Vaping as an alternative to traditional smoking

Vaping has become increasingly popular over the past two decades, with many smokers turning to e-cigarettes and other vaping devices as an alternative to traditional smoking. While there have been some concerns raised about potential health risks associated with vaping, there is also evidence to suggest that it may be a less harmful option than traditional smoking. This paper will provide an overview of the potential risks and health benefits associated with vaping as an alternative to traditional smoking, as well as explore current debates and regulations surrounding e-cigarettes and vaping.

What is Vaping?

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling aerosol from an e-cigarette or other vaping device. It was first developed in the early 2000s in China and has since become increasingly popular around the world. E-cigarette devices typically contain a battery, a heating element, and a cartridge filled with liquid which typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings, and other additives. When the device is activated, the heating element vaporizes the liquid, producing an aerosol which is then inhaled by the user.

Risks Associated with Vaping

As vaping has become more popular, there have been increased concerns about the health risks associated with it. Evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that there may be a link between certain types of severe lung disease, such as EVALI, and e-cigarette use or vaping. The American Heart Association has reported that e-cigarette aerosol may contain some harmful ingredients which can increase cardiovascular risks, such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals.

There is also evidence to suggest that vaping may have an effect on mental health and brain functioning, such as increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, there is also evidence to suggest that nicotine addiction may occur with regular use of e-cigarettes. A systematic review conducted by Notley et al. (2020) found that there is evidence that youth vaping is linked to an increased risk of nicotine addiction and subsequent smoking behaviors among adolescents.

Advantages of Vaping as an Alternative to Smoking
NHS guidelines state that switching to an e-cigarette is one of the most effective ways of quitting smoking, due to its potential to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms compared to other methods such as nicotine patches or gum. Furthermore, the American Heart Association has stated that switching from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes could reduce exposure to numerous toxicants and carcinogens found in combustible tobacco products, which could potentially lead to improved cardiovascular health outcomes for smokers who switch.

Vaping Facts reports that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking combustible tobacco products due to the absence of combustion or burning involved in the production of aerosol when using an e-cigarette device. Additionally, there is evidence that suggests that using e-cigarettes can help smokers quit smoking combustible cigarettes, as well as reduce the amount of cigarettes smoked per day in those who are unable to quit altogether.

Regulations Surrounding E-Cigarette Use

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented various regulations on e-cigarettes such as restrictions on sales to minors, marketing requirements, product standards, and more recently a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. In 2020, the FDA implemented a ban on flavored e-cigarettes in an effort to reduce youth vaping rates and reduce access to these products for young people.

Additionally, there have been increasing concerns about the marketing tactics used by some e-cigarette companies which have been accused of targeting young people through various forms of advertising such as celebrity endorsements or using flavors which appeal to young people. Public perception of vaping has varied among different populations; while some view it as a less harmful alternative to smoking, others view it as a potential health risk with unknown long term effects.

Conclusion

This paper has provided an overview of the potential risks and health benefits associated with vaping as an alternative to traditional smoking, as well as explored current debates and regulations surrounding e-cigarettes and vaping. Further research should be conducted into the potential long term effects of vaping on health outcomes compared to traditional smoking, particularly given the rapid rise in popularity among younger populations. Health policy makers should continue to monitor the evolving research surrounding vaping in order to ensure that public education campaigns are up-to-date with the most recent evidence. While there are some potential benefits associated with switching from traditional smoking to vaping due to its reduced levels of toxicants and carcinogens, there are also some potential risks associated with prolonged use such as respiratory illness or nicotine addiction among youth populations.

References

1.prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Aug. 2021, cdc.gov
2."Vaping to Quit Smoking - Better Health." nhs.uk, nhs.uk
3."5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know." John Hopkins Medicine, hopkinsmedicine.org
4."Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?" Is Vaping Better Than Smoking? | American Heart Association, heart.org
5."Vaping Vs Smoking." Vaping Vs Smoking | Vaping Facts, vapingfacts.health.nz
6."Youth use of e-liquid flavours-a systematic review exploring patterns of use of e-liquid flavours and associations with continued vaping, tobacco smoking uptake or cessation." Caitlin Notley, Sarah Gentry, Sharon Cox, Martin Dockrell, Michelle Havill, Angela S. Attwood, Matthew Smith, Marcus R. Munafò, Wiliey Online Librarary, onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The introduction is simple enough and creates an interest on the part of the reader to learn more about Vaping as represented in your research paper. However, the next section creates a problem because there are several references to "evidence suggests" and references to proof of positive outcome, without any actual proof either. So the authoritative references become invalid in the discussion. The actual statements from these sources must be presented and expanded upon in the discussion paragraph. You actually fail to prove the assumptions you are making. There needs to be both a visual reference to the measurements proving the claims and also, a more thorough discussion of the evidence that supports the number provided. Otherwise, these are merely heresay evidence that reduces the authority of your research paper.

Even though you reference this paper as an overview of the information that will be presented in the actual paper, as an abstract, it should contain summarized data or at least, a few references to the factual data that will be presented in the paper. Make sure to strengthen the summarized content of this overview to help you create a more interesting and knowledgable research proposal paper.