I’m A Surgeon ― Here’s Why Quitting Vaping Is So Tough

Vapes, which were originally introduced as a measure to help smokers give up ciggies, have proven a vice of their own to some.

Per a 2023 survey, 15% of occasional or one-off vapers aged 11-17 and 32% of regular vapers in the same age group said they’d never touched a cigarette before trying a vape.

Some of the products have been criticised by the government for marketing that they see as being aimed at children.

If you’re seeking to quit your vape pen ― which may be better than cigarettes, but which still contains addictive nicotine, and whose long-term effects haven’t been extensively studied yet ― surgeon, author, and lecturer Dr Karan Rajan says he has “some good and some bad news.”

Why is it so hard to quit vaping?

“The good news is that there are tools that you can use” to cut down on the habit, the doctor advised.

These include nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medications (like Varenicline), and sometimes therapy.

But, the doctor added that “the bad news is that these are all smoking cessation tools” ― in other words, they’re usually designed for people who smoke cigarettes, rather than vape users.

Indeed vapes themselves feature in the same list as other nicotine replacement options on the NHS’ site, as e-cigarettes were meant to be one such treatment for smokers to begin with.

“Whilst they may work for vaping too, this highlights the fact that there’s almost no high-quality research on how to quit vaping, specifically,” Dr Rajan continued.

Why is vaping so addictive?

The surgeon says that vaping is a slightly “different beast” to smoking, which is part of the reason why it’d be so useful to have more data on effective ways to give up e-cigarettes.

That’s because they’re “more habitual” than ciggies, Dr Rajan shared ― “with cigarettes, you light one, smoke it, and move on. With vaping, you can take a puff every few minutes, turning it into an almost unconscious reflex.”

Add that to the fact that you can vape in places you wouldn’t usually smoke and it’s no wonder vaping ends up “seamlessly integrated into daily life,” the doctor says.

That can make it “more challenging” to quit.

The sooner quality research can be done into quitting the pens, the better, Dr Rajan added, stressing that this “isn’t just a tobacco problem with a glossy finish ― it’s a new public health frontier that requires its own solutions.”

Share Button

The Tories Oppose Labour’s Plan To Extend The Smoking Ban – But Last Year They Wanted To Make It Completely Illegal

The Tories have criticised Labour’s plan to ban smoking outside pubs just months after saying they wanted to make it completely illegal.

The former prime minister’s decision to call an early election meant he ran out of time to turn the policy into law.

Labour have said they will introduce the legislation themselves, and today it emerged that they want to go further by banning smoking in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and outside sports stadiums and hospitals.

The Conservatives posted on X that was “more evidence that Labour hates freedom”.

“This isn’t about people’s health. It’s about control,” they added.

But embarrassingly for the Tories, a community note was added to the post pointing out the party’s previous support for an outright smoking ban.

Other users of the social media platform were also quick to highlight the Conservatives’ apparent hypocrisy.

Share Button

Increase Smoking Age By One Year Every Year Until No-One Can Buy Tobacco – Government Review

The age at which people can legally buy tobacco in England should increase by one year every year, a government-commissioned review has said.

It recommended the legal age of sale should steadily rise from the current age limit of 18 and millions of pounds be invested to stop smoking.

The independent review by Dr Javed Khan made 15 recommended interventions, including an extra £125 million per year invested in smoke-free policies and a further £70 million per year ringfenced for stop smoking services.

The review also said vapes should be promoted as an effective “swap to stop” tool to help people quit smoking and there should be improved prevention in the NHS offering smokers advice and support to quit.

Dr Khan, former chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s, said: “Without immediate and sustained action, England will miss the smoke-free target by many years and most likely decades.

“A smoke-free society should be a social norm – but to achieve this, we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking.

“My holistic set of recommendations for government will deliver this, whilst saving lives, saving money and addressing the health disparities associated with smoking.

“My proposals are not just a plan for this government, but successive governments too. To truly achieve a smoke-free society in our great country, we need to commit to making smoking obsolete, once and for all.”

Dr Khan also called for a “tobacco licence” for retailers to limit the availability of tobacco across the country, a rethink of the way cigarette sticks and packets look to reduce their appeal, and a mass media campaign to encourage smokers to quit.

Almost six million people in England smoke, and tobacco remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death, the Department of Health said.

Share Button

The Truth Behind Philip Morris International’s Smoke-Free Future

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. Click ‘I agree‘ to allow Verizon Media and our partners to use cookies and similar technologies to access your device and use your data (including location) to understand your interests, and provide and measure personalised ads. We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products. Learn more about how we use your data in our Privacy Centre. Once you confirm your privacy choices here, you can make changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard.

Click ‘Learn more‘ to learn and customise how Verizon Media and our partners collect and use data.

Share Button