Here is a bit more, from AddictionResource, about vaping. There are many other resources, and specific study information is available elsewhere. I just provided a little more about vaping because it has been used as an alternative to starting tobacco and as a bridge or step-down from tobacco to quitting. Anyone who is interested can search for the referenced page and website, I encourage people to search for any information that they want, need, are afraid that something they know needs, etc. I was not certain if I should post a link, so I copied and cited.
I and other people have additional questions that have not been addressed yet. But here is some information from one website. Keep in mind that no long longitudinal studies are possible yet because vaping is relatively new in the world.
-The Penn State College of Medicine conducted a study back in 2014 where researchers assessed the addictive nature of e-cigs. They used an online survey where they interviewed ex-smokers who are current vapers. The respondents reported that they smoked an average of 24 cigarettes daily and had 24 vape sessions on a regular basis.
The addiction is the same, but vaping was found to influence more psychological and behavioral changes. Few reported waking up at night for a nicotine fix while other e-cig users had to wait longer for their first vape of the day. Additionally, the majority of participants admit that they had fewer cravings for e-cigs compared to their former cravings for cigarettes. Most also felt less irritable compared to how they felt when they couldn’t smoke.
The difference in addiction was attributed to how e-cigs are used. When you smoke, you do it in one go and usually finish the entire cigarette, while vaping means that you take 2-3 puffs, wait for 15 minutes, and then have another puff.
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-Although vaping lacks cancer causing elements found in conventional smoking, studies now show that this practice could be harmful to one’s immune system. It’s been shown that vaping inhibits the function of 358 genes associated with infection-fighting in comparison to smoking, which only inhibits 53 genes. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California showed that 13% of high school students either vaped or smoked in 2014, while 9% smoked in 2014. This indicates that more people find vaping to be more attractive compared to cigarette smoking.
Additionally, reports in the Journal Addiction shows that vaping side effects are limited to mouth and throat irritation. 2% of the correspondents reported an increase in blood pressure.
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- Adverse Health Effects of Vaping
Inflamed lungs
Irregular heartbeats associated with high blood pressure
Fainting and dizziness
Reduced immunity
Another common concern among health officials and law enforcement is that more people are now using vaporizers to ingest synthetic drugs, flakka, and other marijuana-related compounds. Given the freedom of vaping in public places, people are taking advantage and using these drugs in open areas.
Vaping Withdrawals
When an individual begins to vape, they quickly become addicted to the nicotine, which makes it hard to quit. This is difficult especially if the devices have been altered for higher delivery of nicotine. Some of the withdrawal symptoms include depression, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, insomnia, and weight gain.
The safety of vaping has not been truly established, while some studies suggest that vaping may not have the same effects of smoking like respiratory effects or cardiovascular problems, it’s still unclear the exact effects associated with frequent vaping.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu