Who isn’t stressed in these days of uncertainty?
The coronavirus pandemic has everyone worried, which can cause some to reach for a cigarette or vape pen. But Refinery29 says to resist that urge because many doctors and scientists believe that a nicotine habit could leave you more vulnerable to severe symptoms and infections if you contract COVID-19.
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Smoking or vaping creates inflammation in the lungs and may suppress immune function, resulting in EVALI, which stands for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury. According to the CDC, as of February 18, 2020, there were 2,807 EVALI cases or deaths reported in the U.S.
The coronavirus also causes a severe and dangerous respiratory illness called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which will land you in an intensive care unit, or worse, can be fatal.
According to the CDC, if cigarette smoking continues at the current rate, 5.6 million of those younger than 18 currently living in the U.S. will die early from a smoking-related illness. That is approximately 1 in 13 Americans aged 17 or younger currently alive. Those are terrifying statistics. And now those teens have a double threat in the coronavirus.
The vaping industry grew exponentially without undergoing any review process to assess safety while the vaping industry targeted teens specifically and still does. They sell candy-flavored vape juice with more addictive nicotine than a combustible cigarette and promote their products at school programs disguised as “health” information seminars.
Compared to combustible cigarettes with thousands of chemicals, 70 of which are known carcinogens, vaping may seem safer since the product contains fewer toxins. But there is conclusive evidence that in addition to nicotine, most e-cigarette products contain and emit numerous potentially toxic substances.
E-cigs deliver an appalling amount of heavy metals to the user, along with high levels of highly addictive nicotine. The substances in the e-liquid have also been found to deactivate protective cells in your lungs.
But wait, that’s not all. Researchers examined 75 popular vaping cartridges and found dangerous bacteria and fungus.
Another component of vaping is addiction. Teens who start vaping are more likely to move on to traditional cigarettes and drugs. Studies show those exposed to nicotine during adolescence have a greater risk of engaging in other addictive behavior.
The CDC says tobacco is the “single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.” Cigarettes kill more than 480,000 Americans every year and smoking-related illness creates a financial burden of more than $300 billion in medical care and lost productivity.
Tobacco use was actually declining, from nearly 42% in 1965 to about 21% in 2005, but in 2003, Chinese pharmacists came up with an e-cigarette, enabling smokers to inhale nicotine without combustion. Over the next 16 years, e-cigs exploded in popularity and sales. By 2017, cigarette smoking among high school students had gone down, but the number of students using e-cigarettes had increased.
And here’s a caveat for vapers: You may not be able to get life insurance.
Insurance companies have paid close attention to the rising number of reported injuries linked to vaping, causing some to consider declining life insurance for those who vape.
Despite the industry claim that vaping is safe, most insurance companies have reviewed scientific evidence related to health risks associated with vaping, leading them to categorize those who vape at the same risk level as those who smoke.
The secret to quitting smoking is to first get healthy, which makes it mentally and physically easier to kick the habit.