Why vaping isn’t harmless and other facts you should know

Tobacco is a native plant found originally in the Americas. 

Non-traditional or commercial uses of tobacco includes smoking (cigarettes, hookahs, cigars, pipe), using it in your mouth (dip or chewing tobacco), or sniffing it (snuff). 

Because of how tobacco is processed and consumed, these forms of tobacco have many other harmful substances, which can cause serious health problems, especially when burned. 

Vaping is the use of an electronic device to heat a substance (usually a vaping liquid, or “e-juice”) into an aerosol (a.k.a. vapour or cloud). The aerosol is then inhaled and absorbed through the mouth and lungs and moves quickly through the body, entering the brain and other organs. 

Vaping products in Canada contain varying concentrations of either nicotine or cannabis. There are many different types of vaping devices available including disposable and reusable vape pens, tank systems, mods or e-hookahs. 

Tobacco itself is not addictive, but the nicotine found in tobacco is very addictive and is what makes quitting using commercial tobacco products difficult for many people. The same holds true for nicotine-containing vape products. 

Although vaping has helped many people quit smoking tobacco, the use of nicotine in any form still carries the risk that a person might develop a nicotine-dependence problem.

Once a person begins to smoke or vape regularly, particularly at a young age, the chances of becoming addicted are quite high. 

Tobacco use is the leading contributor to chronic diseases in B.C. and is responsible for more than 6,000 deaths annually. Diseases that are linked to smoking include cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke. Smoking increases the chances of developing diabetes, gum disease, yellow teeth, infections, skin problems and weaker bones.

Although vaping is thought to be less harmful than smoking, it is not harmless. The “vapour” contains chemicals and heavy metals that can harm a person’s airways and lungs and cause other health problems. Some vapour products can deliver more or less nicotine than a cigarette, making it even more difficult to quit using, and can negatively impact brain development among youth. 

Vaping liquids can be absorbed through the mouth and skin and cause nicotine poisoning, especially to young kids and pets. Research is still underway to better understand how vaping can affect people’s health in the long term.

Although rare, defective vapes have caused fires and explosions that resulted in serious injuries.

Second-hand smoke is a mix of smoke from a burning cigarette, joint, cigar, or pipe, plus the smoke exhaled by the person smoking.

Children exposed to second-hand smoke are at an increased risk of breathing problems and ear infections.

• Health: The benefits of quitting are immediate! People consider things like feeling well, feeling free from depending on a substance and sometimes they think about the future. How would feeling healthier improve your life today and in the future?
• Social reasons: People think about their family and friends, how their habit affects others, or they may feel it is not socially acceptable. How would your relationships change if you quit tobacco or vaping?
• Financial: Using tobacco or vaping comes with a big cost. Check out these Quash and Quit Now tools to find out how much tobacco or vaping is costing you. What could you do with the money you’d save from quitting?
   

• Full stop: People pick a date to quit completely. It can be successful but there are some challenges, especially for people who are more dependent on nicotine.
• Delaying: People start to gradually reduce how much tobacco or vapour they take by slowly delaying when they use it during the day. For example, if someone usually smokes a cigarette within 10 minutes of waking up, they might start waiting an hour to smoke their first cigarette of the day and increase the delay while decreasing the number of cigarettes over time.
• Tapering off or cutting down: People gradually decrease the amount of tobacco or nicotine intake over time until ready to stop. For example, if someone vapes one cartridge of 20mg/ml per day, they could start decreasing the number of puffs to make their pod last longer or reduce the concentration of nicotine they use.
• Get some support: Support can come from a health professional (doctor, nurse, counsellor and pharmacist) and through quit lines and apps. Some people can also benefit from medications and nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, lozenges, pouches, etc.) to help them cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms that can happen when they reduce or quit. A health-care professional can help decide if these are good options for you. Many times people overlook the potential of getting help to quit, but it really increases your chances of success.

From Interior Health:

• Tobacco & Vaping Information for Teens
• Tobacco, Cannabis & Vaping
• Quitting Tobacco or Vaping
• Tobacco and Vapour Prevention and Control

Programs and resources to quit smoking or vaping:

• Quitting smoking (Healthlink BC)
• QuitNow offers free smoking cessation information, support and counselling from trained professionals by phone, text or email
  • Your Vape-Free Life from QuitNow also offers helpful information and tools for those interested in cutting down or quitting vaping.
• Quash is a judgement-free app to help you quit smoking or vaping
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) offers a number of resources to help you quit vaping, including helpful tips and tricks, and success stories from people who have quit vaping
  • You can also find vaping harm reduction tips as well as helpful tips to lower your risk when using nicotine products
• BC Pharmacare Smoking Cessation Program
• Commit to quit (Canadian Lung Association)
• Call the Alcohol & Drug Information and Referral Service at 1-800-663-1441 to find resources and support
• Quitting commercial tobacco (First Nations Health Authority)
• Talk Tobacco – Indigenous Quit Smoking and Vaping Support 

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