Smoking and Vaping: Are They Really That Bad?

Everyone knows what smoking is, and everyone’s heard that it’s bad. But have you heard of vaping? In this article you will learn many facts about why smoking and vaping are bad, and about the different types of smoking.

Let’s begin with some facts about smoking. There are three types of smoking: First hand, second hand and third hand. First hand smoking is when you are the one who’s actually smoking. Second hand smoking is when you are inhaling the smoke that someone else is exhaling. Third hand smoking is when you are exposed to chemicals from a cigarette that are left on surfaces, either by touching the surface or breathing in the chemicals.

The short-term effects of smoking include bad breath, smelly hair and clothes, an unhealthy mouth, and coughing. The long-term effects include both lung and mouth cancer. Smoking also causes premature aging on your skin. If you quit, it can improve your skin and set it back to normal. It also yellows your teeth and makes you prone to cancer and other serious illnesses.

On average, the lifetime of a smoker is 13 years less than a nonsmoker. Want a long life? Don’t smoke. Not only does it shorten your life, tobacco use is the leading cause of premature death in Canada. Every 4.5 seconds, someone dies of a tobacco related disease.

While tobacco use has reduced, there is a significant number of people who continue to use tobacco. Over 45,000 Canadians die because of smoking each year.

While vaping, the battery can randomly explode, which can leave scars. It causes bad breath, and once you start, it’s hard to stop. It can cause issues with sleeping and breathing, which can lead to death. Vaping might also cause lung and mouth problems.

Some similarities between smoking and vaping are that they both use nicotine, make you smell bad, and create air pollution. Some differences are that only smoking burns tobacco and is not reusable, and only vaping uses a battery and heats a liquid.

Lots of people are peer pressured into smoking and didn’t choose to do it completely by themself. If someone is trying to peer pressure you into smoking, tell them no and that they aren’t the boss of you. You can also lecture them about why smoking is a bad idea and about the bad effects of smoking.

Cigarette products are quite expensive, and since they aren’t reusable, you have to buy more every time you run out. Smoking causes the United States billions of dollars every year, and that’s not only counting all the cigarettes people buy, but the cost to pick up the cigarette butts that turn into litter and the costs of making the cigarettes.

The following points are the solutions to counter vaping and smoking:

• Don’t get peer pressured . If your friends tell you to, are they really your friends? Think about it. Would a real friend force you to do something you don’t want to do? I didn’t think so. Your friends aren’t the boss of you, and if they think they are, remind them of that. They can’t tell you what you can and can’t do, and friends who smoke and peer pressure others aren’t true friends.

• The second solution to counter vaping and smoking is to not say you will only do it once. Lots of times, people start smoking ‘just to try it’ and think that they will only do it once because they want to see what it tastes/feels like. Most times, when this happens, people get addicted to cigarettes and don't stop smoking or vaping. If someone tells you to try it, do not smoke or vape because this might end up happening to you.

If you liked this article and found it informative, make sure to share it with friends, teachers and family members. It is good to educate yourself about Earth so that we can make it a better place to live. Together, we can change the world. 

-EarthLover24 and the Save The Earth Team