What is better: regular cigarettes or electronic ones? The health risks of electronic cigarettes and the consequences of their use

Smoking is a bad habit that more than half of the people in our country have. Most people know the harm nicotine can cause to the body. That is why they try to smoke electronic cigarettes, which in their opinion are less harmful. But is this really so, we will figure it out further.

Comparison of the chemical composition of smoke and steam

Tobacco contains a large number of chemical compounds that negatively affect human health. Conventional cigarettes contain nicotine, which disrupts the normal functioning of various organs and systems. They also consist of:

Glue.
Butane, methane and carbon monoxide.
Methanol.
Dyes.
Ammonium.
Hexamine.
Cadmium.
Arsenic.

Tobacco products consist of quite dangerous resins - phenols, pyrene, nitrosamines, naphthalene, acetaldehyde, etc. When exposed to them, malfunctioning of the cardiovascular system, the appearance of lung diseases, and cancerous tumors are observed. People experience hoarseness of voice and darkening of teeth. Smokers' skin ages excessively quickly.

Electronic cigarettes contain purified nicotine, which negatively affects the human body. But in conventional tobacco products this component is much more harmful. If you evaluate the dosage of nicotine in an electronic version of a cigarette, it is much less than in a regular tobacco product.

Vapes consist not only of nicotine, but also of water, propylene glycol, glycerin, and flavoring additives. Distilled water is absolutely safe. Propylene glycol is a useful element that is often used in the pharmaceutical industry. It is used to treat drug addiction. All of the above components are not fully contained in all electronic cigarettes.

The degree of harm from an electronic cigarette is minimal. This is due to the preliminary purification of nicotine. But when smoking, a small amount of carcinogens enters the body. There are also nicotine-free versions of electronic cigarettes, which are as safe as possible. According to scientific research, it was found that e-cigarettes are safe.

The harm of electronic cigarettes compared to regular ones is minimal. That is why smokers are recommended to give preference only to this option.

Danger and harm

Conventional cigarettes contain large amounts of nicotine, which affects the human body on several levels. This is why heavy smokers experience quite dangerous problems.

With constant smoking of ordinary cigarettes, there is an increase in the risk of developing cancer.
Most often people experience problems with the lungs and respiratory tract. Smokers are diagnosed with a variety of respiratory diseases.
A regular cigarette has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.
The condition of the skin and teeth deteriorates significantly. Patients complain that they have difficulty breathing.

In most cases, with constant smoking of conventional cigarettes, irreversible changes are observed. This is why people are looking for alternative options, one of which is the electronic cigarette. This is a special device that can hover. The smoker inhales not smoke, but steam. Today it is quite difficult to talk about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, since they have not been sufficiently researched.

ATTENTION! Most smoking liquids contain a minimal amount of harmful substances. That is why smoking them causes minimal harm to health.

But, electronic cigarettes can become addictive. In most cases this happens on a psychological level. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which belongs to the category of narcotic substances. That is why addiction is observed after the first few puffs.

If we evaluate the harm of regular and electronic cigarettes, then it is better to smoke the second option, which is explained by their maximum safety.

The harm of electronic cigarettes

A large number of scientists believe that the difference between a regular and an electronic cigarette is huge. This is due to the minimal amount of carcinogens in electronics.

In this case, it is recommended to give preference to nicotine-free vapes.
Electronic cigarettes do not have a negative effect on appearance person.
When smoking them, there is no yellowing of the skin, darkening of the teeth, etc.
Since these devices have a natural temperature, the possibility of burns on the mucous membranes is eliminated.

A large number of people who are struggling with an addiction are switching to electronic cigarettes, which contain minimal amounts of nicotine. But such a cessation of smoking raises certain doubts. On the one hand, such a replacement is competent. With the help of an electronic cigarette, you can get rid of psychological dependence on a regular tobacco product, which is explained by the identity of the process. In addition, electronic options cause minimal harm to human health.

On the other hand, after switching to vaping, a person relaxes and begins to vape excessively often. In this case, electronic options will be harmful to health. Some people use overly strong liquids for refills. This leads to an overdose of nicotine. During this period, smokers complain of nausea and weakness. An overdose may be accompanied by dizziness. Some patients experience hypersalivation. A fairly common side effect is headache. Excessive amounts of nicotine can lead to diarrhea.

IMPORTANT! Passive smoking is quite dangerous for humans. Vaping is not prohibited in most public places. But this should not be done, since the safety of passive inhalation of steam has not been discovered to date.

In this case, the advantage is the pleasant smell of the electronic cigarette, which does not have an irritating effect on others.

Most experts believe that e-cigarettes have minimal negative effects on human health. But, this only applies to those cases when a person uses high-quality products. During the period of using low-quality liquid, the harm can be colossal.

The harm of regular cigarettes

In the modern world, a huge amount of research has been carried out on ordinary cigarettes, which have a fairly aggressive chemical composition. That is why they negatively affect human health. Cigarettes contain tars that can settle in your lungs. Arsenic is a rather harmful chemical element, which negatively affects the cardiovascular system. It affects the development of malignant tumors.

Cigarettes contain benzene, which is a toxic chemical compound. It is of organic origin. When influenced by this component, the patient may be diagnosed with leukemia. Tobacco products consist of polonium, which is a radioactive trace element. Harmful substances that are part of cigarettes, after entering the body, are carried by the circulatory system. That is why they provoke pathological processes in various organs and systems.

Frequent smoking can lead to the development of diseases of the oral cavity - periodontitis, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, and cancer of the mucous membrane. With frequent smoking, disorders in the musculoskeletal system can be diagnosed. If a patient has an addiction, this will negatively affect the cardiovascular system. Smoking worsens or develops:

Bronchial asthma.
Tuberculosis.
Bronchitis.
Obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.

Smoking negatively affects the functioning of the digestive tract. Patients may also suffer from eye and obstructive system damage. The harm caused by tobacco products in autumn is great, as they affect almost all organs.

The harm of an electronic cigarette is much less than that of a regular cigarette. This is due to the special composition of the liquid. But, smoking should be carried out in limited quantities, otherwise vaping can also negatively affect human health.

In educational, medical, sports, cultural institutions and on their territories. Smoking will also be prohibited in common areas of residential buildings, in entrances, stairwells, playgrounds and equipped beaches. Smokers will have to move 15 meters away from the entrance to railway stations, bus stations, airports, sea and river ports, and metro stations.

A close alternative to regular cigarettes, which do not smell and cause less discomfort to others, but they too will be banned in Russia. Electronic cigarettes, Canada, Brazil, Australia, some European countries and Turkey.

Electronic cigarettes were developed in 2003 and have become quite popular. At first, manufacturers positioned them as cigarettes for smoking in places where smoking is prohibited, later as an effective way to quit smoking, and then as a less harmful way of smoking.

How does an electronic cigarette work?

In fact, despite numerous clinical studies, there is no consensus on the health effects of e-cigarettes. On the one hand, the use of these cigarettes is associated with adverse health consequences, especially in children. Depending on the nicotine content of the cartridges, e-cigarettes can even cause nicotine addiction in those who were not previously smokers.

It turns out that e-cigarettes themselves are not safe and have not been sufficiently studied, but they are safer than regular cigarettes: they cause less harm to others and produce fewer toxic components of tobacco smoke.

Despite a complete ban on their sale since 2014, e-cigarettes can be smoked, like regular cigarettes, in specially designated areas.

Electronic cigarettes are a fashionable trend on the path to a healthy lifestyle. Many smokers are switching to this electronic device, which supposedly does not cause harm to health. But is this really so?

The first electronic cigarettes were released more than 10 years ago in Hong Kong. At first, marketers positioned them as a device for smoking in public places, then as one of the effective ways to say goodbye to smoking forever. Today they are considered the least harmful way of smoking and are actively used by people who want to get rid of this addiction.

The device completely simulates the smoking process. Usually in the package, in addition to the device itself, you can find a cartridge and a charger. The device contains a tiny steam generator, and its mechanism starts working as soon as you take a puff.

Of course, the vapor in this contraption contains a dose of nicotine. The device is equipped with LEDs, which makes it look as close as possible to a regular cigarette, when smoking it, you can observe the smoldering of tobacco.

The taste, as well as the strength, depend on the installed filter. The filters are easy to detach from the housing. One filter usually replaces 15-50 regular cigarettes.

What is more harmful - an electronic cigarette or a regular one?

The steam from an electronic device contains practically no harmful substances. For example, it will never cause cancer, because it does not contain carcinogens. The smoke of a regular cigarette contains more than four thousand substances unsafe for health, including those that cause cancer.

However, you should not assume that the device is absolutely harmless, because it still contains nicotine - the cause of many diseases. Nicotine is a direct threat to your health.

Of course, for an experienced smoker this device has a lot of advantages. A heavy smoker will be pleased with the following positive aspects of using an electronic cigarette:

There will be no tobacco smell or smoke;
There will be no yellowing of teeth;
Shortness of breath will disappear;
Taste sensations will return.

Expert opinion: which cigarette is more harmful?

Unfortunately, the idea that e-cigarettes are not as harmful as regular cigarettes may not be true. Thus, German experts believe that the device has an extremely destructive effect on human health. Why, in their opinion, can an electronic cigarette be more harmful than a regular one?

The device is based on an evaporator that contains propylene glycol. Propylene glycol causes systemic irritation of the respiratory tract. It was also found that the steam from the device can block the airways, thereby causing a person to experience breathing problems.

Moreover, in 2009, American experts discovered carcinogens and other potentially dangerous substances in cartridges, the contents of which the manufacturers were silent about.

Studies show that the nicotine content of the device often exceeds the amount stated by the manufacturer, which calls into question the integrity of their manufacturers.

Buyers must be absolutely sure that they are receiving a product with guaranteed characteristics.

Which cigarettes are more harmful to others - electronic or regular?

The most active position in the fight against smoking has been taken by passive smokers - people who suffer from the tobacco smoke around them. And for good reason! After all, the most harmful and unsafe substances are contained in the smoke exhaled by a smoker.

All dangerous substances in the smoke from a regular cigarette are products of combustion and it is logical to assume that since combustion does not occur in an electronic device, it is completely safe for others. However, this is not entirely true.

Firstly, instead of smoke there is steam, and it is known to also contain harmful substances. For example, the same nicotine, or propylene glycol. The harm of nicotine and propylene glycol has been scientifically proven and does not require confirmation.

Moreover, manufacturers often keep silent about the true composition of their product, and in fact we get steam saturated with other harmful impurities.

Secondly, steam can create addiction among passive smokers. Indeed, unlike regular cigarette smoke, the vapor contains an increased dose of nicotine. Receiving a similar dose, a passive smoker has a high probability of becoming addicted to nicotine.

The result is simple: instead of preserving the health of those around us, we get more and more people addicted to smoking.

Pregnancy and electronic cigarettes

Now let's find out whether electronic cigarettes are more harmful for pregnant women than regular ones. We can immediately say for sure that they are in no way inferior to ordinary ones in terms of harm to pregnant girls.

When using a device during pregnancy, nicotine accumulates in the tissues of the fetus, which can lead to damage to the organs of the unborn baby at an early stage of pregnancy.

The mother will also be uncomfortable when using electronic cigarettes, since her already imperfect condition will be complicated by dizziness, nausea, weakness and more severe toxicosis.

When using an electronic device during pregnancy, the following may happen:

Miscarriage;
Early labor or spontaneous abortion may occur;
The fetus may develop oxygen deficiency.

Yes, it is possible that smoking electronic cigarettes during pregnancy is less harmful than regular cigarettes, however, the expectant mother runs a very high risk of increasing the percentage of harmful substances in the fetus’s body to an unacceptable amount, which can lead to undesirable consequences.

Which is better?

The e-cigarette has been patented to help people quit smoking and is naturally less harmful than a regular cigarette. The device is beneficial for the following reasons:

Let's sum it up

An electronic device is an excellent alternative to regular smoking, especially for heavy smokers. Experienced smokers will appreciate the ease of use of the device, save money, and will also be able to avoid causing great harm to their health.

However, the device can cause harm to the body, as well as become a bad habit.

It causes less harm than regular smoke, but it should not be smoked by pregnant women or people under the age of majority. In addition, the use of electronic devices is contraindicated for those who have serious health problems.

E-cigarettes can harm not only you, but also those around you, so try to avoid smoking in public places.

From the following video you can find out whether electronic cigarettes are harmful to health.

If you believe the statistics, then in Russia 12% of women and 58% of men are smokers. 79% of all smokers are people who have completely replaced regular cigarettes with electronic ones and, despite everything else, note a significant improvement in their well-being.

Electronic cigarettes were invented back in 2004. Recently they have been gaining immense popularity. But perhaps they are not as harmless as they seem at first glance. It is worth considering the effects of electronic cigarettes, comparing them with regular ones and figuring out which ones are better and safer.

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Electronic cigarette device

Electronic cigarettes operate on a battery. Replaceable cartridges (evaporators) that contain nicotine are inserted into the cigarette. Current from the battery is supplied to the heating element in the evaporator. The heating element, in turn, heats the charged liquid, and it is converted into steam. The liquid varies in taste (mint, tobacco, apple, grape, coffee), technical features and strength. The liquid contains:

propylene glycol;
glycerol;
flavorings;
distilled water;
nicotine;
dyes.

Propylene glycol (food additive E1520)

It is used as a preservative to add crunch to products and protect them from moisture. It is added, for example, to cookies and waffles. It is considered non-toxic and safe in food and medical applications.

Propylene glycol becomes harmful when its amount in the blood reaches about 12 ml.

This concentration cannot be achieved with regular e-cigarette smoking. The average smoker inhales 2 - 5 ml of pylene glycol per day. The only thing that is dangerous about this substance is that it causes burns to the mucous membrane.

Distilled water

This is purified water, practically free of any impurities. It is used in chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories and is also an essential component in car batteries.

Glycerol

This substance is used in many industries (including medical and food), used in the production of tobacco and paint and varnish products and household chemicals, in cosmetology and even in radio engineering. Glycerin itself is harmless, but its high concentration leads to drying out of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and, as a result, to cough and sore throat. This is due to the hygroscopicity of glycerin (the ability to absorb moisture well).

Flavors and dyes

It is flavoring agents that give flavor and aroma to vaping liquids. The choice of flavors is very wide: tobacco, fruit, chocolate and much more. They can be both natural and identical to natural. Both are considered harmless to humans, and are known to be widely used in the food industry as flavoring and other additives.

Nicotine

Dangerous substance. Nicotine causes persistent psychological and emotional dependence and has a detrimental effect on all organs and systems. Nicotine has been proven to be highly carcinogenic. Observations show that it is precisely because of the intake of nicotine in the body that people who smoke often suffer from bladder cancer.

Nicotine contributes to the development of various heart diseases - atherosclerosis, ischemia, angina, and subsequently heart attack. Blood vessels, the brain (experiences ischemia), the reproductive system and much more also suffer.

Operating principle

The electronic cigarette consists of the following parts:

1. Battery (or power source) .
2. Electric evaporator.
3. Liquid cartridge
4. LED that simulates the combustion of a real cigarette (not available in all devices).

The action is based on the evaporation of liquid. That is why, when talking about electronic cigarettes, they use the word “vape”.

The liquid that is in the cartridge is heated by the activation of a steam generator, which starts when inhaled (i.e., puffed). All this is powered by a battery that can be recharged from the mains.

The liquid turns into finely dispersed vapor-aerosol. This vapor has an exact external resemblance to the smoke from regular cigarettes.

Types of electronic cigarettes

There is a classification by size:

tube;
mini;
supermini;
penstyle;
cigar.

Cartridges have various specific technical features. There are:

cartomizers (the evaporator and the housing are made as one whole);
regular cartridges;
tankomizer (with additional capacity);
clearomizers (the most common type. Characterized by the combination of a vapor-generating part and a liquid reservoir).

One of the most important classifications is strength, the so-called “nicotine variety”. There are nicotine-free and super-strong ones.

The difference between an electronic cigarette and a regular one

The main difference between an electronic cigarette and a regular one is the absence of combustion products, such as:

benzopyrene;
ammonium;
nitrosamines;
aromatic amines;
acetaldehyde;
carbon monoxide;
complex phenols;
naphthols;
acetone;
mothballs;
cyanogen;
isoprenes;
nitrosodimethylamine;
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

It should be noted that there are fewer toxic components, there is no plaque on the teeth and the smell of cigarettes. But you shouldn’t rush to conclusions that vaping is less harmful.

At the moment, in Russia there are no specific bodies that control the addition of flavorings and their quality. Liquid from cartridges may contain dangerous amounts of carcinogenic harmful substances!

Nicotine is contained in the same way as in regular cigarettes, as mentioned earlier. But based on the research results, scientists concluded that even if a person smokes nicotine-free electronic cigarettes, there is still a negative impact. When heated, the liquid from the cartridge decomposes, subsequently forming two harmful substances - acleroin and formaldehyde, a very dangerous poison. 60-90 ml is a lethal dose for humans. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, especially affecting the central nervous system and sexual function.

Fine vapor constantly settles in the alveoli of the lungs. This provokes inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs.

The effect of electronic and regular cigarettes on the human body:

Electronic cigarette	Regular cigarette
When a liquid is heated too much, toxic carcinogens formaldehyde and acleorin are formed.	Regular cigarettes contain more than 4,000 substances that are toxic to the body.
When smoking, the mixture produces fine vapor	More than 70 toxic carcinogens a person inhales with smoke
“Vaping” does not leave a yellow plaque on the teeth after smoking	Smoking is accompanied by plaque, which has a destructive effect on tooth enamel.
After vaping, a person does not smell of tobacco at all, the smell does not remain on the body or clothes	Smokers usually have an unpleasant smell of tobacco smoke from their breath for some time, and there is also an odor from their clothes and hands
The effect of passive smoking has not been proven	Smoking affects both the smoker himself and the people around him.
When vaping, the temperature of the vapor that penetrates the alveoli of the lungs reaches about +50⁰ C	Tobacco burns at a temperature of about +1,100⁰ C, and smoke heated to +300⁰ C enters the alveoli of the lungs

Vaping and pregnancy

Numerous tests show that e-cigarettes are harmful to health. It is undesirable for pregnant women to even be near a person who smokes any cigarettes. Nicotine has an extremely negative effect on the development of the fetus, toxins cause ischemia, and the child does not receive enough oxygen. As a result - developmental delays, various diseases and pathologies.

A huge number of people smoke. And it is not so important what kind of cigarettes they are - electronic or real. It has already been proven that the harm from vaping is not much less than from smoking tobacco, and maybe even an electronic cigarette is more harmful, as research is still ongoing.

Smoking among young people is a global problem because... It’s rare that a schoolchild doesn’t let out a ring of exhaled vapor. The question of what is more harmful, an electronic cigarette or a regular one, concerns everyone who has a smoker in their family.

Proven harm from classic cigarettes

Smoking has a detrimental effect on the smoker’s body and his environment. Doctors have long ago found out that being near a person smoking a cigarette has a very bad effect on their health, especially children.

What negative consequences does this bad habit cause?

Nicotine addiction. Conventional products differ from electronic cigarettes in that classics always contain nicotine to one degree or another. Nicotine is classified as a drug that causes the desire to smoke approximately every half hour to an hour. It is possible to get rid of nicotine simply by giving up cigarettes; the drug is completely eliminated from the body within 20 days; the psychological craving for smoking disappears after 2 months from the moment of the last cigarette.
Resin deposition. Cigarette products contain a very harmful component - tar. If it is possible to choose cigarettes with a reduced nicotine content, then the tars in tobacco products always have a fairly large volume. When smoking, the component is deposited on the mucous membranes of the larynx and in the lungs. It is under the influence of resin elements that cancerous tumors and acute diseases of the respiratory system develop.
Exposure to toxic elements in cigarette smoke. A smoker risks his health by inhaling smoke, tar, and nicotine. People around you are at risk simply by being near a lit cigarette.
It has been proven that in families of smokers, children are more likely to develop asthma, bronchitis, and poorer health compared to their peers.

Even if you smoke on the street, the smoke does not lose its concentration at a distance of several meters and a random passer-by can inhale the poison without even knowing it.

Harm from vaping

Vaping, vaping, wiping, vaping - all this is the name of a social phenomenon that is increasingly replacing smoking classic cigarettes.

The development of the first electronic cigarette in 2003 in China convinced the government and medical institutions that the product and process were harmless. But after almost 15 years, scientists, pharmacists, and doctors more carefully studied the composition, the effects of the process, observed those who were addicted to blowing clouds of steam, and came to the conclusion that there is nothing good in this invention.

A simple electronic cigarette also causes significant harm to human health.

Differences between electronic and conventional cigarettes

The differences between electronic cigarettes and regular cigarettes can be easily presented in tabular form.

Regular cigarette	Electronic cigarette
Necessary presence of nicotine.	There are nicotine-free liquids for electronic devices.
	There are no resins, unlike regular ones, but there is propylene glycol.
Poisonous smoke for others.	The influence of steam on nearby people has not been studied.
Legislative restrictions on sales based on age.	Sales are carried out without restrictions.
Counterfeits, addition of foreign impurities.	Possible fakes.
Forces frequent purchases.	High price for the product.
Causes severe illness.	Causes acute diseases, including cancer.

If we consider the questions of what is better to smoke, what is more dangerous, an electronic cigarette or a regular one, you need to clarify the points in the table and the effect of some components of electronic devices on the human body.

Nicotine-free cartridges - they really exist, but they are in less demand than regular ones, with a certain drug content.

Propylene glycol is, of course, not the tar from a regular cigarette, but it can cause allergies, itching, cough, and sore throat.

Selling without obstacles due to a young age endangers, first of all, schoolchildren and develops in them a sense of impunity and disrespect for adults.

The cost of the product is quite high. Although there is evidence that a refilled cartridge lasts much longer than a regular cigarette, if you smoke without interruption, the difference in use time is reduced significantly.

Also, high cost does not mean quality; cases of counterfeit detection are not uncommon in the smoking products market.

The development of serious diseases is associated with:

influence of a complex of components;
incorrectly chosen dosage;
intolerance to the elements;
the presence of chronic diseases before starting smoking;
the influence of wipe devices on the body has not been fully studied.

The majority’s conclusion that electronic cigarettes are more harmful than regular ones, no matter what cartridges they come with, is justified and is more of a precautionary nature.

Why do people quit smoking regular cigarettes and go for a wipe? The hope that a gradual decrease in nicotine content or its complete absence will free you from addiction is unjustified; usually such smokers do not let go of the electronic cigarette, because. cannot get enough of the drug and, as a result, use their usual means again. And when figuring out which cigarettes are more harmful, electronic or regular, you need to know for sure - any smoking is harmful to health.