Vaping And Nicotine Exposure Essay

Vaping and nicotine exposure has the greatest impact on our health. This essay will discuss the effects of vaping and nicotine on the physical health, mental health and addiction. It has been discussed that vaping is harmless. Vapes contain water vapor, flavoring and nicotine. On our physical health, nicotine causes cardiovascular problems, low immune response and respiratory diseases that may be due to acetaldehyde and diacetyl in e-cigarettes. In terms of mental health, nicotine causes cognitive and behavioral impairment in adolescence. Nicotine causes addiction, which becomes a door to exploring other drugs or a new form of addiction. Vaping is allegedly safer to smoking cigarettes but it still contains a high amount of nicotine. Nicotine affects lipid metabolism. Nicotine lowers concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which provide protection against development of atherosclerosis. Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) leading to accumulation of lipids in arteries. Atherosclerosis is a specific form of arteriosclerosis; is the concentration of lipids …show more content…
Nicotine binds with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the brain, which affect dopamine and serotonin levels. It increases the level of these neurotransmitters. This gives the consumer pleasure and reward. The effects are short lived and this increases usage. “Addictive power is attributable to actions on the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, which serves a fundamental role in the acquisition of behaviors that are inappropriately reinforced by addictive drugs” (Volodymyr). Dopamine is involved in addiction to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Recent studies on 18 to 36 year old cocaine users, 90% of them in the US had smoked cigarettes (nicotine exposure). Nicotine acts just like cocaine. Once the high of the drug is gone which make the users irritable and depressed until their next