Vaping Vs Tobacco

COVID 19, a primarily respiratory disease, has become the cause of a Pandemic. At this time, other sources of respiratory diseases like smoking or vaping increase the chances of
contracting the virus. However, the recent campaigns against e-cigarette seem to create a binary between smoking tobacco and vaping.

The worst fact about this circumstance is that while advocating against smoking, authorities have been peddling propaganda to make it seem like vaping is more hazardous than
smoking. Such a discussion has given rise to campaigns to strictly prohibit any use of e-cigarettes.

Health Hazard

Let’s first face the fact that both vaping and tobacco smoking have similar, if not the same, consequences on our lungs and other organs. Their hazardous nature is not suitable for the body, as smoking or vaping may lead to terminal diseases such as cancer.

If your question is to know which one of the two alternatives are safer to use, the answer is neither. You cannot replace a potentially injurious source with another. However, there can be some discussion to understand that which among the two is less harmful (only by a marginal difference).

Which is Less Harmful?

E-Cigarettes can be said to be less harmful than smoking as they do not contain tobacco, the primary substance that interferes with breathing. Now in the COVID 19 world, our primary goal is to ensure that respiratory problems are minimized. If we entirely stop vaping, the possibility of people shifting from vaping to tobacco increases.

The Forbes Editor-in-chief had pointed out that the British policymakers encourage smokers to shift from tobacco to nicotine-based e-cigarettes. That is not a healthy alternative but it proves that vaping is not more hazardous than tobacco. While vaping affects the brain’s consciousness and slows down the thinking ability, its long-term effects are less harmful than smoking. Smoking affects every possible body part, causing inflammation, blockage in arteries, lung problems, sexual, hormonal problems, etc.

Are Anti-Vaping Campaigns Doing any Good?

The answer is no. The policies that ban flavored vaping or prohibit any usage of vaping are only increasing the number of tobacco users in the country. Since vaping has increased, the number of tobacco users in America has decreased from 16% to 6%.

All researchers agree that vapes contain less toxic substances than an ordinary cigarette. As long as e-Cigarettes do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), they do not cause death. The harmful THC is present only in vaping products that illicit manufacturers produce and sell.

While we agree that vaping is not good for the heart, lungs, and brain, just like other addictive substances, it does not cause death. The claims that anti-vaping activists make are
hence incorrect.

Following the Right Way

While people need to quit smoking without resorting to an alternate source of addiction, our policymakers also have to understand the importance of fact-checking before passing policies.

If vaping and tobacco are pitched against each other, in no way do e-cigarettes cause more harm than tobacco. For smoking to be prohibited, authorities must incentivize prevention ways set up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They must not eliminate the only better (however, marginally) alternative to tobacco, as that would only further increase the number of tobacco users.