Doctors are increasingly warning against the use of e-cigarettes, citing overwhelming evidence that they have a major negative impact on health, even when used to quit smoking.
According to Dr. Petros Levounis, President of the American Psychiatric Association and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, there are strong, safe, and FDA-approved therapies available for current smokers.
The American College of Cardiology issued new medical guidelines in July that strongly prohibit the use of e-cigarettes, particularly in people with chronic heart disease.
Dr Naomi Hamburg, a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Boston University, emphasizes that e-cigarettes have been shown to boost heart rate, and blood pressure, and disturb blood vessel relaxation in young people. It is strongly advised to choose a proven safe alternative.
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While the FDA admits that e-cigarettes may contain fewer hazardous chemicals than regular cigarettes, it maintains that no tobacco product is safe.
Dr. Jason Rose, a pulmonary and critical care physician at The University of Maryland School of Medicine, as well as an associate professor of medicine and associate dean for innovation and physician science, emphasizes that it is not possible to conclude that e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes.
Doctors warn against a “dual use pattern,” in which people trying to stop smoking use e-cigarettes in addition to regular cigarettes.
This practice has the potential to have a highly damaging combined effect on blood arteries, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders.
Frances Daniels, a Parent Against Vaping volunteer, tells the heartbreaking experience of her 17-year-old kid, who used e-cigarettes recreationally and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit for five weeks due to EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).
While Daniels’ child eventually healed without a lung transplant, the ordeal was excruciating.
Doctors advise patients to use FDA-approved smoking cessation products.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) such as patches, gum, or inhalers, as well as drugs such as Bupropion or Varenicline, are options. Combining NRTs, such as the patch and gum, is frequently recommended.
Psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can be effective in some circumstances.
While e-cigarettes do not yet have FDA certification as smoking cessation aids, firms are continuing to pursue such approval.
The FDA argues that more research is needed to confirm their safety for persons looking to quit smoking.
According to Dr. Hamburg, e-cigarettes are less than ideal smoking cessation methods, with safer and scientifically established alternatives available.
