If you are thinking about quitting your smoking habit, you aren’t alone. Nearly 77% say they want quit smoking. Quitting smoking, which can cause damage to nearly all of your organs including the heart, is one thing you can do for yourself. Nearly one-third (33%) of deaths from heart disease can be attributed to smoking or secondhand smoke.
You may feel tempted to switch to electronic cigarettes (e.g. vape pen, vape pen and other nondisposable vaping devices) to ease the transition between traditional cigarettes and not smoking. What is the best way to quit smoking cigarettes and vaping? Can ecigarettes be used as a means to quit smoking permanently?
1: Although vaping can be less harmful than smoking it, it’s still not recommended.
E-cigarettes use nicotine (extracted from the tobacco) and flavorings to create an inhalable aerosol. The chemicals found in regular tobacco cigarettes can reach as high as 7,000, with many of them being toxic. Blaha claims that while we don’t know the exact chemical makeup of e-cigarettes (or what they contain), there’s no doubt that vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
However, there’s been an outbreak in related lung injuries and deaths from vaping. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) reported 2807 cases and 68 deaths of vaping-related lung injury (EVALI), in February 2020.
“These cases most commonly affect people who modify vaping devices and use black market modified electronic e-liquids. Blaha states that this is especially true when vaping products contain THC.
Vitamin E acetate is a known chemical of concern to people with EVALI, according to the CDC. Vitamin E acetate (a thickening agent used in THC vaping product) was found in all EVALI patients whose lung fluids were examined by CDC.
The CDC recommends:
- Do not vape or use e-cigarettes that contain THC.
- Avoid informal sources like friends, family, or online retailers to purchase a vaping apparatus.
- You shouldn’t modify or add to any vaping device for which you are not authorized by the manufacturer.
The Johns Hopkins University has published thousands of chemical substances in vape juices, many of which have yet to be identified. The team found several potentially harmful substances. These included caffeine, three chemicals not previously known to be in ecigarettes, a pesticide, and two flavorings with potential toxic effects and respiratory irritation.
2: Researchers suggest that vaping is bad news for your heart.
Nicotine, the primary chemical in regular cigarettes or e-cigarettes is addictive. It can make you crave nicotine and cause withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine is toxic. It can cause high blood pressure rises and adrenaline spikes, which increase heart rate and increases the possibility of suffering from a cardiac attack.
Is vaping dangerous? There are many things we don’t know about vaping. This includes the chemicals that make up the vapor, and how they affect our long-term health. Blaha says that ecigarettes pose a risk to your health. The emerging evidence suggests links to asthma as well as association between dual e-cigarette use and smoking with coronary disease. You’re likely to be exposed and potentially dangerous to chemicals we don’t understand.
3: Electronic cigarettes are just like traditional cigarettes.
Both regular cigarettes and electronic cigarettes contain nicotine. Studies suggest that this substance may be as addictive or as addictive as heroin, cocaine, and other drugs. Blaha states that ecigarette users are more likely to take e-cigarettes as much nicotine as they would from regular cigarettes. Blaha says that you can either buy extra strong cartridges (which have a higher nicotine content) or increase your ecigarette’s power to get a stronger dose.
4: E-cigarettes aren’t the best method to stop smoking.
Although e-cigarettes have been promoted as aids to quitting smoking, they aren’t approved by Food and Drug Administration as cessation products. A recent study showed that most people who attempted to quit smoking with e-cigarettes ended up continuing to smoke traditional and electronic cigarettes.
The CDC advises those who use ecigarettes to quit smoking to evaluate the risks and consider other FDA-approved options.
5: A new generation has become addicted to nicotine.
E-cigarettes and especially the disposable version are more popular with youth than traditional tobacco products. According to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey more than 2 million U.S. middle school students reported using electronic cigarettes in 2021. 8 out of 10 of those students were using flavored tobacco e-cigarettes.
Blaha believes there are three reasons that ecigarettes may appeal to young people. Many teens believe vaping to be safer than smoking. E-cigarettes can be used at a lower price than traditional cigarettes. A third benefit is that e-cigarettes don’t have any smoke, which appeals to both teens and adults. E-cigarettes do not have the smell of cigarettes, which helps to reduce stigmatization.
Blaha stated that the thing most concerning about vaping is its rise among youth. “It’s all one thing to go from smoking cigarettes, and vaping is another. It’s quite an entirely different matter to vape and begin nicotine use. You may also find yourself addicted to nicotine, which can lead you to use traditional tobacco products.
Data from the CDC show that youth vaping has dropped somewhat since 2020. This trend could have been caused by children being kept at home by their parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Blaha points out that interpretation is complicated because young people can change their preferences easily and may not consider vaping using disposable products like puff bars or puff bars. The same CDC report indicates that disposable ecigarette consumption has increased by 1,000% for high school students and 400% for middle school students.
Vaping and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Blaha says that data showed that ecigarette sales fell when the coronavirus outbreak first started. This could have been due to people spending more time at work and avoiding shops.
Blaha however sees a disturbing trend: a rise in daily use of e-cigarettes among vape enthusiasts. “The average number of vapers per day used to only be 1 in 5. But it seems that it has risen significantly, which is worrying as it could indicate more nicotine addiction. I will keep an eye on it.”
Smoking or vaping can increase the severity of respiratory problems related to COVID-19.
Are you looking to quit smoking cigarettes?
There is a strong association between smoke and cardiovascular disease. You can help your body recover faster if it quits sooner. Talk to your doctor and determine the best method or tools for quitting smoking.
