The electronic cigarette is the best help to quit smoking

The arrival of the electronic cigarette has changed the world of tobacco, adding a new field in which these harmful products are replaced by softer and more pleasant products for the body. The replacement of tobacco and conventional cigarettes by these products is helping many users who want to quit smoking, becoming an element that reduces the problems derived precisely from quitting the habit. However, some experts also point out that these products, despite their benefits, also have a dark side, with effects that are not as good for health as they should be. Let’s look at both aspects in this article.

The electronic cigarette, double effectiveness

Within the studies that different universities have dedicated to the electronic cigarette, many of them have served to estimate the effectiveness of this new gadget in terms of the process of quitting smoking. A segment in which it has to face considerable competition, among which we find nicotine patches or gum, as well as other similar products with which to reduce dependence on it during use.

One of these studies, carried out by Queen Mary University of London, concludes that the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes as an element to eliminate the tobacco habit is almost double that of the rest of the methods that we have commented on. Specifically, 18% of smokers who switched to electronic cigarettes stopped smoking (conventional tobacco, that is) one year after starting treatment. A percentage that is reduced to 9.9% in the case of those who use the rest of the methods.

This study is not just one more, but it is the first to be carried out regarding the advantage of using the best electronic cigarettes compared to other systems for quitting tobacco. A study that even led to the United Kingdom’s National Institute of Health Excellence advising this type of device as an appropriate aid for quitting tobacco. A measure that left certain professionals in the sector somewhat stunned, for reasons such as those that we will see a little later.

why it works

Among the aspects that help the electronic cigarette to make it easier to quit tobacco is the similarity of this system with that aforementioned tobacco. In fact, the electronic cigarette has almost identical characteristics to the conventional one in terms of use. In other words, with an electronic cigarette we are going to be able to smoke, we are going to be able to hold something in our hands and we are going to be able to carry out, more or less, the habit of taking out the cigarette and smoking. All these aspects may seem unimportant but they are the ones that are fixed in our brain over time, so they go hand in hand with the habit of smoking.

Another aspect that helps this success is the possibility of changing flavors and even gradually reducing the amount of nicotine present in the electronic cigarette. The range of flavors serves as an incentive to enjoy new sensations, with an offer that ranges from conventional fruit flavors to more “exotic” flavors, such as meringue milk, cappuccino or even rice pudding.

Regarding the nicotine content, it is possible to choose different liquids both in terms of concentration and the type of tobacco that interests us. So if we are in the process of eliminating conventional tobacco, we will be able to do so progressively, with increasingly reduced concentrations of this component. In line with the dosages found in chewing gum or patches, with variable concentrations during use.

As a final aspect, this new smoking process dispenses with almost all the toxic elements of cigarettes, beyond nicotine. These are related to the cigarette manufacturing process, finding different contaminants both in the paper and in other different components of conventional cigarettes. So with liquids we can forget about these problems.

the not so good side             

As it happens with practically everything that we have within our reach, everything has its darkest side. And the electronic cigarette was not going to be an exception. Among these aspects is the relatively low incidence of the effect, given that although the results are doubled compared to other processes to quit smoking, we are not talking about considerable figures either.

Another important aspect has to do with the procedure itself. According to the recommendations of the WHO and the Ministry of Health, the use of the electronic cigarette as a replacement for the conventional one continues to be harmful. For these organizations, the only option is the definitive elimination of all forms of tobacco, electronic cigarettes and any other type of similar products, both traditional and current. In any case, it is true that as an intermediate solution it can be a convenient proposal, at least as a lesser evil. However, the position of the WHO is understood in the absence of evidence regarding the absence of harmful effects of these products for health.

Additionally, aside from smoking cessation, these cigarettes have an additional problem: being a gateway for new addicts. These organizations estimate that these products facilitate even more access to tobacco and the habit of smoking than traditional products, the sale of which is currently highly restricted, have been doing. In addition, the sensations of vaping, both due to the generation of smoke and the flavors that can be accessed, make it even more attractive for the youngest.

Thus, in view of all the evidence, it is clear that the effectiveness of these products is high compared to conventional methods, although the truth is that betting on a radical and complete solution, such as kicking the tobacco habit at the root, to continue being the most efficient… although unfortunately it is also the most difficult path.