Spoiler Alert: Neither Is Good for You
By: Ethan Lin, age 14
Young people may turn to either smoking or vaping due to stress, peer pressure, what they see in social media, and more. However, all the reasons lead to the same effect of addiction and declining health. Smoking cigarettes and vaping are both bad, but which is worse?
Chemicals in Cigarettes
Nicotine
Nicotine is dangerous and is the chemical in cigarettes that makes it so addictive. It can cause increase flow of blood to the heart, increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and more. Nicotine also has a chance to cause a heart attack.
Tar
This chemical is produced by the burning of tobacco in cigarettes. When you inhale cigarette smoke, it goes into your body and sticks to your lungs. This tar causes lung cancer, emphysema, or other lung problems.
Carbon Monoxide
This poisonous gas starts to replace oxygen in your body. This chemical causes your heart to work abnormally faster and can cause your lungs to not function properly. It also blocks cells and tissues in your body from getting needed oxygen which can end in heart diseases and strokes.
Chemicals in Vaping
Diacetyl
This is added to vapes to increase the taste of the flavor. This can cause small scarring in branches of the airway and cause Popcorn Lung which is harmful as it causes a difficulty in breathing.
Formaldehyde
It causes irritations in the nose, eyes, and throat. Short term use can cause coughing and problems in the throat. Long term use of formaldehyde can cause death through problems in the throat as well as chemicals in the lung area.
Acrolein
Acrolein is not only in vapes but are also chemicals in herbicides. It can cause nausea, headaches, dizziness, and more. High exposure to this can cause unconsciousness and death. It can also irritate the lungs causing coughing and shortness of breath.
With three of the most harmful chemicals from both cigarettes and vapes shown and described with their dangers, many students and even adults do not know these dangers when they vape and smoke. Neither of them is good for you as with whichever one you choose you will have to undergo many harmful effects. Many students at my high school vape and smoke when none of them understand the real harm of what they are doing to their bodies, which clouds their vision on what they are doing to themselves.
If you are a teen or young adult who wants to quit, text DITCHVAPE to 88709.
Photo by Rushay Booysen