What Everyone Needs to Know About Vaping

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve surely heard about the deaths and mysterious lung diseases that have been tied to vaping during the past year. As a physician, I’m highly concerned about these reports, but there is one upside: A wider group of people are finally starting to talk about and understand the dangers of vaping.

When e-cigarettes (also called vape pens or vapes) first hit the U.S. market around 2006, some health advocates were hopeful that these devices—which use a battery to heat and aerosolize nicotine so you can inhale it—would serve as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. While it’s true that e-cigarettes don’t expose users to all of the dangerous byproducts of combustion, they’re still highly problematic and very addictive.

The common (but false) belief that e-cigarettes were harmless led to thousands of people who’d never smoked before—including many teens—experimenting with them and becoming addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that not only affects brain neurochemistry, but affects every single blood vessel in the body leading to constriction of the vessels, high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke and heart attack. In addition, e-cigarettes still contain many other substances that have been linked to cancer. Meanwhile, many have been using the same e-cigarette technology to vape marijuana (in the form of THC oil).

Why are people dying from vaping?

As of February 2020, 68 people have died from vaping-related illnesses and a total of 2,807 have been hospitalized. Many of these deaths have been young, previously healthy people who took on a popular and socially acceptable practice that they might have thought was relatively harmless.

It’s worth noting that, at least so far, none of these deaths have been tied to nicotine-containing e-cigarette pods made by major manufacturers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s the THC-containing vape products—”particularly from informal sources like friends, family, or in-person or online dealers”—that seem to be most problematic. In other words, the black market of marijuana vape pods is what poses the greatest risk. Experts currently believe that the problem is an additive called vitamin E acetate that’s used to dilute the THC oil found in marijuana.

That doesn’t mean vaping commercially available nicotine is safe, however. In addition to the above-mentioned health risks specific to nicotine, vaping any substance entails inhaling a hot gas that can burn lung tissue. Even if you buy vape pods from a well-known manufacturer, you’re not just getting nicotine and water; you’re also being exposed to other chemicals and flavorings, none of which belong in the human body.

What’s more, e-cigarettes were subject to only minimal regulation in this country when they were first introduced, leading to a market that produced e-cigarettes containing up to three times more nicotine than vape pods available in the UK.

What should we do about vaping?

If you’ve never smoked or vaped before, don’t start. Period. Studies are indicating that brain chemistry and blood flow are affected even after one vaping episode. If you’re a parent, be sure to talk to your kids (especially teens and pre-teens) about the dangers of vaping, ideally before they’ve had a chance to try it.

If you currently smoke regular cigarettes and are hoping to quit, I highly suggest exploring other smoking- cessation options and not vaping.

You might consider other nicotine-replacement products, such as gums and lozenges, or talk to your doctor about prescription medication like Zyban (bupropion) or varenicline (Chantix) that can help curb your cravings.

RxSaver has coupons for bupropion that can make using it much more affordable.

Find resources and support groups that can help you quit

It’s critical t to include a behavioral component in your nicotine-cessation strategy. Seek out online support, check out Nicotine Anonymous, or call 800-QUIT-NOW to be directed to help in your area.

If you currently vape (or your child does), some of the same quit-smoking strategies may be useful. Just remember that breaking the addiction is two-fold, as it is when it comes to ditching traditional cigarettes: You’ll need to figure out how to combat the physiological cravings while also addressing the social and emotional aspects of your habit. If you’re used to reaching for a vape pen whenever you feel stressed, what other stress-relief methods can you try? If you tend to walk around parties with an e-cigarette in your hand, what will you hold or touch instead? How will you deal with being around friends who still vape?

Thinking ahead about these issues and enlisting support from your family, doctor, or a tobacco-cessation expert can go a long way. Find more tips on quitting vaping at smokefree.gov.