Doctors reveal what vaping can do to your heart
IndependentMAR 2024
Study: Vaping Disrupts Vascular System, Oxygen Levels
Above: In this photo illustration, a 12-year-old schoolboy holds single-use Vapes for Recycling on June 24, 2024, in Kingston on Thames, England. Image copyright: Wolf von Dewitz/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
While scientists have unfortunately failed to give as much attention to vaping as it does smoking, the research still indicates that the negatives outweigh the positives — particularly regarding impaired vascular function, oxidative stress, and increased addiction risk among youth. Governments must ban or heavily regulate vaping products to prevent an epidemic of addiction and long-term health consequences.
Narrative B
While vapes must be kept out of the hands of children and non-smokers to prevent nicotine addiction and long-term health risks, they still remain a helpful tool for adults attempting to quit smoking. E-cigarettes offer a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes as part of a harm-reduction strategy, and smokers deserve the right to make the switch as they work toward healthier habits.
Narrative C
While the health industry's push for safer alternatives — like marijuana and vapes over cigarettes or "mocktails" over alcohol — is well-intentioned, it often promotes antisocial, synthetic substitutes that lack the communal and experiential aspects of the original activities. Life is full of risk and reward trade-offs, and while perfect health is of course desirable, it shouldn't be the sole factor in life decisions.