Vaping: Better Than Tobacco

Today’s final look at vaping and quitting smoking considers the following question: Does the use of vaping to quit smoking result in eliminating the dependence on nicotine? Based on the research, the answer is no, because there’s no research that attempts to answer that question that I could find. Knowing the powerful addictive qualities of nicotine, the only assumption we can make is that vaping does not result in breaking away from nicotine. Therefore when it comes to that question, vaping transfers the nicotine addiction from one delivery system, tobacco, to another delivery system, electronic nicotine-delivery devices. The addiction remains.

But we can still say vaping is better than smoking or chewing tobacco simply for the reduction in chemical exposure.

Maybe the assumption is that nicotine is benign. It isn’t. It has powerful effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems as well as the adrenal and pancreatic glands. But that isn’t the only issue.

Research Questions

Besides the long-term effects of vaping on the body as well as the question I posed above, there are still several questions that have to be answered.

• What is the effect of the incineration of the flavors used in vaping juices? The assumption is that because they come from fruit and other juices, they’re natural and won’t have any negative effect on the teeth, the trachea, and the lungs. We know that cooking changes the chemicals in the fruits and vegetables we eat; we also know that when eaten, they have no negative impact on the digestive system, but there’s concern that some of the by-products may be harmful to the lungs. We have no idea what incineration of the juices at high temperature will create. Remember that tobacco is a plant, too—it’s not that different.

• What is the effect of the smoke or vapors on other people? Vaping generates second-hand smoke just as smoking does, but there’s no research on that.

• Will childhood vaping lead to nicotine experimentation and addiction? Vaping devices have been marketed like candy to children for their taste. Nicotine cannot be advertised to children, hence the warning in the television ad that began this series, but the concern is that once using the same type of e-cigarette delivery system with fruit juices, it will be a small step for the kids to try the nicotine forms when they’re old enough, if not before.

The Bottom Line

At this time, vaping is better than smoking or chewing tobacco due to the reduction in exposure to toxic chemicals. However, it’s not correct to suggest that vaping is safe until the above research has been done. Until research demonstrates that vaping will lead to helping smokers break their addiction to nicotine, it’s the best route available to help people quit smoking and probably to quit chewing tobacco, although that’s not been tested. But that still doesn’t make it healthy.

If you want to know more about nicotine, the business of vaping and my personal experience with cigarette smoking become a Member or Insider at drchet.com. I cover those issues in the latest episode of Straight Talk on Health.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Ther Adv Respir Dis. 2018 .doi: 10.1177/1753465817744960.