Why Do People Use Electronic Cigarettes?

Tobacco cigarettes cause 6 million deaths worldwide every year. Here in the U.S., 1,300 people die everyday due to tobacco related illnesses. That is nearly 480,000 deaths every year. Secondhand smoke exposure causes 41,000 deaths a year among nonsmoking adults. The dangers of smoking is no secret. Nearly 70% of smokers say they want to quit. Unfortunately, the nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive, making it difficult to stop. I believe there is a better alternative: the electronic cigarette. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, give smokers a way to mimic the feeling of smoking a traditional cigarette, while still getting the nicotine they crave. Many believe that e-cigarettes are just as harmful to a smokers health as tobacco cigarettes, …show more content…
The amount of nicotine in the liquid varies. If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, the recommended amount for an e-cigarette would be 18-24 milligram liquid. You can gradually cut down, eventually using a zero milligrams liquid. At this point, you will no longer be addicted to the nicotine, making quitting much easier. However, Nicotine is not the only factor when it comes to tobacco addiction. There is also a psychological element. Nicotine replacements such as the patch, lozenges or gum only help with nicotine withdrawal, but do not address the psychological dependency. For example, the first thing many smokers do in the morning is light up a cigarette. Other examples include, smoking to alleviate boredom or stress, taking a “smoke break” at work, lighting up after a meal or while driving in the car, smoking socially with friends. For some who try to quit using the aforementioned methods, the change in their behavioral patterns is to much to handle, and they relapse. Switching to e-cigarettes has less of an impact on these patterns. Smokers can still have the same overall feeling of smoking (inhale/exhale, hand to mouth motion), while still receiving a nicotine