An Unbiased Overview on Vaping

The act of smoking has been one of the worst habit’s humans could possibly develop and throughout the years the perception of smoking has changed as well as the consumers. Since the public is divided up over the potential benefits or the harm of this popular device, I will cover both sides of the issue and try to establish a common ground to reach an agreement (Rogerian/Proposal). After all, vaping hasn’t been around long enough for us in order to see any long-term studies or long-term effects. So, let me begin with what is vaping and how does it work? In a vaping device, the mod heats up the liquid in a cartridge, turning the liquid into vapor which the smoker inhales, hence the term ‘Vapes’. Since there are not clear nor specific studies, statistics or reports in the world of vaping I will be jumping from one source to another with no patterns. There is no found study that settles all the questions, but hopefully, the information presented here has given you things to consider, and maybe it will further provoke your curiosity and encourage you to do additional research on your own.

While e-cigarettes and vaping may be less harmful than regular cigarettes, that does not mean that they are completely harmless. The article “‘Vaping’ Has Unproven Benefits and Potential Harm.” by David Lam, includes both sides of the question, the good and the bad, yet it tends to lean toward the opposing side. Since this article is structured as an academic text it makes it easier to navigate. The introduction begins with an argument of definition. Then, the methods which could fall under the argument of operational definition because the author's concern is the public’s health so clearly, any type of smoking intake in the body is bad for your health. Towards the end of the article, one can see the authors discussion of the subject. So, Lam decided if “electronic nicotine delivery devices are permitted, they should be regulated as medicines. If electronic nicotine delivery devices are not regulated as medicines, they should be regulated as tobacco products.” While this source includes some studies of individuals who do not intend to quit smoking, yet they can reduce their intake of cigarettes with electronic cigarettes. Other studies included in this article failed to show how “electronic cigarettes over nicotine replacement medicine or placebo for individuals trying to quit, potential benefits of electronic nicotine delivery devices, including harm reduction and as an aid to smoking cessation”, have not been well studied. The author ends by mentioning how the “addictive power of nicotine and its untoward effects should not be underestimated.” Lam defines what smoking can do to you by what it does or creates.

Although Electronic cigarettes/Vape can help some adults to quit smoking and help decrease deaths and disease caused by traditional cigarettes, vaping among the young generation is escalating quickly making them addicted to nicotine. In the article by Nancy Rigotti, “Balancing the Benefits and Harms of E-Cigarettes: A National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Report.” agrees that electronic cigarettes have been dramatically increased because of young adults. This is a logos carried the article, like most of my sources, are as well, it provides potential benefits for helping smokers quit or to move to a less harmful product. It also mentions the long-term health effects of these products and how the net public health effect associated with their use remains unclear and widely debated. Therefore, according to this source, there is an urgent need for the US Food and Drug Administration to regulate all tobacco products to avoid health consequences. This report is straight forward and strengthens the authors' argument confidently by using a neutral language not confrontational or dismissive. By using logos, Rigotti uses facts and evidence to convince the reader of the strength of her argument instead of appeal to emotion like the following articles.

In “Vaping: Are Its “Benefits” a Lot of Hot Air?” by Randy D. Danielsen writes a clinical review on the health risk and harms we know and possibly not know yet. Frankly, I have always thought that vaping was at least not as bad as smoking cigarettes and inhaling all that benzene, carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde. Yet in the article by Campagna, Davide, titled “Respiratory Infections and Pneumonia: Potential Benefits of Switching from Smoking to Vaping” This article mentions the benefit of switching from traditional smoking to regular vaping.

Its common knowledge that any type of tobacco or nicotine usage is likely to increase the risk of respiratory infections and pneumonia. The language is concise, formal, and expresses precisely what the author wants it to mean. It also critically addresses concerns arising from regular electronic cigarettes and vapes like the use in relation to lung health, including respiratory infections and pneumonia. The article describes the potential harm that comes from vapes and electronic cigarettes like the flavoring in vape juice. Food flavorings are safe to eat, but we don’t know if whether or not they are safe if they are inhaled. For example, “diacetyl is a compound commonly used in the food industry that gives food a buttery taste. However, chronic exposure to high levels of this flavoring substance in microwave popcorn workers has been shown to cause the development of bronchiolitis obliterans” (“popcorn lung”) .

Despite Vaping being a safer way to ingest nicotine, Vaping could also cause serious health risk we could not possibly know. In “Vaping to Lose Weight: Predictors of Adult E-Cigarette Use for Weight Loss or Control.” by Morean, Meghan E., and Amelia V. Wedel, this study evaluated whether a subset of adult e-cigarette users reported vaping to lose or control their weight. Although further research is needed to better understand the link between e-liquid flavors and weight loss motivations, I know someone who lost weight by replacing her craving with vaping. She was a former student at Central Washington University and at the beginning of her first year, she weighed approximately 210lbs. She then began vaping after fall quarter and has not stopped since she now weights approximately 180lbs. It a dramatic change due to the fact that she lost the weight by vaping since there is not enough research being done, we don’t know if there are any long-term effects. I conclude with all these sources that effect vaping and electronic cigarettes aren’t really clear because it affects social, cultural and public health issues.

More research and clinical trials are required on the safety and efficacy of e‐cigarettes and vaping for smoking cessation. The increasing use of e‐cigarettes represents a serious health concern that must not be neglected. I know for a fact Vaping has affected me in all of those aspects because I have learned to control my cravings with vaping that’s a health issue, I learned that using nicotine can cause problems with learning and attention and can lead to further addiction. Even being around others who use e-cigarettes and breathing the cloud they exhale can expose youth to chemicals that can be dangerous to their health. Studies have also shown that kids who vape are more likely to use cigarettes or other tobacco products later in life. Many would say it’s a gateway to a long path of addiction because of the unproven benefits and potential harm.

On the other hand, I learned that a growing number of e-cigarettes and vape companies are offering college students scholarships as a way to get their brands known and to get students to write essays about the potential benefits of vaping. Now wouldn’t it be nice to make an extra couple bucks for this paper. Such increase in the usage of vaping may represent its acceptance as a result of marketing and packaging strategies, which may not be evidence based. Now with the epidemic of the majority of the youth vaping, this could be the cause of some serious effects.

In conclusion, smokers who quit by switching to regular electronic cigarettes or vaping can reduce risk and reverse harm from nicotine smoking. It also likely not only to further minimize residual health risks but also to maximize health benefits.