Electronic nicotine delivery systems cause the same harm to the human body as other tobacco products. Plus, polyhydric alcohol solvents kill cell membranes. All this can lead to severe illnesses. If the main harmful effect of conventional cigarettes comes from tar and combustion products, here it comes from solvents (Dinardo & Rome, 2019; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/NIH), 2018). It is severe harm to health, so creeping because not only the membranes and cells of the lungs are dissolved, but also the brain and heart.
In 2019, the discussion about the negative impact of vaping on health intensified in the United States. In August of that year, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported what was believed to be the first death in the country due to a severe respiratory illness dubbed EVALI. This acronym stands for lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping products. By the end of the year, doctors were already talking about almost forty dead (Irusa et al., 2020). In total, the country’s authorities have identified several thousand cases of such diseases. The age of the dead varies from 17 to 75 years.
Consequently, e-cigarettes must be subject to laws governing the sale and distribution of traditional tobacco products. Making them available to young people is dangerous for the reasons mentioned above. The absence of tar and an unpleasant odor is the only external differences between a regular cigarette and a vape, while in reality, all the harm is contained within the composition of the products themselves and the inhaled vapor (Kennedy et al., 2022). Sales should also be restricted in some cases to persons over the age of 18. As smoking can affect the lungs and some other chronic diseases, the damage to health is already proven and evident. At the legislative level, it is recommended that people be able to buy a vape only if, after a medical examination, the doctor concludes based on which the risks of illness from vaping will be reduced. According to the certificates, electronic cigarettes will be sold, reducing their consumption.
References
Dinardo, P., & Rome, E. S. (2019). Vaping: The new wave of nicotine addiction. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 86(12), 789-798. Web.
Irusa, K. F., Vence, B., & Donovan, T. (2020). Potential oral health effects of e‐cigarettes and vaping: A review and case reports. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 32(3), 260-264. Web.
Kennedy, V. Jendian, M. A. & Norwood, R. (2022). Think Critical Thinking About Social Problems. Kendall Hunt Publishing.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/NIH). (2018). Why Teens are Attracted to Vaping [Video]. YouTube. Web.