Vaping is dangerous. The recent news is full of stories investigating the health hazards of vaping, including death. Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon as well as chief medical correspondent and the host of CNN show Sanjay Gupta MD.
From the Desk of Sanjay Gupta
The story I have been reporting on the most over recent weeks has been the risks of vaping. As a doctor, and as a father, I have to ask myself: Why would anyone start vaping in the first place? The answers vary, of course. Some are trying to kick a more deadly cigarette habit. Or succumbing to peer pressure. Or seeking stress relief.
My colleague Eric Levenson wondered the same thing and spoke to 10 college students about their vaping addictions. Their words and experiences are a reminder of just how difficult it is to give up a habit, even when you know how dangerous it is. They’re also a reminder of how easy it is to rationalize seemingly irrational behavior.
“To just be honest with you, I don’t know how much I really care about my health right now,” 21-year-old student Zane Kerr said. “It’s sort of short-sighted, but it is what it is. I’m just young. I get to not care, which is nice.”
To anyone thinking about trying an e-cigarette for the first time, or trying to quit the habit, let me rebut that attitude. There’s little excuse for short-sightedness when you already know the far-sighted health consequences of your behavior. Educate yourself on the facts and myths of vaping and remember: You will still be you in the future as you struggle with years of using an addictive substance. You will still be you in the future with the subsequent health problems the addiction brings. The longer you maintain a habit, the more it becomes ingrained in your behavior and the harder it will be to break.
If you know vaping is bad for you now, do what you can to quit. It will only get harder and the health consequences will only get more serious.
Good luck with stemming the tide of vaping. I know for some it can be very difficult.
