Smoking And E-Cigarettes Guide

Statistics show that young people aged between 16 and 24 and 25 and 34 years old are most likely to smoking; smoking is least common among those aged over 60 years old. 

In the last couple of years, e-cigarettes have become increasingly popular and it is now estimated that around 2-3 per cent of adults use an e-cigarette. Research into the safety and efficacy of using e-cigarettes is still ongoing and it is unclear whether or not they are a useful or beneficial alternative to cigarettes for people who are trying to give up or cut down; however, initial findings do suggest that they are much better for your health than traditional cigarettes and they can help people to give up as an alternative to other nicotine replacement methods. 


Smoking methods

Most people think about cigarettes when they think of smoking, but there are other types of smoking, including smoking a pipe, chewing tobacco and smoking shisha. The vast majority of smokers use cigarettes. In recent years, e-cigarettes have also become very popular and this trend looks set to continue in the future. 

Smoking and health

Smoking is one of the most damaging things you can do in terms of your health and preventing deadly diseases; cigarettes contain hundreds of chemicals, many of which are toxic, and exposure to these substances increases the risk of a host of health problems. Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and it is linked to an elevated risk of cancer, strokes, heart disease, depression, anxiety and respiratory diseases. 

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable and premature deaths in the UK; around 100,000 people die from smoking every year and thousands more die from illnesses that are linked to smoking, including heart attacks and strokes and cancer. If you smoke, you have a much higher risk of developing more than 50 illnesses in comparison to non-smokers. It is believed that long-term smoking reduces life expectancy by ten years; half of smokers die from diseases directly associated with smoking. 

This guide will outline some of the major risks associated with smoking and discuss the reasons why people smoke, tips and treatments to help people give up and the health benefits associated with quitting smoking for good.

E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes have become very common in recent years, but what exactly are they, how do they work and what kinds of benefits do they offer?

E-cigarettes are marketed as a healthier and cheaper alternative to smoking cigarettes and many people use them as a method of cutting down on the number of cigarettes they smoke or an aid to giving up completely.

E-cigarettes are designed to look like cigarettes and they often have features, which help to make you feel like you’re smoking normally; your hands are kept busy by holding the e-cigarette and there’s an LED light to mimic the light produced by inhaling on a lit cigarette. There are various different types of e-cigarette available, but most consist of the same components; using an e-cigarette releases vapour, rather than smoke, which is thought to be much less harmful for your health. When you press the button or start inhaling, this triggers the atomiser, which releases the vapour. The vapour contains nicotine, which gives the positive sensation associated with smoking without the other harmful toxins and chemicals.

You can buy disposable e-cigarettes and more durable models, which last weeks or even months; in this case, you replace the liquid, rather than the actual e-cigarette. The cost of e-cigarettes varies, but the potential savings compared to smoking normal cigarettes can be significant, especially if you used to be a very heavy smoker. There are also various different flavours and colours to choose from.

E-cigarettes are not currently regulated by authorities; however, there are plans to introduce regulation next year (2016). Although many people use e-cigarettes without any issues, the lack of monitoring and quality control may pose safety risks, especially in cases where you buy online or there’s seems to be a deal, which appears too good to be true. The next few articles will discuss e-cigarettes in more detail and answer many of the common questions people have about e-cigarettes.

How Do E-cigarettes Work? ยป