Is Vaping a Trap for Addiction?

Is Vaping Just Another Trap for Addiction?

is vaping addictive

Vaping has been one of the most beneficial modern trends especially for smokers. It became an avenue for those with severe addiction or nicotine dependency to effectively manage their urges, and in some cases, even became a vehicle for cessation. But is vaping really an effective alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes or is it a gateway for minors and non-smokers to get into smoking?

When you weigh in the pros and cons between vaping and smoking conventional tobacco cigarettes, you’ll find that vaporizers have far better benefits over smoking. Inhaling vapors have been proven to carry fewer, less substantial number of irritants and toxic compounds than conventional cigarettes. Furthermore, vaping does not kill as much as many beneficial active ingredients found on botanical plant matter as much as smoking does. It’s a promising platform for controlling your smoking habits, it’s also one of the recommended means of ingesting herbs that have medicinal and curative properties since it poses less risk to burning your flowers or loose-leaf. You get to enjoy the same sensation of inhaling and exhaling as you would from smoking without having to bear with the adverse effects of the byproducts of combusted plant matter. This begs the question whether or not vaping leading to smoking falls in the hands of the consumer and not the device itself?

To help us understand whether vaping is a pathway or an escape route to smoking, let’s look at its history.

What Were Vaporizers Made For?

Arguably one of the most famous recorded history of its conception was with Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist who invented the modern e-cigarette like JUUL. The reason behind his unwavering drive to invent the modern e-cigarette or vaporizer was due to the fact that his father died of lung cancer that was most probably acquired from smoking cigarettes.

Hon Lik wanted to create a device that allowed smokers to take their fix of nicotine without having to take serious damage from the hazards brought by cigarette smoke. We can safely assume that vaporizers were specifically intended for active smokers who are looking for a healthy alternative for a habit that they can’t easily give up. In fact, studies show that individuals who try to quit smoking show a higher success rate if they use nicotine aids like gums, patches, and of course, vaporizers. Actually, some of today’s more popular vaporizer brands have made the move to market their products using age appropriate advertisements to ensure that their products do not attract the wrong segment.

But why did vaporizers have earned a bad rep and even became associated as a gateway to more dangerous substances?

The Gateway Theory

Because vaporizers have established themselves as less harmful and less dangerous as smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes many have come to believe that more and more non-smokers may be tempted to try out vaporizers which will eventually lead to smoking.

This is a valid argument, however, those who are against the use of vaporizers milk this rationalization and use it as a political tool to achieve their personal objectives.

In the actual fact, after vaporizers reached mainstream status, the number of smoking amongst minors and non-smokers have decreased. This is probably due to the fact that the general public is now more informed than it was 5 or 10 years ago. It’s true that exposure to nicotine can often lead to dependency and the urge to look for a higher more potent dose, but that’s not what vaporizers are made for. Now that more and more source materials are made available for both the smoking and non-smoking communities to see, vaping is now starting to pave a way for smoking cessation instead of a said form of introduction.

There are other factors that significantly affect non-smoking minors and adults to get into smoking. Personal experiences as well as the influence of other forms of media make smoking look cool and gives someone a tough and intimidating vibe. Not to mention dealing with stress and using smoking as a means to manage tension and pressure. That’s why vaping cannot solely be held accountable for the number of individuals who are getting into smoking. Instead of looking at vaporizers as a gateway device, people are now seeing it as a stop sign or as a recourse to smoking.

Why Vaping Isn’t A Trap but Is An Escape Route to Smoking

The more beneficial and positive effects of vaping over smoking combats the gateway theory used by anti-vape activists which gives vaporizers a bad reputation. Here are some good examples.

Reduced Risks of Cancer

Because cigarette smoke carry loads of toxic substances, it’s not surprising at all to find that chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, and vinyl chloride, can be found in cigarettes. The said chemical compounds are known substances that can cause or precipitate the growth of cancer cells. Because vapor is cleaner than smoke it poses less dangers and reduced risks of cancer.

Lowered Risks of Lung Disease

When the tobacco in cigarettes are combusted, they produce smoke. Smoke from combusted plant matter can cause a myriad of risks but mostly target the main receiving organ, your lungs. Chemicals like carbon monoxide, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide, can be found in cigarette smoke and can cause lung diseases.

Decreased Risks of Heart Disease

Exposure to the chemicals found in cigarette smoke and constant smoking are known to have been a major cause of increased heart rate.

By using vaporizers instead of smoking cigarettes, individuals can find a safer alternative which leads them to appreciate and support vaping instead of leading them to the act of smoking.

Final Thoughts

At this day and age, information can easily be spread and obtained. It’s good for the most part but people with personal and political intentions can use them to bend the public’s perception. Vaping is intended for smokers in helping them reduce their dependency and eventually quit. Responsible use should always be practiced and the use of vaporizers should not at all be made accountable for the number of individuals who transitioned from vaping to smoking. For more related content, head on over to this website: https://smokefree.net/. You'll find awesome blogs, tips and guides to help you quit smoking.