Smoking, vaping harmful health effects
A recent study found more than 60 percent of people who try a cigarette become daily smokers, but kicking the habit is necessary to regain health.
The National Cancer Institute reports that there are more then 7,000 chemicals in cigarettes. More than 250 of the chemicals, like carbon monoxide, are harmful, and more than 69 cause cancer.
“Even if you smoke up to four cigarettes a day, you still double the risk for heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Michael Annabi, an internal medicine physician at Las Palmas Medical Center
Physicians told ABC-7, often the habit of lighting up adds to the craving.
“Cigarette smoking is an addiction like any other addiction,” said Dr. Annabi. “Like many other addictions there is no one answer for every individual.”
Dr. Annabi said medicine has advanced, and those who want to stop smoking now have patches, gum and a variety of pills available to help them stop
Many people have turned to vaping as an alternative to smoking. Users drip one of the thousand different flavored liquids, which sometimes have nicotine, in their device, it heats ups then they inhale and exhale the aerosol.
Dr. Annabi said it can be beneficial for tobacco smokers to replace cigarettes with a vape device, but they have to chose one.
“The problem with the vape is that a lot of people are using it with the cigarettes,” said Dr. Annabi.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that vaping has been around since the early 2000s.
Not much research has been done on vaping, Dr. Annabi said the FDA has a ten-year grace period to conduct research, and that the administration is still within that time frame.
“You’re talking about lung diseases,” said Dr. Annabi. “You’re still inhaling a very hot volatile gas into your lungs, so you’re essentially burning your lungs every time you smoke one.”
Setting a date to quit smoking is one of the best first steps you can take to stop smoking.
“Just prepare yourself,” said Dr. Annabi. “If you go in with the attitude of “just do it,” which you’re prepared to do, you have a much better chance to succeed. “
