Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021 - 19

19
But just like the question of
whether vaping is safer than
smoking, experts also diff er about
whether e-cigarettes are an eff ective
way to help people stop smoking
conventional cigarettes. Th e fi ndings
are uncertain.
" As researchers, we want to
see high-quality studies repeatedly
showing consistent results.
So far, studies are inconclusive, "
Hardesty says.
Galiatsatos argues that the goal of
quitting is tobacco independence,
and when e-cigarettes are part of
the equation, it's just trading one
tobacco product for another.
" Do I think e-cigarettes can
get people off combustibles? I do,
but I don't view that as quitting, "
Galiatsatos says.
Kozlowski says there is " clear
evidence that vaping products can
help people stop smoking, " noting
that it's important people know they
have to stop smoking conventional
cigarettes altogether, rather than
using both products at once.
" Th e reduction in harm comes
in stopping smoking and switching
completely to vaping, " Kozlowski
says. " You want to switch entirely
to a properly manufactured nicotine
product. "
WEIGHING BENEFITS
AND RISKS
On that point, he has support from
the CDC, which says that e-cigarettes
" have the potential to benefi t adults
who smoke and who are not pregnant
if used as a complete substitute
for regular cigarettes and other
smoked tobacco products. "
E-cigarettes are not approved
by the federal Food and Drug
Administration as a smoking
cessation aid, and most experts
Young Vapers
May Be at
Highest Risk
Experts vary in their positions
about vaping, but
they are unified on one
aspect: It's dangerous for
young people.
Nicotine, which is highly
addictive, is particularly
harmful to adolescents and
young adults, whose brains
continue developing into
their mid-20s. Nicotine use
can change teens' brain
activity related to attention,
learning and memory
and can worsen anxiety
and impulsivity.
Also, since the long-term
effects are not known, young
people could experience
" a whole new genesis of
lung disease we've never
seen before, " says Panagis
Galiatsatos, MD, a pulmonary
and critical care
physician and a national
spokesman for the American
Lung Association.
Vaping among teens
decreased in early 2020
for the first time in three
years, which federal officials
attribute to reports about
vaping-related illnesses and
deaths. They were caused
by a newly identified lung
disease called EVALI-short
for e-cigarette or vaping
product use-associated
lung injury-and were primarily
linked with products
containing THC, the psychoactive
ingredient in marijuana,
which were purchased
on the black market.
recommend using
FDA-approved methods
when trying to
quit smoking.
When it comes to the safety
of vaping or using e-cigarettes
as a smoking cessation tool,
one thing is certain, Galiatsatos
says: If you inhale substances
into your lungs that do not
naturally occur there, you're
playing with fi re.
" It's a diff erent type of poison, "
he says, " and it will pose
an absolute risk to a user. " *
Be Wary
of What
You're Inhaling
Chemicals used in antifreeze and
colonoscopy prep have been used
as vaping additives. Learn more
at uvahealth.com/e-cigs.
VIM & VIGOR FALL 2021
http://www.uvahealth.com/e-cigs
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021
