Commentary: Going beyond smoking to vaping cessation is needed to help people be nicotine-free

There are workarounds, but that takes a much longer time and can demoralise vapers who are engaging in the quitting process.  

THE END GOAL IS TO BE NICOTINE-FREE

The end goal of any therapy is to be nicotine-free, not just smoke free. When a smoker says “I quit smoking” through vaping, they might mean “I quit cigarette smoking but changed to vaping”. 

While non-combustible alternatives result in less toxins being produced, it is important to note that we still do not fully understand the components produced by vaping devices. And there is still nicotine involved.   

Any product that contains nicotine is definitely not risk-free. Nicotine is well-documented as a highly addictive drug that increases the user’s blood pressure and heart rate and causes the narrowing of blood vessels. It also alters the way the brain functions and triggers strong cravings for the drug.

Combustible products, like cigarettes, are the most harmful as thousands more toxic chemicals are produced when tobacco burns. This greatly increases the smoker’s risk of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart diseases.