Smoking is one of the worst habits a person can have, and is responsible for nearly 500 000 deaths in the world annually.
According to statistics from the CDC, 36 500 000 adults in the USA are active smokers, and rarely anyone is aware of how harmful the habit is.
A cigarette contains more than 600 ingredients, with most of them incredibly harmful for our lungs and overall health.
A single cigarette contains nicotine, carbon dioxide, arsenic, formaldehyde, ammonia, uranium, nitrosamines, hydrogen cyanide, benzene and lead. All these ingredients can seriously endanger your health, and most are recognized as carcinogens as well.
Even despite the terrible images of the consequences of smoking on the packs, people are unable to quit. There are many alternatives, but even they aren’t as healthy as advertised. Here are 5 alternative forms of smoking and their effect on our health:
E-cigs
Although more and more people are switching to e-cigarettes, they’re not the perfect alternative. A 2014 study found out that the battery output voltage and the propylene glycol and glycerin content can actually raise the level of carbon monoxide molecules in the vapor.
Furthermore, the vapor itself contained carbonyl compounds which are highly carcinogenic.
Vaping
Vaping is incredibly popular nowadays. They work by skipping the burning process, but they’re still not a good alternative. One study found out that vaping is actually even more harmful than e-cigarettes and has a significant negative effect on our health.
Hookah
Many people consider hookah a great alternative to cigarettes as it contains a bit of tobacco filtered by water, but the reality is completely different.
According to one study, hookah can raise your heart rate and blood pressure and impair your respiratory function, relating it to bronchitis, coronary artery disease and chronic bronchitis as well.
Some experts have related hookah to even more serious diseases including lung cancer.
Standard cigarettes
Smoking has been linked to emphysema, lung, liver, bladder, colorectal and larynx cancer, as well as atherosclerosis and other dangerous diseases.
Marijuana
Compared to any other alternative on the list, marijuana is considered as the best. As you probably already know, many countries are pushing for the medical use of cannabis.
A few studies have examined marijuana’s effects on chronic pain, and the results were incredible. The herb managed to reduce pain in 97% of the participants, and also relieved the stress and anxiety in almost half of them.
There were no side-effects except throat irritation and cough in the patients, which makes the herb better than cigarettes.