Unless you have turned off all your electronic devices, stopped reading the newspaper and have no functioning television then you have probably heard that electronic cigarettes or vaping is really bad for your health. In fact, there is a small epidemic of users of these products that are getting hospitalized with life-threatening breathing problems.
It is not a big surprise to the pulmonary medicine community that inhaling nicotine and oils would be bad for your lungs. The big surprise has been how slow the federal government has been in recognizing that this is just another wolf in sheep’s clothing. Cotton candy, grape and other flavors all targeting teenagers have been so successful that the next generation of nicotine addicts has been hatched. 25% of teenagers report using electronic cigarettes before they leave high school.
The tobacco industry would have you believe that vaping is a safe way to stop using cigarettes. If you believe that then I have a beautiful bridge to sell you in San Francisco. Be a skeptic! The tobacco industry has invested billions of dollars in developing millions of new addicts in response to decreasing cigarette usage.
If you are a smoker and trying to quit, there are a handful of tools that can be helpful and don’t threaten your health. Develop a plan. Have a quit date. Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement products such as patches, gum or lozenges. There are prescription medications that can increase your success rate. If you don’t succeed at first, don’t give up. Keep trying. Most smokers will have to try to quit several times before they have lasting success.