I was talking to a mate of mine over the weekend and he told me of how his boss was beating smoking by using electronic cigarettes. He told me that by his boss using a nicotine liquid in an electronic cigarette she was beating the risks of cancer! I was blown away by this belief as nothing could be further from the truth.
Nicotine is extremely poisonous and has and still is being used as a pesticide. The thing about the danger of inhaling nicotine is that it causes your blood vessels to constrict; this in turn raises your blood pressure. In other words every time you smoke you stress your body. When your body gets stressed it produces cortisol which is part of the fight or flight system. This means that your body then diverts your blood away from your extremities, it interferes with your circulation. Stress is a well-known factor to cancer so in effect by inhaling nicotine with an electronic cigarette you are not reducing your risks of cancer, you are increasing them.
My friend is not the only one to think that nicotine is relatively harmless and many people who come to see me at Quit Cigarettes in 60 Minutes in Capalaba think the same. The companies that sell nicotine have a lot to answer for, nicotine is harmful, it should be banned!!

About Steve Gardiner

Stephen Gardiner originates from Rhodesia, (Zimbabwe) then working around the globe before finally settling in Brisbane Australia. As a scientist, Steve always had an interest in human development, especially Mind Plastisicity and how we cope with stress, anxiety and addictive behaviours. Over the past 15 years Steve has assisted many clients to transform their lives by resolving the obstacles holding them back.

Entries by Steve Gardiner