Nicotine, an addictive drug

Smoking is completely prohibited in public spaces and in most restaurants in the Western world. Yet, despite the decrease in the number of smokers in the West, the tobacco industry has not given up its quest for profits. New electronic products such as the e-cigarette and the tobacco heater have been added to what is a lucrative market. Colorful advertising campaigns sell the illusion of new-style smoking: It looks cool, it doesn’t stink, and it doesn’t make you sick. But how true is that last claim? Or is the industry doing what it has always done, and creating a smokescreen for the truth? Because it’s anything but certain that the new electronic products are healthier, as a new study proves. Just like the traditional cigarette, they contain nicotine, and that, as we all know, causes addiction. What’s more, the new products have created a whole new lung disease: Evali (which stands for e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury). While the market is evolving, it seems the marketing strategies – not to mention the ethics – have remained the same. So, how exactly does the tobacco industry continue to make profits without any consideration for health?

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