By now if you have stepped into any high school across the nation you will have seen teenagers and other young people in general vape. Vape (also known as electronic cigarettes) are taking the country by storm. They were initially designed to help smokers quit their nasty habit and hook them onto a safer alternative, however other things have happened. Instead a new generation (who has never smoked) is now hooked on to vape. So the question comes up, is vaping safe?

So what is vape anyway
Vaping (electronic cigarettes) extracts nicotine from tobacco and combines it with other chemicals and flavorings that is used to create water vapor that you inhale. While it is true that vaping is safer than smoking. To say that it is completely safe is preposterous.

Similarities
Both electronic cigarettes and real ones contain nicotine, a harmful addictive substance that is extracted from tobacco. Nicotine raises blood pressure and spikes your heart rate making you much more likely to suffer a heart attack. This makes fake cigarettes just as addictive as the real thing. This is especially dangerous as a new generation of kids are being hooked on a device that we still know very little about.

Chemicals
Another mystery about vape is the chemicals that it consists of. The question of “what chemicals make up vape” has a very ambiguous answer. There is little data on this matter and putting chemicals in your body (whatever the reason) is never safe. Doctors still don’t completely know the effects of these chemicals on the body and they can affect the body in a negative way.

Withdrawal
Because electronic cigarettes contain nicotine they are highly addictive. When quitting this nasty habit, your body will crave the nicotine and you will undergo withdrawal symptoms. These include but are not limited to the following,
- a strong desire or craving for nicotine
- irritability or frustration
- low mood
- difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety
- Abdominal cramps
- Constipation

There are ways to effectively and safely quit smoking. Attending therapy groups and taking prescribed medication are some of the safer ways to combat the stress of quitting. However, I don’t believe that getting hooked onto another bad habit is the key.- Post by Yash Banga
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323012.php
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