The misdeeds of tobacco for health are well known: addiction, cancer, chronic diseases, premature aging, reduced life expectancy ... As a result, many people are eager to stop smoking and turn to e-cigarettes. as substitute or alternative if not harmless, in any case supposedly less damaging to health. Supposedly, because more and more medical studies point to this device which is also found to be harmful and present dangers for the body.
Vapoter "can damage vital cells of the immune system", is the conclusion reached by a group of researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK in a study published in the medical journal Thorax.
In this study, the researchers took lung tissue samples from eight non-smokers and placed them in the presence of electronic cigarette vapor using a process simulating vaping.
The electronic cigarette would have the same effects as tobacco and some lung diseases
Following exposure to eve spray, they found that the effects on the lung tissues studied were similar to those seen in cigarette smokers and in patients with chronic lung disease. .
In just 48 hours, the "vapor" caused inflammation of the tissues as well as a reduction in the activity of the macrophages of the pulmonary alveoli. These immune cells are essential for cleaning the lungs by destroying any potentially harmful elements such as bacteria, dust or allergens.
Anyway, the e-cigarette is not as harmless as it seems
Can we conclude that e-cigarettes are as harmful as, or even more than, ordinary cigarettes? For Professor David Thickett, who led this study, they are not necessarily more dangerous to health, but we must be vigilant and keep in mind that they are certainly more harmful than what we are brought to believe.
While the use of e-cigarettes has allowed many people to stop smoking, vaping is not trivial. It can have serious consequences on our state of health.
What other methods for people wanting to quit?
Therefore, one wonders if there are other ways to stop smoking, and through which smokers could hope to quit smoking?
Tobacco with the nicotine it contains is one of the most addictive substances, alongside alcohol or even, as we can see more and more, junk food. However, all addictions have a similar effect on the brain: they activate the reward circuit. They stimulate the production of certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, also called the pleasure hormone.
These unhealthy addictions ruin life and seriously affect our health.
How to get rid of his addictions
There is a "law of addiction" which states that when a dependent person is administered the substance to which he is attached, the circuits of addiction are reactivated in his brain and his addiction reappears. In this way, according to this law, a single puff of smoke is enough to relieve a smoker, and it takes a single sip of beer to lose control of an alcoholic.
The solution lies in never again consuming the problematic substance and practicing total abstinence.
Here's how to apply this principle right now:
1. Make a firm and determined decision to never touch the substance again
Once we have decided this definitively, deeply and permanently, we will notice that everything becomes easier.
If necessary, to remember the reasons that lead us to make this decision, we can make a table listing the advantages and disadvantages of our approach.
2. Set a date
Define a date from which one will never consume the substance to which one is dependent, and prepare for it.
What to do in case of relapse?
Relapse is normal when it comes to getting rid of an addiction, and the important thing is not to give up. Surround yourself with people who have gone through the same hardships that we have overcome, and people who are fighting the same fight as us. The use of professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists can also be beneficial.
