Is Vaping a Safe Alternative From Cigarettes?
By Stephen R. Farris
For the past several years, there have been attempts to find safe ways to transition from smoking to a healthier form for those still in the habit. The most recent popular alternative has been vaping.
Vaping is hip for the younger generation these days and some have termed it as a fad. In a 2016 study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, out of nearly 10.8 million people that are vaping, approximately 2.8 million of those are young people between the ages of 18 to 24. That number seems to have doubled over the past year so among the lesser age group, high school teens.
Both adults and teens are constantly bombarded with advertisements in magazines and the internet, featuring vaping products and vaping tools. Almost every convenience store you walk into has some form of vaping displayed, especially at the checkout counter.
Teens and young adults consider vaping a safe alternative. Instead of real tobacco, vape -- or e-cigarettes -- is a mixture of nicotine (which has been deemed as a habit forming drug for decades) and other chemicals that produce a cloud when exhaled, rather than the traditional smoke from cigarettes.
The study also links vaping to clinical depression as well. About 9.1 percent of vapers have been diagnosed with clinical depression, compared to 4.5 percent of those that still smoke traditional cigarettes.
Vaping has also been linked to higher risks of major depression, including suicidal tendencies in younger adults and teens.
So What's the Answer?
Right now there is no answer, other than maybe counseling sessions with vape users. It's still a relatively new form for an old habit and more research is being conducted on the health side effects of vaping. Newer studies have linked vaping to serious cases of lung disease and there have been several deaths over the past couple of years from the results of "chain" vaping.
For now, if you have thought about switching over to vaping versus traditional cigarettes, or you are considering going nicotine-free, talk with your physician or chiropractor. They can make suggestions and offer literature about the consequences of vaping.
When your back and joints aren't feeling up to par, check out the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic, drop in any of their nearly 500 locations nationwide. No appointment is necessary.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Mill, S.C.