Smoking and vaping
Smoking and vaping both harm health, but vaping delivers much more nicotine and is highly addictive.Summary
The article contrasts smoking traditional cigarettes with vaping. While smoking produces over 7,000 chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide, and at least 70 carcinogens, vaping heats e-liquid and avoids carbon monoxide and tar, making it a potentially less toxic alternative. However, vaping devices contain 20 to 50 times more nicotine than a single cigarette, and the slower delivery leads users to puff more frequently, absorbing far more nicotine. Nicotine is as addictive as cocaine, alcohol, and heroin, causing rapid dopamine release and withdrawal symptoms, making it one of the hardest addictions to break. For adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing until age 25, nicotine exposure can permanently alter the brain's reward system, leading to lasting addiction and a preference for immediate gratification. The author, a medical lecturer, warns young people to consider the lifelong consequences before trying vaping.
(Source：Trinidadexpress)
