Theres currently amysterious vaping-related illnesscausing life-threatening lung injuries and deathmaybe youve heard?
But were still waiting on answers about what exactly is causing the issue.
If youre not totally sure how you should be responding to this public health crisis, youre not alone.
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Wait, remind me, whats going on here?
We still dont really know.
On one hand, evidence from test results is mounting that illegal cannabis- and THC-containing vapes are the issue.
Walmartremoved e-cigarettesfrom its shelves.
Health officials inMichiganandNew York voted to banflavored e-cigarettes.
(The ban in New York waslater blocked in court.)
So what is a responsible e-cigarette-using adult supposed to be doing here?
Should you give up vaping entirely?
What can you do if completely quitting nicotine simply isnt feasible for you right now?
What exactly do we know about the health risks of vaping versus smoking?
No, you should not go back to smoking traditional cigarettes.
Whatever you decide to do, going back to traditional cigarettes is not the answer.
Everyone agrees that the best course of action, if you might, is to quit vaping.
On top of the possible vaping-related lung illnesses, there are other risks associated with vaping nicotine.
Its not a completely harmless acteven without the combustion factor.
We know that lifelong nicotine addiction is problematic, Dr. Neptune says.
It can causewithdrawal symptoms, including mood changes and difficulty concentrating, Dr. Choi says.
Those risks are not as deadly as the risks that come with traditional cigarettes.
Unfortunately, we dont know much about the long-term risks of using vaping products, Dr. Neptune adds.
Ultimately, the best option is toquit vaping completely.
Sometimes doctors also recommend usingmedicationslike bupropion (Wellbutrin) and varenicline (Chantix) to help smokers quit.
Unfortunately, those methods dont work for everyone.
Heres what the research says about using e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
Recent large-scale studies about vaping as a form of nicotine replacement therapy are somewhat encouraging but also flawed.
The participants were broken up into groups of 100 people.
The first group got e-cigarettes with 7.2 milligrams of nicotine cartridges for 12 weeks.
The second group got e-cigarettes with 7.2-milligram cartridges for six weeks, followed by six weeks of lower-dose cartridges.
The third group got cartridges with no nicotine for 12 weeks.
Results showed that all groupsregardless of nicotine contentreduced their consumption of tobacco cigarettes over the course of the study.
But, obviously, there are some drawbacks here.
Also, a considerable chunk of participants (40%) didnt make it to the final follow-up.
Anotherstudy, this one published later, in 2013, inThe Lancet,followed 657 participants over six months.
Participants were randomized to receive e-cigarettes, nicotine patches, or placebo e-cigarettes without nicotine.
Its reassuring that there werent many adverse effects associated with nicotine e-cigarette use in this study.
But, again, we dont the potential long-term side effects of using e-cigarettes.
Crucially, all participants also received weekly behavioral therapy for four months.
There iscontradictory research, however.
If you havent tried using other smoking-cessation methods, explore those first.
But if youve already tried them or youre not interested, what exactly are you supposed to do?
How bad is it to keep using legal e-cigarettes to keep you from smoking?
If its the only thing helping you stop smoking, can you just…keep vaping?
This is where experts are divided.
Again, the absolute safest thing to do is quit vaping.
I dont think substance dependence is completely benign; it kind of controls your life, he continues.
Go to the tried-and-true [smoking-cessation methods], Dr. Neptune urges.
[You] should not get discouragedwe have effective therapies for adults who want to quit.
Whatever you do, dont go back to traditional cigarettes.
If youre not sure what the best course of action is for you, talk to your doctor.
The treatment is individualized, theres no one good way for everyone, he continues.
This is a good time for people to have that one-on-one discussion with their doctor.
Thats the biggest tragedy of the unintended consequence of this very well-meaning concern [about vaping].
You shouldnt feel ashamed or guilty, Dr. Neptune says, but you should make your voice heard.
