Last updated on September 4th, 2023
Why Vaping is Now the Preferred Method for Quitting Cigarettes
According to the CDC, more smokers trying to quit are turning to ecigarettes over any other nicotine replacement therapy, including pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications. Why? There's now good evidence that if you want to quit smoking, it's more likely you'll succeed by vaping.
A new study, published in the medical journal BMJ reports come compelling evidence.
160,000 Americans took part in the study which compared people trying to quit using e-cigarettes with those who did not. The result found that 65 percent of smokers who used e-cigarettes became enrolled in truly trying to quit. Only 40 percent of those not using the devices tried to quit smoking. Of greater interest, the study found that around 8 percent of smokers who used e-cigarettes who tried to quit were successful, compared to only around 5 percent of those who tried to quit without using vaping products.
Here is a growing list of respected scientific and public health organizations, and governments, that have reviewed all the available evidence and made public statements confirming that nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes) and/or other safer nicotine alternatives, are safer than smoking.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ty7pgRBxvI1nuJzHWxclzNlu569Hozn6/edit
What Are the Most Popular Methods To Quit Smoking?
The most popular ‘quit smoking’ methods are:
- Total abstainance
- Getting help from a doctor or health professional
- Using e-cigarettes exclusively
- Weaning off tobacco cigarettes, using e-cigarettes
- Using smoking-cessation medications approved by the FDS
- Help from a website
- Help from quitline -a telephone helpline offering treatment for addiction and behavior change/issues.
Now Look At the Percentage of Smokers Who Choose Those Methods To Quit – Reported by the CDC
Here They Are in Order of Preferrence:
- Totally abstaining from cigarettes (65.3 percent).
- Reducing the number of cigarettes smoked (62 percent).
- Switching completely from cigarettes to e-cigs (24.7 percent).
- Getting help from a doctor or health professional (15.2 percent).
- Using smoking-cessation medications approved by the FDA – 12.2 percent.
- Getting help from a website – 7.1 percent).
- Getting help from quitline – 5.4 percent.
source: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2017/16_0600.htm
So We Now Know That Smokers Are Choosing E-Cigarettes Over Any Other Smoking-Cessation Medications Approved by the FDA
Brad Rodu, professor of medicine at the University of Louisville and an anti-smoking advocate believes these figures are important in understanding how people choose to quit. In addition, vaping has become an important part of the equation.
According to Rodu,
The CDC has finally acknowledged the popularity of vaping. This study documents that vaping is American smokers’ most popular quit-smoking aid, despite a broad misinformation campaign labeling e-cigarettes as neither safe nor effective. Far fewer smokers use FDA-approved aids, which have been promoted by federal health authorities for many years. Smokers know that, while safe, they are decidedly ineffective.
Does Any Health Organization Believe It Is Safe to Vape?
In 2015 Public Health England made a landmark statement saying “e-cigarettes were at least 95% safer than tobacco cigarettes.” They confirmed that report in 2018.
Public Health England Reaffirms Support of #Vaping https://t.co/MgJfONvDjb pic.twitter.com/I7Jc58Z6pQ
— CASAA (@CASAAmedia) February 9, 2018
The Royal College of Physicians also agreed with Public Health England.
In another report from the UK, the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that half a million smokers switched to e-cigarettes. Most of those who took up vaping are now ex-smokers.
In the U.S. the CDC chooses to disregard these studies, taking their cue from the FDA.
The CDC noted that,
According to Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, there is strong evidence.
It’s interesting that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that any of the other methods smokers use in trying to quit is any more effective than vaping. There is only conjecture.
Politics and Money – Two Stumbling Blocks to Health
Many believe that outdated ideologies or financial conflicts may be blinding the CDC and other anti-vaping organization such as the American Lung Association.
Unlike in the United Kingdom, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general has not recognized the public-health question of whether e-cigs and vaporizers offer smokers a reduced-risk alternative to traditional cigarettes. Dr. Murthy chooses to say that e-cig technology should be embraced only when there is enough evidence that vaping can help smokers who have failed to quit by other methods.
In the meantime the media is led to report only the fact that there is not enough evidence to prove vaping is 100% safe, or even safer than smoking.
Perhaps one day the air will clear, yet it is still unclear whether vaping products will ever be approved by the FDA as a viable method for quitting cigarettes.
Have you been able to quit cigarettes using a vaping device? We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.
