The Toxic Truth of Smoking and Vaping

Imagine the strain of your heart, struggling to pump blood through your clogged arteries, filled with stomach-churning toxins. Think twice about mucus lining your lungs with disgusting chemicals. So why do people smoke? Why do we crave nicotine when one in two smokers die from malfunctions of the immune system, and the serious impact of long-term smoking causes deadly cancers, infections and even organ damage. There has been a huge 484,700 hospital admissions in only one year from the horrific effects associated with smoking. Furthermore, the NHS has to spend an enormous amount of its budget on one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths, accounting for nearly 80,000 deaths every single year. A nicotine user faces an increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as clotting blood, which could lead to a devastating stroke leaving someone potentially paralysed. However, passive smoking can be seriously dangerous and can cause vast health risks to those exposed to the vicious substances within the air. Products such as vapes have been promoted to try help smokers quit smoking but are they as safe and as beneficial as they are thought to be?

Some people believe that smoking and vaporising is just a way of life but I disagree because although smoking is an individual’s choice, the people exposed to second hand smoke have no choice whatsoever in the matter and the vile puff of smoke blown into their faces is not their chosen way of life. Vapes are promoted to have no health risks and are seen to be the “perfect” alternative to cigarettes but vapes can contain double the amount of nicotine than a cigarette making vapes dangerously addictive. Although vapes were developed to help adult smokers cut their tobacco-use and to provide a 'healthier' alternative, the medical press website shows evidence that no study has yet been conducted that can provide information on the long-term effects of vape use. Due to the recent dramatic increase in vape use, there is evidence showing that there is a negative effect on heart and lung function associated with vape use. However, there is still no definitive answer on whether these risks outweigh the benefits of switching from traditional tobacco cigarettes. Although vapes do not produce smoke, breathing in the second-hand vapour is not harmless. In fact, the surgeon general website shows evidence that flavouring in vapes such as diacetyl, is a chemical linked to serious lung disease. This has a massive high risk to teenagers because a report from Public Health England shows the number of children and teenagers trying vaping has doubled in the last five years. All over, vapes are proven to be far worse for teenagers who are only following the latest trend.

Vapes may Substitutes the addiction but it does not actually stop it and help people end their addiction. In addition, vapes and cigarettes do contain horrible substances to which people crave and cannot function without and vapes do not make the addiction any better. The rapid  increase of vapes is causing serious concerns for people’s health. All over, the sun shared an article of a student aged eighteen with shocking images of his lungs after vaping for a year caused them to collapse. The eighteen year old started vaping around 18 months ago after believing it was a “safe” alternative to smoking cigarettes but needed emergency surgery to repair damage which he said was caused by the toxic chemicals from the trendy device. The daily mail shows horrific pictures of a tube connected to the boys chest as he recovers from surgery. He revealed he would vape one mint Juul pod every couple of days – the equivalent of 10 cigarettes-worth of nicotine a day. And after using the “harmless” vape doctors have told him he won’t be able to do cross-country running and it’ll be a while before he can fly again. This truly shows the sickening effects on young people and how much there life’s can be affected as vapes as they are promoted to be healthier and better than original cigarettes.

Smoking doesn’t only effect the inside of the body, it also changes a person’s appearance; yellow skin, teeth and fingernails. It may be social for some people though others it could be to relieve stress. If people are not concerned about their own health why can't they take others into account? Smokers are not always aware that they are smoking at the expense of others. Many people especially children have suffered from on going problems and ill health from second hand smoke. Cigarette smoke contributes to bad air quality and is extremely unhealthy. It was easy to start smoking therefore why isn't easy to give it up? Shockingly, the NHS provide evidence showing 5 millions children across Britain are exposed to second hand smoke in their own homes. Furthermore, the website states children exposed to a smoky atmosphere are more likely to suffer from breathing problems, allergies and chest infections. By not smoking, you protect the health of those close to you. The NHS inform website provides evidence stating second hand smoke increases a persons chance of developing lung cancer and heart disease by 30%. This risk is huge for our young people and is devastatingly scary for future generations who could be dealing with long term effects of the unknown second hand e-cigarette smoke. 

Smoking and vaporising makes you become dependant on cigarettes or vape pods due to the seriously addictive substance called nicotine which turns smokers into addicts. How long will it be before people start spending money wisely rather than wasting it on smoking and ruining their health? The worst part of cigarette sales is that the government earns from the increasing rate of sales of tobacco with 10% of the earning and this is crucial due to the fact the government is resistant to preventing the use of cigarettes because they make too much money from the wealthy trade. The NHS shows on average a smoker could save £135 each month if they quit smoking. That's more than £1,600 a year going up in smoke. That money could be spent on a holiday for some people and for others it could help pay the bills. We smoke at the expense of our health. We smoke at the cost of others. When will people come to their senses? When will people realise that smoking kills? In the past year the NHS have recorded 80,000 people have died due to smoking. It is crucial that you are aware of the toxic substances that you are inhaling. Carbon monoxide, tar and nicotine are only three examples of the chemicals we find in tobacco. The NHS inform website shows carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which takes the place of oxygen in your blood. This forces your heart to work much harder and stops your lungs from working properly. Tar is a substance that stains smokers' teeth and fingers yellow-brown. It contains cancerous cells. Tar damages your lungs by narrowing the small tubes  that absorb oxygen and lead to lung infections. All of these three things can cause immense damage to the way the body functions including damage to the lungs, heart and the brain. Smoking can do excessive damage to your body and prevent it from functioning properly. 

In conclusion, smoking and vaporising is terrifyingly dangerous and is taking power over people lives. The nicotine is controlling the lives of addicted cigarette and vape users. The NHS are suffering from the on going battle of self made illnesses which could of been prevented if it weren’t for people’s addictions. Vapes are causing catastrophic effects of young people today and the trend is continuing you attract teens from all over the world. The gov.uk website states smoking has charged the uk £12.6 billion each year with £2.5 billion from the NHS. The first 72 hours of a smoking decline are the hardest for smokers but they can over come this through nicotine replacement therapy such as skin patches, chewing gum and mouth sprays. Furthermore, smoking aids such as prescription tablets can be prescribed by GP’s. Most of all a positive mindset is a major factor to drive a person into successful outcomes. All over, vaping and smoking are incredibly harmful for the environment, the health of others and most of all the health and wellbeing of the smoker themselves.