Smoking cigarettes and using tobacco products can cause tremendous health problems. But quitting is hard, even with cessation products like nicotine patches or gum.
Now there is an easier alternative: electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes mimic the experience of smoking without the negative effects of traditional cigarettes. Choosing e-cigarettes offers health, financial and social benefits compared to the hazards of smoking regular cigarettes.
Using tobacco can have severe negative effects on one's health. Smoking tobacco can lead to many serious life threatening conditions. Long term tobacco use reduces the length and quality of the user's life. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of various types of cancer, particularly lung cancer and head or neck cancer. It also greatly increases the incidence of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
In addition to heart attacks, smoking increases the risk of strokes and a variety of pulmonary problems such as emphysema. These are simply the most common and dangerous negative health effects of smoking. There are a myriad of other health issues that come from long term use of tobacco. Other issues: renal damage, increased susceptibility to influenza and pneumonia, decreased fertility, and impotence. The risk of tobacco-related diseases increases with continued tobacco use. Quitting or switching to a non-tobacco product can help decrease the level of damage done by tobacco.
Electronic cigarettes provide an alternative that addresses many of the problematic issues surrounding cigarettes. Because electronic cigarettes contain nicotine rather than actual tobacco, they are free of the negative health effects that come with smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Also, they are free of the social stigma that comes with traditional cigarettes. Because they are smokeless, electronic cigarettes can be used around others with a decreased concern about secondhand smoke. Due to public health concerns about secondhand smoke, an ever increasing number of companies and venues have banned smoking. With increased public education about the dangers of smoking tobacco cigarettes led by the anti-smoking movement, smoking cigarettes, and the resulting smell, comes with a social stigma. Using an electronic cigarette allows you to continue normally with your day, rather than wasting time looking for an unrestricted area and dealing with the social stress of being seen as a smoker. Smoking regular cigarettes also comes at a high financial cost.
The price of traditional cigarettes is on the rise as some cities in the U.S. have added taxes that can take the price of a single pack into the double digits. E-cigarettes have a much lower cost over time as cartridges last longer and cost less than traditional cigarette packs. Cartridges also come with different levels of nicotine so the user also gets to determine just how much, if any, nicotine they consume. This can be particularly beneficial to people who enjoy the ritual of smoking but would like to cut down on their nicotine consumption.
Given the health risks and negative social and financial impact associated with smoking regular cigarettes, it's no surprise that electronic cigarettes are growing in popularity. Choosing electronic cigarettes over regular cigarettes can be beneficial whether you're looking for an alternative or a way to ultimately quit smoking completely. Switching to e-cigarettes gives you the stress relief of smoking without the financial, social and health costs of tobacco.
Start here for research showing the negative health effects of tobacco and the benefits of choosing e-cigarettes as an alternative:
- Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking This factsheet released by the CDC outlines some of the major health problems caused by smoking tobacco cigarettes
- Electronic Cigarette Holds Promise as Aid to Quitting A recent study from Boston University suggests that e-cigarettes may more beneficial than other smoking cession products in helping smokers quit.
- Electronic Cigarette Overview A brief summary on the basic facts of electronic cigarettes
- Examining the Draw of E-Cigarettes A comparison of different viewpoints regarding using e-cigarettes as an intermediary step to quit smoking
- Electronic Cigarettes Primarily Used to Quit Tobacco This article discusses a UK study which suggests e-cigarettes are primarily used as a healthier alternative to tobacco by people who wish to quit smoking
- Electronic Cigarettes: Scientific Evidence versus Social Cost A short, scientific look at the difference between electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes
- One in Five Adult Cigarette Smokers Have Tried an Electronic Cigarette This press release discusses growing popularity of electronic cigarettes
- Successful Smoking Cessation with Electronic Cigarettes A scientific study measuring the success of relapsed smokers who attempted quitting using e-cigarettes
- Electronic Cigarettes are Smokeless and Tasty, but Are They Safer? An interview with a smoker who used electronic cigarettes to quit smoking
Helpful Resources:
- E Cigarette Reviews: Read expert and user reviews on the latest and most popular electronic cigarette brands.
- E Cig Coupons: When you're ready to make the switch to electronic cigarettes, take advantage of these offers to help you save a few bucks.
- E Cig Blog: Helpful tips, how-to guides, and important information about electronic cigarettes.
- E-Cig Research & Studies: Get the facts! Read the latest research and studies surrounding e-cigs, their health effects, second-hand vaping, and much more.
- Interviews with E-Cig Experts: Advocates and vaping experts are the best source to obtain credible and unbiased information about e-cigarettes. Read the latest interviews to find out what the experts have to say regarding the most critical issues and misconceptions surrounding e-cigs.