4 Things M’sians USED To Think Were Super Cool Until Reality Hit

If you thought adulting meant having endless freedom and spontaneous adventures, surely you got a painful reality check!

It’s hilarious (and disappointing) to find out that some of the things we thought were “cool” totally didn’t match the hype. Let us know if you can relate to any of the painful realisations below!

1. Drinking black coffee as if it’s sweet

We always saw people gulping down black coffee every day before they left for work. Have you ever thought how cool it would be to devour the unappealing and bitter drink without a flinch?

Well, the truth is that not everyone enjoys the robust bitterness most black coffees have to offer. While some incorporate the low-calorie, plain brewed coffee into their weight loss diets, most of us simply need that caffeine boost to get through another day at work. Nonetheless, we have also started appreciating the health benefits of black coffee, such as:

• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Boosts memory and workout performance
• Provides antioxidants to fight inflammation     

2. Making money (and spending it freely)

Financial freedom is something we always long for. Little did we know that with age comes more financial responsibilities!

From house rentals to car loans and insurance, there are just so many commitments that eat up our wages to the point where we don’t have enough money left for leisure! *cries in broke*

3. Staying up late 

“How great would it be if we could be up all night long without going to bed!” This must have been your inner monologue every night, especially when there are not enough hours in a day to do all the things that you want to.

As we matured, we quickly realise the importance of rest, be it a quick power nap or a good night’s sleep. Did you know that pulling an all-nighter would risk lowering our productivity due to sleep deprivation? Here are some other reasons why we just SHOULDN’T stay up late: 

• It increases the chances of chronic diseases (e.g. stroke, heart attack, diabetes, obesity)
• Causes emotional instability (e.g. irritability, frustration, impulsivity)
• Results in dehydrated, sallow skin and breakouts 

4. Smoking cigarettes like macho actors on TV

The imagery of tobacco products is widely seen on TV—think of a secret agent lighting up his cigarette when he casually walks away from an explosion in the background! These dramatised scenes glorify smoking and portray it as a cool thing to do.

But through educational campaigns, we eventually learnt that smoking is far from cool. In fact, it can:

• Cause smoking-related diseases (e.g. lung cancer, bronchitis, stroke)
• Produce health-threatening secondhand smoke 
• Affect pregnancy (e.g. ectopic pregnancy, sudden infant death syndrome)

Smoking affects about five million Malaysian adults who picked up cigarettes for various reasons. In order to reduce the risks of smoking cigarettes, these smokers can opt for tobacco heating devices like IQOS.

Cigarettes VS Tobacco heating devices 

Although both products use tobacco and contain nicotine, tobacco heating devices are very different from regular cigarettes: 

• Mechanisms
  • Cigarettes: burn tobacco at around 900℃.
  • Tobacco heating devices: heats tobacco at up to 350℃.
• Emissions
  • Cigarettes: produce smoke and ash that contain harmful chemicals (e.g. carbon monoxide, carcinogen, tar) that cause smoking-related diseases. 
  • Tobacco heating devices: produce aerosol (composed of water, glycerin, and nicotine) and release 95% less harmful chemicals than cigarettes*. 

*IQOS is not risk-free. Reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette. See Important Information on IQOS.com.

• Passive smoking
  • Cigarettes: expose bystanders to disease-causing chemicals through secondhand smoke. 
  • Tobacco heating devices: aerosol does not reduce indoor air quality, which prevents bystanders from inhaling secondhand smoke. 

Tobacco heating devices as less harmful alternatives to cigarettes

Tobacco heating devices like IQOS play an important role in achieving tobacco harm reduction (THR), a public health strategy established to minimise the health impacts of smoking. This is because the heating of tobacco releases significantly fewer harmful chemicals as compared to cigarettes that burn tobacco*.

Consequently, when tobacco heating devices are used, smokers and bystanders are also exposed to less harmful chemicals. Besides, unlike cigarette smokers, users of tobacco heating devices do not have to worry about the strong smell of smoke that bothers the people around them.

All in all, it is vital to note that heated tobacco products still contain nicotine and are not entirely risk-free. However, it can be a less harmful alternative for cigarette smokers who wish to continue smoking. Learn more about tobacco heating devices here or follow IQOS on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.

These products are not risk-free and contain nicotine, which is addictive. Only for use by adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products.