Ask a Lakes Urgent Care Doctor

Unauthorized vaping products regularly enter the market, and underage sales too frequently occur in stores and online. Some experts believe vaping is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. But much is unknown about the long-term health consequences of vaping. Unlike traditional cigarettes, E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, don’t involve combustion and contain fewer ingredients. A 2018 analysis of more than 800 peer-reviewed scientific studies suggests that “e-cigarettes are likely to be far less harmful than combustible tobacco cigarettes.” While vaping exposes users to some toxicants, the vapor has “fewer numbers and lower levels of most toxicants” than cigarette smoke. However, E-cigarettes have not received FDA approval as a medical smoking cessation device.

E-cigarettes are undeniably harmful, exposing users to numerous toxic and carcinogenic substances that may lead to adverse health effects. But they virtually eliminate exposure to carbon monoxide, tar and many of the 7,000 chemicals that contribute to cigarettes’ lethality. In short, e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking, but they are by no means safe! As of last week, the CDC has reported a total of 29 vaping related deaths across the US, in contrast to nearly half a million cigarette related deaths annually. Vaping products from reputable, regulated manufacturers may indeed be measurably safer than traditional cigarettes, but there is simply not enough experience or research to know the ultimate health impact vaping will have on users. The simple and safe answer is, don’t smoke cigarettes and don’t vape.

It is true that most smokers who try E-cigarettes continue to smoke, but that does not mean that E-cigarettes are an ineffective cessation aid. Most smokers who try FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies also continue to smoke, but such products are still officially deemed “effective.” The best source of advice and guidance to quit smoking cigarettes or discontinue the use of vaping products will be your primary care physician. There is certainly not a “one fits all” approach but keep trying to quit if you are a smoker or vaper!