In the last ten years, the concept of vaping has been introduced as being less dangerous compared to the traditional way of smoking. As a result, many smokers, especially younger people, have started vaping with an objective to either cut down on their tobacco intake or to quit smoking entirely. Yet, nowadays, there is a negative tendency, whereby people who used to vape to help themselves to give up smoking, are beginning to become dependent on the use of vaping equipment.
While vaping does seem to be less dangerous than smoking, it does involve certain risks for health. Moreover, the popularity of flavoured vaping products, together with the intensive advertising of such products and belief in their harmlessness, results in the emergence of a new cohort of nicotine-dependent people. It is estimated that in 2025, around 129 million adults were using nicotine vaping devices compared to the 50 million in 2018. According to the WHO, there are at least 15 million teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 who are e-cigarette users globally. Even though the number of smokers has been reduced, it has been estimated that there are about 1.2 billion tobacco users worldwide, highlighting the ongoing burden of nicotine addiction.
Risks of nicotine to the body
Causes nicotine addiction
Affects brain development
Rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure
Dangerous to lungs
Contains chemicals that may be harmful to the body
Increase likelihood of respiratory conditions
Can worsen asthma and allergies
Weakens immune system
Are young users getting addicted again?
In contrast to ordinary cigarettes, most vapes are inconspicuous and convenient to carry. As a result, there is a tendency to vape more often. Young individuals tend to vape constantly without understanding the amount of nicotine they consume. Thus, because vaping does not have as many indications of consumption as smoking does, people end up consuming much more nicotine than is required.
The problem of dual addiction
One of the most notable problems is dual addiction, where a person uses two different types of tobacco products simultaneously. Often, people who start using e-cigarettes do not give up on regular cigarettes at all but continue using them at work, during parties, or indoors, when it is prohibited to smoke.
Such a pattern of use can even lead to an increased intake of nicotine because rather than helping in quitting tobacco, the second method turns into a means for consuming nicotine via several different channels.
Nicotine dependence
Nicotine continues to be the most addictive drug irrespective of its mode of consumption. The levels of nicotine can be quite high in modern vape products, and certain formulations have made their inhalation less harsh to make it easy to take higher doses.
Signs of nicotine addiction
Intense craving to smoke or vape
Irritability when not able to consume nicotine
Inability to concentrate
Anxiety and restlessness
Gradually increasing the frequency of intake
Making repeated efforts to stop without success
The response to nicotine from cigarettes and vapes is similar due to the reward circuits within the brain. Therefore, addiction develops quickly especially amongst teenagers and young people due to the development of their brains.
Quitting cigarettes through alternative nicotine products
Although vaping may play a role in some quit-smoking programmes with expert advice, it is no guarantee of giving up on tobacco. Sometimes, people get hooked again when they substitute one addiction for another. It is very important to understand that the only effective way to stop the dependence on nicotine is by means of a smokeless cigarette programme.
While some may use e-cigarettes to enable them to quit their habit of smoking, there are others who are addicted to nicotine because of vaping. Be it the usage of cigarretes or vape, the real problem is that there is continued nicotine dependency.
(The writer, Dr Vijay, is a consultant, Medical Oncology, Pediatric Hemato-Oncologyand Bone Marrow Transplant).
