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It used to be a common experience to walk along a busy street and regularly find yourself enveloped in a choking cloud of cigarette smoke. These days, you're more likely to walk through a cloud of raspberry or butterscotch-scented vapour. Vaping is on the rise as cigarette smoking declines (some of which is down to people using vaping as a way of quitting smoking).
While the evidence isn't there yet to fully explain why vaping may be harmful, experts are concerned at the potential negative effects on people who've never smoked taking up vaping. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (ARFNZ), the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Lung Foundation Australia recently called for a ban on disposable vaping products in New Zealand, saying young people in particular are "putting their lung health at significant risk".
What's so bad about vaping? Why should I quit?
While vaping doesn't carry the lung-cancer causing risk of cigarettes, there's still concern some of the ingredients in vapes are harmful.
Health behaviour change expert Hayden McRobbie. Photo: Supplied
Health behaviour change expert Hayden McRobbie, a Professor of Public Health Interventions at the University of New South Wales, and regional director for the National Public Health Service for the northern region in Aotearoa, says we may not discover the total harm from vaping for years.
McRobbie says vapes are "certainly not safe".
"We know that our lungs are designed for breathing air and air only. So with exposure to other toxicants, there's no doubt in my mind that there will be some harm that eventuates if you are vaping for a long period of time."
On top of that, vaping with products containing nicotine is addictive.
"Some of these products can deliver nicotine in very similar ways to tobacco," McRobbie says, adding that the withdrawal can be similar too.
Nicotine also has some effects on a developing brain. McRobbie says in animal studies, nicotine has been found to change some neural pathways, especially during times of development, such as in-utero and in adolescence.
For everyone who vapes - whether they're an ex-smoker or not - it's recommended to aim to stop vaping eventually, because of the unknown long-term risks.
How do I start if I want to quit?
First, do a bit of planning. Pick your time; if you've got a stressful time coming up at work, you'll be putting extra pressure on yourself by trying to quit then.
When you're ready, make a commitment to quit.
"You have to go into this thinking, I'm going to give this my best shot, and do everything I can to put the vape away and not puff on it," McRobbie says.
Getting others on board as support can be a big help.
"We know that social support is really, really important in prompting a quit attempt. When someone, maybe your child or your spouse says, 'hey, I'd really like you to stop vaping' - that can be a real trigger to do something about it. But also having friends and family around you who are going to say, 'how are you getting on? You're doing an awesome job.' That positive reinforcement's really important when you're trying to change any behaviour."
What are some strategies for staying on track?
Again, planning ahead helps here. Having some simple techniques to keep yourself busy and plenty of other distractions is useful. McRobie recommends exercise to keep your mind off vaping, along with "hanging out with your non-vaping friends and family, so you're removing the cues that you associate with vaping.
"Another thing people are trying is to reduce their frequency of vaping. So you start just spacing out the time between taking puffs. Or you might say, actually, I'm not going to take my vape to work with me, or I'm not going to vape until a time point much later in the day. And anecdotally, some people say, 'I forgot my vape, but it was really okay…' Those things can help to start to break the habit."
McRobbie says nicotine replacement therapy - patches or gum - can be useful in quitting vaping too. Some small trials have been done on this. "Nicotine patches, whilst they provide nicotine, provide it very slowly, so it's not the same addictive potential."
It's also important to know you're not on your own, he says.
"If you feel really stuck, talk to your GP, or call Quitline… they've got a lot of expertise in this space. So if you're really struggling, don't do it all by yourself."
What should I do if it gets hard or I have a slip-up?
It's normal to have lapses when you're trying to quit, McRobbie says.
"This is the abstinence violation effect. You think, oh, I've blown it. Now I've slipped up. I might as well go back… the important thing is to accept that sometimes slips happen and you get back on your bike, so to speak, and keep on going."
Choose to learn from those experiences, he says. If a particular situation triggered the slip-up - like being out drinking with friends, for example - think about how you'll handle it next time.
"You know what, just for a few weeks just to break that habit, simple things like not going out and doing those things can really help get people on the right track."
It's also worth knowing that nicotine withdrawal symptoms are usually short-lived, unlike other drugs of dependence; they'll typically disappear within four weeks.
How can I encourage a loved one to stop vaping?
Having an honest conversation that creates an emotional connection will have more impact than nagging.
"Punishment generally doesn't work," McRobbie says.
"You might say: 'look, I really don't want you to feel a slave to this for the rest of your life'. Or, 'I worry about what the long-term health risks might be associated with long-term vaping. Wouldn't it be better to give up now?'"
Useful resources to help:
