However, e-cigarettes are not as simple as they seem; they have countless harmful effects that users are unaware of.
The first harmful effect is addiction. According to S., you start relying on the pod whenever you need to concentrate on something. Similarly, you use the pod to relieve stress or satisfy cravings. This is one of the first signs of e-cigarette addiction. According to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), most e-cigarettes contain nicotine – a highly addictive substance. Although the amount in pods or vapes is lower than in traditional cigarettes, this substance will still cause addiction, especially with long-term use. E-cigarettes cause just as many diseases as traditional cigarettes.
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Besides the lungs, which are directly affected, e-cigarettes also cause numerous diseases related to the brain, cardiovascular system, and immune system. In the brain, the nicotine in e-cigarettes releases "feel-good" chemicals, causing long-lasting chemical changes and, most dangerously, addiction. Additionally, users may experience headaches, dizziness, or tremors.
For students, e-cigarette use has a direct and long-term impact on brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex – an area that develops rapidly during middle and high school. These brain regions process cognition and emotions, motivation, planning abilities, and attention span. Therefore, young people often exhibit reduced attention and concentration, poor decision-making skills, personality changes, erratic behavior, and a significant decline in academic performance.
Regarding cardiovascular health, after using e-cigarettes, heart rate and blood pressure increase dramatically, forcing the heart to work harder to deliver enough blood and oxygen to the cells. In the long run, users put themselves at risk of heart attacks and strokes. As for the immune system, one study showed that e-cigarettes "deactivate" hundreds of key immune genes, damaging the immune system even more than traditional smoking.
E-cigarettes also have a significant impact on those around them. For children, the nicotine in e-cigarettes harms brain development and can cause memory impairment. For pregnant women, nicotine also negatively affects the health of both mother and fetus during pregnancy, causing premature birth and stillbirth.
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