The main reason people get hooked on smoking or vaping is nicotine.
- Nicotine is a highly addictive drug found in tobacco and in many vapes.
- Nicotine is addictive because it acts on the brain’s reward system. It triggers a “feel-good” chemical called dopamine to be released in your brain. In the short term, nicotine can make you feel energized, focused, and relaxed. Over time, your brain gets used to receiving nicotine regularly and you may need to use more of it to get the same effect. When you stop using nicotine, it’s normal to feel irritable, have cravings and/or anxiety. These withdrawal symptoms can make you want to smoke or vape again.
- Receiving a hit of nicotine also becomes associated with certain daily activities (such as socializing with friends or relaxing), reinforcing the cycle of addiction.
- Nicotine addiction can make you feel like you always need to smoke or vape, making it difficult to quit.
Effects on Mental Health
Research suggests that long-term nicotine use can worsen mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Quitting can improve mental health in the long run, with studies showing that within 6-12 months of living nicotine-free, mood and anxiety levels tend to improve significantly.
Smoking
There is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke. When you directly or indirectly inhale cigarette smoke, you are taking more than 7,000 chemicals into your body. At least 250 of those chemicals are toxic to humans and at least 70 of them are known to cause cancer.
Your blood then carries the toxicants to every organ in the body, causing the lungs, blood vessels, and other delicate tissues to become inflamed and damaged.
Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, and cancer. It is also linked to increased risk of premature aging, a weakened immune system, macular degeneration, cataracts, vision loss, osteoporosis, bone fractures, and reproductive health issues.
Vape
Vaping might seem like a safer option than smoking, but it can still harm you. Here’s why:
Nicotine Addiction
Electronic cigs/vapes deliver highly addictive nicotine through aerosol quickly to your brain. Trace amounts of nicotine have even been found in e-liquids labeled as nicotine free. Exposure to nicotine can create dependence, making it difficult to stop using vapes. Nicotine can be detected in indoor spaces and on surfaces where someone has smoked or vaped, as well as in the urine/blood of people who do not smoke or vape after exposure. Try to smoke or vape outdoors only and avoid using around others, especially children.
Toxic Chemicals
E-cigarette aerosol contains harmful chemicals (such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) that are harmful to your lungs and can increase risk of cancer. This can irritate your lungs, causing coughing, wheezing, or even shortness of breath. In fact, thousands of chemicals have been found in vape aerosol including industrial chemicals and caffeine.
Heart Strain
Nicotine makes your heart race and your blood pressure go up. Over time, this can wear on your heart and increase the risk of heart disease, strokes, and other serious health problems.
Weakened Immune System
Vaping may reduce your ability to fight off infections.
Long Term Effects of Vaping
The long term effects of vaping are yet to be determined.
Vapes may contain high levels of nicotine. This can increase the risk of acute nicotine toxicity or nicotine poisoning which may happen when a person is exposed to very high levels of nicotine.
Symptoms include:
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- pale skin
- seizures
Risk of nicotine poisoning increases with longer vaping sessions, higher concentrations of e-juice, higher battery power, and absorption of highly concentrated e-juices spilled on the skin. Wash your hands immediately after handling e-juices and always keep e-juice out of reach of children. Seek medical attention immediately if you think you have nicotine poisoning.
Not ready to quit yet?
Some ways to reduce risks include:
- Do not use unlabelled products from unregulated sources if the ingredients can’t be confirmed, and don’t use old products that are past their expiry date.
- Keep heat low, as higher heat settings can lead to inhaling more harmful chemicals.
- Do not modify or reuse disposable vapes.
- Avoid frequent use or longer-term use of vapes to reduce health risks.
