VAPING AND E-CIGARETTES: FAQs You Need to Know

VAPING AND E-CIGARETTES: FAQs You Need to Know

E-cigarette and vaping were invented in 2003 and became available locally in early 2008.  They are sometimes called “e-cigs”, “vapes”, “vape pens”, “mods”, e-hookahs”, or “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)”. These are hand-held, battery powered vaporizer devices that produce smoke or vapor and are used as alternatives to regular smoking. They come in all shapes and sizes, some as big as power banks and some as small as a regular cigarette that may be mistaken as a small USB device. E-cigarettes produce aerosol, mist, or vapor by heating liquid that is often flavored; these aerosols may be inhaled by bystanders when exhaled by the user.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2015), 2.8% of Filipinos use e-cigarettes, and this number continues to increase on a yearly basis.  Due to its unique appeal, such as variants of flavors and attractive device designs, majority of users are adolescents and young adults.

But are they really safer than regular cigarettes?

Compared with regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes generally contain less toxic chemicals, but that does not mean that they are safer. E-cigarettes contain potentially harmful substances, including nicotine, lead and other heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing chemicals. In addition, some chemical interactions may cause potentially harmful reactions to the lungs, thereby, causing severe respiratory distress.

Recently, outbreaks of E-cigarette or vaping products-associated lung injury (EVALI) have been reported. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the United States, 2,051 cases of EVALI, with 39 deaths, were noted as of November 5, 2019. Some few cases in the Philippines have been mentioned.

The other ill-effects of vaping include delays in brain development among adolescents, impaired growth of babies among pregnant women, and long-term irreversible lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. In addition, defective devices may cause explosions and fires, which can result in serious injuries to both user and non-users. Swallowing of vape fluid has also led to poisoning in both adults and children.

Is there less nicotine in vape and e-cigarettes? Can it actually be used as a step to quit smoking?

Nicotine is the substance that makes cigarette smoking addictive. Contrary to popular belief, e-cigarettes and vape products contain nicotine and cannot be used as nicotine replacement therapy to help you quit smoking. Smoking is behavioral; if a person uses an e-cigarette or vape, the act of smoking is remains and nicotine is inhaled, contrary to what the advertisements claim. Many adults use e-cigarettes in an attempt to quit smoking, but most of them end up using both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes.

If you stopped smoking regular cigarettes and switch to vaping, can you already say that you have stopped smoking?

The answer is NO. If you plan to quit smoking, quit all types of products and devices. Know the facts. Know the effects of smoking on your health and on the health of those around you. Seek help: The Medical City, Section of Pulmonary Medicine has developed a program “START ANEW: Smoking and Tobacco Addiction and Relapse Therapy for A Nicotine Free Way of Life” that can help smokers become smoke-free and stay smoke-free for life by education, motivation, and individual counseling and psychosocial support groups.

Contact the Augusto P. Sarmiento Institute at 8988-1000/8988-7000 ext. 6214.

REFERENCES:

CDC

<!-- [if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/index.htm

<!-- [if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html

DOH

<!-- [if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/64