The lungs are like a pristine white palace, where every breath allows fresh air to resonate within its halls. However, when you light a cigarette or inhale an e-cigarette, this palace is no longer pure— it faces an invasion of smoke and vapour. So, between cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which one is the more destructive intruder?
Scientists designed a simple yet striking experiment: they built a transparent glass dome and used cotton balls to simulate lung tissue. They then exposed the cotton to cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour separately. A mechanical device slowly inhaled the smoke or vapour into the dome, mimicking what lungs experience daily. After three days, a shocking contrast appeared on the cigarette side, the cotton balls had turned into a sticky, tar-covered mass of yellowish-brown, while on the e-cigarette side, the cotton remained nearly as white as before, leaving only a faint mist in the air. It was like comparing two rooms one with a fireplace burning wood, coating the walls in soot, and the other with a humidifier running, leaving only a light haze but no heavy residue. But does this mean that e-cigarettes are truly safe?
Seeing the tar-blackened cotton, many might breathe a sigh of relief: "At least e-cigarettes don't produce so much tar". However, if we judge the safety of e-cigarettes merely by what meets the eye, it would be like noticing the lightning in a storm but ignoring the invisible toxic fog creeping in. While e-cigarettes may not leave behind thick tar, their vapour is not simply water-it is a mixture of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, and various chemical additives. The seemingly clean vapour is like a cup of fruity sugar water— it may taste milder than strong liquor, but long-term consumption still has consequences. Research has found that e-cigarette vapour can cause lung inflammation, and prolonged use may lead to "e-cigarette lung". a condition similar to chemical-induced pneumonia. In other words, if cigarettes are like a burning torch that directly scorches the lungs, then e-cigarettes are an invisible fog, subtly altering the lung environment, making it fragile, sensitive, and more susceptible to disease. Many people believe they are escaping the harmful effects of cigarettes, unaware that they are simply falling into another form of addiction. More importantly, e-cigarettes are not the "final stop" for quitting smoking, but rather a "buffer zone". Many people initially turn to e-cigarettes to quit smoking, only to end up increasing their nicotine intake instead. Doctors repeatedly emphasise that e-cigarettes are not harmless they are merely the "lesser evil".
If cigarettes are a suffocating dark tunnel, then e-cigarettes are a seemingly brighter path that still leads to nicotine dependence. True freedom is not choosing a "gentler" road but stepping out of the smoke-filled world entirely. Whether cigarettes or e-cigarettes, both place an extra burden on the lungs. Our lungs are like a once crystal-clear lake, and each puff of smoke or vapour is a drop of pollution. Though e-cigarettes may seem to produce less pollution than cigarettes, over time, they still alter the lake's colour and disrupt its ecosystem. When you breathe in fresh air, your lungs are in the process of self-repair, like a forest rejuvenating after rainfall. But when you choose e-cigarettes over cigarettes, the changes may not be immediately visible, yet the hidden chemicals are quietly affecting the health of your lung tissue. Rather than debating whether cigarettes or e-cigarettes are "safer"， why not take a step into a truly fresh world and give your lungs complete freedom?
