How It Works - UK (2020-05)

036 HowIt Works http://www.howitworksdaily.com

Is vapingtheanswertoquittingsmoking,ordoesit

causemoreproblemsthanit solves?

Createdasa waytohelppreventthedevastating

effectsofsmoking,overthepastfewyears

vapinghasbeenfoundtobethecauseofitsown

setofillnesses.

Quittingsmoking,alongwithanyaddiction,

canbeincrediblychallengingduetothebody’s

dependenceonthechemicalcompound

nicotine.Replacementproductssuchasnicotine

patches,lozengesandgumofferanalternative

waytogeta nicotinefixw ithoutinhalingthe

thousandsofchemicalsthatcomewitheachlit

cigarette.However,wheretheseproductshave

fallenshortistheirlackofabilit ytoaddressthe

behaviouralaspectofsmoking.

Introducingtheelectroniccigarette,or‘vape’:

promisingthesamedopaminerushgainedfrom

a tobacco cigarette and mimicking the oral habit

of smoking, e-cigarettes have quickly become

the digital answer for treating addiction... but at

what cost?

Thebillowingcloudsoffalsesmokethatpour

fromthemouthsofvapesmokersarea resultof

liquidvaporisationoratomisation.While

inhalingthrougha mouthpieceofane-cigarette,

a dropofnicotine-richfluid,commonlycalled

‘e-liquid’,isheatedandquicklyconvertedintoa

vapour.Thevapour

carriesallthenicotinea

smokercraves,delivering

it inthesamewayas

cigarettesmokewhenit

entersthelungsand

diffusesintocauliflower-

likecavitiescalled

alveoli.Althoughthe

dangersofinhalingnicotineremain,another

collection of conditions have been brought to

light that are linked with vaping.

After increasing levels of unexplained

respiratory issues began to pile up in patients in

recentyears,medicalattention turned to vaping.

Overtime,anincreasingnumber of otherwise

healthyindiv idualswhovaped were being

rushedintohospitalwithsymptoms such as

shortnessofbreath,fever,coughs and chest

pain.Nowknownas‘e-cigarette or vaping

product use-associated

lung injury’ (EVALI), it’s

believed that damage to

thelungs as a result of

vaping points to a THC (a

cannabinoid from the

marijuana plant)

additive. However,

research into the cause of

EVALIisstillinitsinfanc y,with much more

research needed to fully understand the

condition. As of 18 Februar y 2020, the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 68

deaths in patients with EVALI.

“E-cigarettes have

quickly become the

digital answer for

treating addiction... but

at what cost?”

VAPING

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