Overcoming an addiction is not easy. But “vaping” has helped thousands of people to move away from traditional cigarettes.
Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, has been widely accepted as a less dangerous option for health than tobacco use.
Governments such as the United Kingdom have presented it as a tool to quit smoking, although professionals in other parts of the world have expressed doubts:
“Every time I receive more young people between the ages of 16 and 24 in my office who use this product and have a nicotine level in their bodies equivalent to the consumption of more than 20 cigarettes a day,” cardiologist Jacqueline Scholz, who directs the the Tobacco Treatment Outpatient Clinic of the Sao Paulo Heart Institute.
It is estimated that some 50 million people in the world vape, many of them young people between the ages of 18 and 25.
The question in terms of health is whether you can take the next step and even stop vaping.
Why is vaping addictive?
The main reason a person can become addicted to vaping is nicotine, the same ingredient behind cigarette addiction.
Due to this addictive capacity, its use is not recommended for people who do not smoke.
Nicotine creates new receptors in the brain when it enters the body, and the user can quickly experience a sense of well-being associated with vaping.
In this way, when a person stops vaping and, therefore, receiving those stimuli, the body begins to desire more nicotine.
A sensation that tends to be more acute in the first 3 or 4 days after the last consumption.
According to various health organizations, other withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings also occur.
How long does it take to stop vaping?
There is no concrete answer. It depends on each person, but there is some reference data about it.
Technically, it is possible to stop vaping immediately, overnight. However, for many people in practice this is very difficult.
Experts in the field, such as the UK’s National Center for Smoking Cessation (NCSCT), generally recommend a gradual approach.
One of the tips for people who vape is to reduce the percentage of nicotine in the liquids that feed the electronic cigarette for four weeks, until that percentage is 0%.
This can be tricky with disposable vapes, which tend to have a higher nicotine ratio.
But there are also versions without nicotine, which can be interspersed with those that are used regularly.
Another option is to switch to a tank-based vaporizer, which allows for the use of various liquids.
In addition, there are other tips such as:
1. Extend the times between vapes.
2. Taking shorter puffs (especially if it’s a disposable vape).
3. Set rules like, for example, only vaping outside the home.
There are also nicotine replacement treatments, such as patches, gums, and spray.
Avoid the habit
Just like with smoking, if you’ve been vaping for a long time, chances are you’ve formed a habit about it.
Certain situations or times of the day (considered triggers) will have accustomed you to reaching for your vaporizer.
This can be difficult to overcome, so it helps to be able to identify what those primary triggers are.
It’s also a good idea to try to fill that time with a distraction or alternative activity, like going for a walk or exercising.
If the person is a former smoker, the NCSCT notes that it pays to have a vaporizer on hand for emergencies.
Because, according to this center in the United Kingdom, if someone relapses, it is better to vape than to look for a cigarette.
Keep reading:
* Why does vaping rot the lungs?
* Smoking an electronic cigarette is equivalent to consuming 20 cigarettes a day, according to a study
* E-cigarettes can cause long-term lung damage
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See original article on BBC