Vaporizing your prospects?
Let’s start with some good news – the rates of cigarette smoking across the UK appear to be decreasing, although the rate of that decrease is open to interpretation and statistics recorded during the pandemic must be taken with caution.
On the other hand, there has been a significant increase in the habit of vaping across the UK, evidenced by the fact that vaping shops are springing up on many high streets.
Nicotine itself is an interesting molecule. It is fat soluble and as a result can pass through our body’s cell membranes.
It can also easily pass from our bloodstream into our brain where it binds with receptors and causes distinct feelings of wellbeing.
Nicotine triggers our strongest reward pathway through the release of dopamine which enhances motivation, alertness, and focus. It also causes a release of adrenaline so we are dealing with a substance that can initiate all the human circuitry necessary to make us feel a heightened state of readiness.
Heart rate and blood pressure increase along with heart contractility causing an increase in metabolism along a corresponding decrease in appetite and desire to eat.
Therefore, it’s easy to see why so many have become addicted to cigarettes or other forms of ingesting nicotine as its effects are so powerful and reinforced by pushing on our dopamine accelerator.
Research points to the fact that around 70 per cent of cigarette smokers would like to stop but find it extremely difficult because of the strong addictive qualities of nicotine.
A recent phenomenon is the significant increase in vaping among younger populations, and this can now be observed in some secondary school children before and after school.
It turns out that the nicotine delivery system associated with vaping is even faster than cigarettes, which in theory could make vaping even more addictive.
Young brains are essentially becoming wired to the expectation that dopamine will be released quickly and in large quantities.
Unfortunately, like any drug, this effect decreases with regular use and time, so young developing brains will crave increased rates of nicotine intake or look to the use of other potentially more dangerous substances to regain that initial high.
This is an extremely worrying trend but it’s not just the brain that is affected.
Nicotine damages the cells of our oxygen and nutrient carrying vascular system, so every organ is subject to harm.
This also causes a reduction in our ability to clear out toxins from our body. This means that despite an acute improvement in brain function and alertness, long-term we suffer from cognitive decline including short- and long-term memory loss.
The brain requires a huge amount of energy daily so damage to its supply network can be catastrophic over years of addiction.
We also observe an increase in stroke, heart attack, peripheral vascular disease and sexual dysfunction in those who use nicotine in its various forms.
Yes, nicotine use will damage the blood transport system to the penis and cause it not only to shrink but more likely to suffer dysfunction as we age.
So, if the other warnings about brain and organ damage are not enough to hit home at this time, perhaps someone could whisper this to the young dudes who feel that vaping is a good idea and places them firmly in the “cool crowd”.
Vaping and smoking cigarettes are among the worst things we can possibly do to our own health and wellbeing, and worldwide they exist as a one of the most common forms of preventable death.
If you would like to kick the habit, please seek advice from your GP or local pharmacy.
You could also self-refer to our Healthy Options Thrive programme where we can offer advice and strategies to replace that lost dopamine reward system and regenerate the effectiveness of the brain, heart, and lungs.
Visit us at www.lornhealthyoptions.co.uk