E-cigarettes and men’s health

Men who smoke have most likely grown accustomed to the many dire warnings about health risks associated with tobacco use

from an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, to issues with fertility and erectile dysfunction. Tobacco smoke contains a whole range of potentially cancer-causing chemicals, and the act of smoking releases carbon monoxide into the mouth and lungs, as well as pumping potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines round the body in the bloodstream.

The effect on lung function can also be catastrophic, especially for men who are naturally active or manual workers. The tar in tobacco smoke coats the lining of the lungs and other organs in the body, and many chronic smokers also have to contend with poor dental health (including gum disease and higher incidences of tooth loss), as well as increased rates of cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, neck, tongue, eyes, nasal passages and, of course, prostate cancer.

For young male adults, smoking can be perceived as a cool and manly past-time, but the knock-on effects of impaired lung function and sexual function can make life a misery. Many men, however, find that smoking is a stress-buster and also helps them concentrate at work or when driving: drivers felt especially aggrieved when the smoking ban came into effect in 2006, as not being allowed to smoke in their own vehicle seemed like a massive breach of human rights. Smoking tobacco in an enclosed area such as a car or the cabin of an HGV vehicle can not only mean lack of concentration when driving, but also means that more carbon monoxide is inhaled from the cigarette.

Electronic cigarettes cut out tobacco smoke, while providing the same nicotine buzz. Nicotine intake is also easier to control if you want to quit smoking or just cut back on nicotine intake, as the liquid nicotine refills for electronic cigarettes range from zero nicotine to high levels such as 36mg.

The other benefit of e-cigarettes is that they can legally be used in pubic places, and in fact are now so realistic that some “vapers” (the name given to users of electronic cigarettes) have been mistaken for smokers in restaurants and bars.

Men with children may also feel uneasy about smoking in their presence, as passive smoking can have a damaging affect on children’s future health. A recent study by the University of Montreal in Canada found that babies subjected to passive smoking were more likely to be aggressive as adults, regardless of whether their mothers smoked during pregnancy or their parents had antisocial behaviour traits themselves.

But before men even become parents, smoking can exert a harmful effect on their fertility, with smokers potentially having lower sperm counts, as well as a greater risk of erectile dysfunction as a result of the knock-on impact of heart disease from tobacco use.

The main artery from the heart supplies the male sexual organs and if this artery becomes blocked, which may happen in chronic smokers who consumer high levels or tobacco products, sexual function can be affected.

Many men who suffer from heart disease and blocked arteries also experience problems in maintaining an erection. In fact, problems with sexual function are often the first indicator of heart disease in men and should always be investigated by a doctor before reaching for the Viagra.

Younger men may not consider all the implications for their future health that tobacco use can have. Nicotine in tobacco is a powerful and addictive stimulant and the “high” it produces is caused by the release of the dopamine in the brain, which drug addicts and people falling in love also experience.

Smokers have been found to have 40% less of an enzyme which breaks down dopamine and this may explain why trying to quit smoking results in depression, irritability and general grumpiness.

Switching to e-cigarettes can help smokers trying to quit tobacco combat nicotine cravings, without the risk to health of tobacco smoke.

Liquid nicotine refills used in electronic cigarettes produce much lower levels of carbon monoxide and other toxic, cancer-causing chemicals. The risks associated with tar produced by tobacco smoke are also negated, so that the long-term side effects of tobacco involving heart disease, stroke and reduced sexual function are also minimalised. Normal lung function returns to ex-smokers with seven to 10 years of quitting, so switching to e-cigarettes can help smokers cut down nicotine intake gradually, without continuing to expose the lungs and other organs to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke

E-cigarettes are also more acceptable in situations where non-smokers might object to tobacco use. This could be in a business or social situation and many smokers forget that even if they are not actually smoking, their clothes and hair or skin and breath might still smell of tobacco smoke: in a romantic situation this could be a real deal breaker if the object of your attention is a non-smoker and does not want to get up close and personal with someone who to them smells like an ashtray.

And as well as health, e-cigarettes can also help improve wealth, as one refill (costing around £5 normally) can provide the equivalent of 40 cigarettes, depending on your smoking technique.

For cigar smokers, there is also an e-cigar and pipe smokers have not been forgotten as you can now puff away on an e-pipe, both of which are as realistic and economical as e-cigarettes.