarettes are produced and marketed at the beginning of 2000s. They have found favour much enough in rich countries, and the use improves every year. E-cigarettes market is growing in the USA and Europe. Tobacco companies lose some of their consumers because they divert their choices to vaping instead of smoking. The promos to enrich e-cigarettes are sufficiently effective on this issue. However, the actual point is the differences in the effect on health, cost, and conservation. We are going to explain three essential points and some other less conspicuous points that separate e-cigarettes from traditional cigarettes and also the reasons why vapouring is a better alternative than smoking.

Electronic cigarettes also make use of electronic nicotine delivery systems. That is, the main chemical of smoking is still there. They often look like regular cigarettes but in an actual cigarette form. In this direction, electronic cigarettes have three parts, which are a cartridge, a heating device, and a battery (Cotti et al., 2018). A liquid solution is applied to the device. However, they are not so innocent as they may include chemical substances such as CBF and THC, nicotine, and additives, along with many other chemical substances (Cox, 2020). In this sense, one can highlight that people can still consume the addictive chemical substances with electronic cigarettes. However, it is obvious that electronic cigarettes contain much fewer chemicals than actual traditional cigarette smoking.

Therefore, the first point of this article is to highlight that although electronic cigarettes may still contain certain addictive chemicals, traditional cigarettes result in much more chemical substances which have drastic consequences for the human body in the long run. More specifically, electronic cigarettes may still include many hazardous chemicals—depending on liquid preference. These chemicals are propylene glycol, nicotine, acrolein, carcinogens, diacetyl, heavy metals such as lead, tin, and nickel, benzene, and diethylene glycol (What’s in an E-Cigarette, 2020). Nevertheless, the level of chemicals in traditional smoking is way higher and lead to even more serious health concerns. Traditional tobacco consume leads to exposure to serious chemicals, including but not limited to arsenic, benzene, carbon monoxide, nicotine, TSNAs, and PAHs (Harmful Chemicals in Tobacco Products, 2020). In other words, one can readily highlight that traditional cigarette smoking result in excessive exposure to dangerous chemicals such as carbon monoxide and benzene, which are considered extremely bad for our lungs. In this direction, consuming electronic cigarettes rather than traditional cigarettes seems more innocent when compared in terms of the chemicals they include. Also, electronic cigarette users can choose their liquid and decide which chemical to consume. However, traditional smokers do not have this chance.

For decades, smoking in public has not been banned. Individuals could smoke cigarettes in planes, public places, schools, and even buses in some countries. This stemmed from the fact that people were not aware of the cancer risks due to smoking and smoke. However, today’s approach is way different. Authorities, non-governmental organizations, and many individuals are against smoking in public. Smoking in public places can create bad smells. Similarly, when someone smokes in his flat or room, the clothes can soak the cigarette smoke, and one may need to wash clothes unnecessarily.

Now that the hazards of cigarette smoking are clear, this habit may also affect the relatives of the smoker as their health may as well be affected by passive smoking; constant exposure to cigarette smoke. In this direction, one can readily claim that electronic cigarettes are not as harmful as traditional cigarettes to the environment. Traditional cigarettes have their unsatisfying smells due to the chemicals they contain as a result of burning such as carbon monoxide and even benzene. On the other hand, electronic cigarettes have a different system. They make use of the liquid with electronic battery, and the smoke they produce does not smell bad. On the contrary, the consumer can choose aromatic smells to get rid of the bad traditional cigarette smell. In this direction, the second argument of this article is to highlight the fact that electronic cigarettes are better alternatives than traditional cigarette smoking because they do not smell as bad as traditional ones as they do not contain chemicals such as carbon monoxide and benzene.

The level of addiction to traditional cigarette smoking is not negligible. Many research on addiction has highlighted the drastic truth. However, electronic cigarettes “may help adults who smoke traditional cigarettes quit or reduce their smoking habits” (The Health Risks of e-Cigarettes vs Traditional Cigarettes, 2020, para. 8). According to Dr Tatem, there are two critical steps of smoking which are the habit and nicotine addiction, and she believes that turning a step to electronic cigarettes is always a worthy step for smokers (The Health Risks of e-Cigarettes vs Traditional Cigarettes, 2020). In this sense, one can highlight that the level of addiction to smoking is less than traditional cigarette smoking when it comes to vaporizers or electronic cigarettes. The third argument of the article is that although both include chemicals and nicotine, many doctors claim that they suggest electronic cigarettes to their patients who are willing to quit smoking. In other words, electronic cigarettes are way more advantageous because they are considered a previous step before quitting smoking.

Although the article highlights the advantages of electronic cigarettes when compared to traditional tobacco smoking, one cannot neglect the fact that they still contain hazardous chemicals and are harmful to the human body. In this direction, many research have been conducted and found that “most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and studies show that it is an addictive substance. One study found that nicotine in e-cigarettes can damage heart cells, potentially causing heart disease” (E-Cigarettes: Are They Really a Safe Alternative, 2020, para. 5). Adolescents and young adults can be negatively affected by constant exposure to nicotine products. More drastically, it can even cause sudden infant death syndrome for pregnant women. In this sense, one can highlight the fact that electronic cigarettes still contain nicotine, and it is extremely dangerous for human health.

The counter-argument of this paper is to highlight that electronic cigarettes are still dangerous, although they contain fewer chemicals and have comparable advantages over traditional tobacco smoking. The way electronic cigarettes are marketed to youth is neither ethical nor regulatory. In December 2017, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report on e-cigarette use among youth (E-Cigarettes: Are They Really a Safe Alternative, 2020). According to the report: Young adults and children can use electronic cigarettes just because of the different fruit flavours they contain. The report shows that the flavours are the main reason that they are consumed among youth. Authorities should consider electronic smoking as a negative habit and take precautious actions as it becomes more and more popular among youth. Furthermore, possible poisoning due to liquids and secondhand emission effects are among the other concerns of electronic cigarettes. Also, electronic cigarettes are not a scientifically proven way of quitting smoking. However, they are widely suggested by doctors due to their comparably less dangerous nature.

Electronic Cigarettes Essay: Conclusion

As a consequence, this paper has analyzed whether electronic cigarettes are a better alternative than traditional cigarette smoking. Although electronic cigarettes may still contain certain addictive chemicals, traditional cigarettes result in much more chemical substances which have drastic consequences for the human body in the long run. Also, electronic cigarettes are better alternatives than traditional cigarette smoking because they do not smell as bad as traditional ones as they do not contain chemicals such as carbon monoxide and benzene. Furthermore, although both include chemicals and nicotine, many doctors claim that they suggest electronic cigarettes to their patients who are willing to quit smoking. In other words, electronic cigarettes are way more advantageous because they are considered a previous step before quitting smoking. After all, although both should not be suggested, electronic cigarettes are better alternatives in terms of the human body and health.

References

Cotti, C. D., Nesson, E., & Tefft, N. (2018). The relationship between cigarettes and electronic cigarettes: Evidence from household panel data. SSRN Electronic Journal.

Cox, S. (2020). Dual use of electronic cigarettes and cigarettes. Definitions.

E-cigarettes: Are they really a ‘Safe’ alternative to cigarettes? - UAB medicine news - UAB medicine. (2020). Welcome - UAB Medicine. https://uabmedicine.org/-/e-cigarettes-are-they-really-a-safe-alternative-to-cigarettes-

Harmful Chemicals in Tobacco Products. (2020). American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. https://cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/carcinogens-found-in-tobacco-products.html

The Best E-cigarette in Australia & Coupons | E-cig brands. (2020, June 11). E Cig Brands. https://e-cig-brands.com/e-cigarette/best-e-cigarette-in-australia/

The Health Risks of e-Cigarettes vs Traditional Cigarettes. (2020). Henry Ford Health System | Henry Ford Health System - Detroit, MI.

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2019). Smoking. Our World in Data.

What's in an E-cigarette? (2020, July 13). American Lung Association | American Lung Association.