E-cigarettes No Substitute For Quitting

Ah, the glory days of cigarettes. Everybody smoked and thought they looked glamorous. Of course they didn’t smell glamorous, but that was another thing entirely. If you want to peek in on the golden age of blue haze and nicotine addiction, tune in to Mad Men on AMC.

Fast forward a half a century and smokers are under siege on every front. No smoking in the workplace, the restaurants or [gasp] the neighborhood bar. What’s a smoker to do? If you said, “Quit”, you’re right on target. Unfortunately, that’s isn’t easy. And Americans like things easy.

So it’s Big Tobacco to the rescue with a brand new product, the e-cigarette. This device is battery powered and uses a cartridge that delivers nicotine and other flavorings. The user expels water vapor instead of smoke. Hey, it’s almost like a toy. Wouldn’t that make a great Christmas gift for the kids? Now you can have your addiction without irritating everyone around you. And since there’s no smoke, it’s got to be healthier, right?

Sorry. File this under “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.” While the e-cigarette doesn’t produce smoke it delivers a high dose of nicotine. Anyone thinking that this is a stepping stone to quiting is misinformed. And according to the FDA, these devices may actually encourage people to smoke regular cigarettes once they become addicted to nicotine. As far as being harmless, FDA analysis of e-cigarette cartridges has uncovered carcinogens and other nasty chemicals, including diethylene glycol, an antifreeze component. Most of the e-cigarette materials are manufactured in China, which has had more than a few quality and safety issues in the past.

So, if you’re a smoker and you want to improve your health, don’t bother buying an e-cigarette. Just quit. Yes, it’s hard. Damn hard. I used to be a hard core smoker. In my mind, there is no substitute for going cold turkey. Forget the patches, pills and e-cigarettes. Put down the cancer sticks, gnash your teeth and be grumpy as hell for about three weeks. That’s about how long it takes for your body to shake off the addiction. Going through withdrawal and making it to the other side has an added benefit. You won’t want to go through it again. Keep reminding yourself of the ordeal you went through and it’s easier to stay quit.

— Richard Fink, DC, FIAMA

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