- Review the following articles and answer the question below:
- Compare and contrast the health risks of vaping versus cigarette smoking. Provide support for your rationale.
- Be sure to respond to at least one of your classmates’ posts.
Is Vaping Better Than Smoking? A Comparison of Health Risks
The debate over whether vaping is better than smoking traditional cigarettes continues to be a central issue in public health discussions. Both practices involve the inhalation of substances into the lungs and carry associated health risks. However, the question of whether vaping is less harmful than cigarette smoking depends on the context, including frequency, substance used, and individual health conditions.
Traditional cigarettes contain over 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic and carcinogenic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Smoking is directly linked to several serious health problems, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and stroke. The combustion of tobacco leads to the release of tar and carbon monoxide, which significantly damage lung tissue and impair cardiovascular function (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020).
In contrast, e-cigarettes (or vapes) deliver nicotine through aerosol rather than smoke. This method eliminates many harmful byproducts of combustion. Research suggests that while vaping is not harmless, it exposes users to fewer toxic substances compared to conventional cigarettes (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2018). For example, studies show that levels of carcinogens and toxicants in the urine of vapers are significantly lower than those of smokers (Goniewicz et al., 2014). Therefore, from a harm-reduction perspective, vaping may be a better alternative for adult smokers trying to quit.
However, vaping still presents its own set of health risks. The aerosol from e-cigarettes contains ultrafine particles, heavy metals like lead, volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing agents (CDC, 2022). Additionally, nicotine itself is highly addictive and can impair adolescent brain development. The rise in teen vaping is alarming, and the long-term effects of prolonged e-cigarette use are not fully understood. Furthermore, cases of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) have highlighted the potential dangers of certain vape products, particularly those containing THC and vitamin E acetate (Layden et al., 2020).
In summary, while vaping may be less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes, it is not without risks. For current smokers, switching to vaping could potentially reduce harm, but it should not be viewed as a safe alternative—especially for non-smokers and adolescents. Public health efforts should focus on preventing initiation, promoting cessation, and educating the public on the relative risks of these products.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Smoking and tobacco use: Health effects. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm
Goniewicz, M. L., Knysak, J., Gawron, M., Kosmider, L., Sobczak, A., Kurek, J., … & Benowitz, N. (2014). Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes. Tobacco Control, 23(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050859
Layden, J. E., Ghinai, I., Pray, I., Kimball, A., Layer, M., Tenforde, M., … & Meiman, J. (2020). Pulmonary illness related to e-cigarette use in Illinois and Wisconsin—preliminary report. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(10), 903–916. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1911614
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Public health consequences of e-cigarettes. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24952
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Smoking cessation: A report of the Surgeon General. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-cessation-sgr-full-report.pdf