Q I've been a smoker since my teens and I'm now in my 50s. I changed to vaping, but my daughter is still horrified at me. Which is worse real cigarettes or electronic ones?
A As a doctor, I would much prefer for patients to not start smoking, or if they do, it would be much better for them if they could stop smoking altogether. But I also appreciate that quitting smoking can be extremely difficult for many people.
For smokers, e-cigarettes can be a useful step to quitting nicotine completely. You say that you have been a smoker for many years. Switching to e-cigarettes means that you are now receiving the nicotine to help your cravings, but you are not suffering from the effects of the tar and the other components that come with tobacco. Plus, e-cigarettes do not release carbon monoxide. So for people who already smoke, e-cigarettes are the better choice.
However, many people are now taking up e-cigarettes - or vaping - as a lifestyle choice, rather than as a stepping stone on the road to stopping smoking tobacco.
The problem with this is that while e-cigarettes may not have all of the same harmful content as real cigarettes, they are not risk-free. They still contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance, and if you vape, you're inhaling superheated vapours into the lungs.
Researchers in the USA have recently found that using e-cigarettes can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. Vaping can also cause other problems, and have a bad effect on your teeth and oral health.
For his birthday, my husband got a handheld computer game from the grandchildren with brain-training puzzles.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من Woman & Home UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من Woman & Home UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Sporting SENSATIONS
Olympian Tessa Sanderson CBE reflects on winning gold and shines a spotlight on some of Team GB's outstanding women
The ROYAL REPORT
One of the many privileges of working alongside the royal family is to see them up close and unvarnished.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Dame Denise Lewis
The Olympian and BBC pundit, 51, lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Steve. She has four children.
BRIGHT & breezy
Diana and Andy Irving set out to recreate American East Coast living at their Merseyside home, with spectacular results
Why a slim body MIGHT NOT BE A HEALTHY ONE
This month, our expert Annie Deadman reveals why eating well is essential, no matter what size your clothing labels say
My mother's GIFTS
When Genevieve Kingston's mother learnt she was dying, she found a poignant way to mark her children's milestones
IT'S GOOD to talk
The last six months have seen unprecedented candour from the Royal Family. Emily Andrews asks, is this the end for 'never complain, never explain'?
Sultry southern CHARM
Stretched along Italy's heel, Puglia offers a slice of the Italian good life, with peaceful hotels, indulgent meals and low-key glamour, says Lucy Thackray
FRUITY PUDDINGS
Easy crowd-pleasing desserts that can be made ahead of time
Are weddings OUT OF CONTROL?
You can’t put a price on love, but marriages these days can be eye-wateringly costly, as Christabel Smith discovers