The claims of e-cig antagonists that the use of this device is a gateway to hard drugs and smoking for teens strike a sensitive chord because these touch the health, safety and future of children and minors. Unfortunately, the sensitivity of the matter is being exploited by parties with vested interests in killing e-cigarettes using it to push for stricter regulation, even banning in certain places, states or regions.
Such is easier to accept if there is truth to the matter. It is, however, not fair if a significant number of quitters are deprived the opportunity to quit smoking because of false claims.
Making Solid and Unbiased Decisions
This is exactly why unbiased medical and scientific studies are extremely valuable. The findings of methodical studies that use appropriate methods and protocols can back surmises without being influenced by popular or powerful partisans. The finding that e-cigarettes are less addictive as tobacco cigarettes is much appreciated not only by authorities, but by parents and the teens themselves.
For the authorities, scientific findings provide decision makers a sound basis for their actions and commitment knowing that it is not merely swayed by dominant lobbyists with high stakes in the tobacco industry.
Facts of the This Study
Parents relax. A new study entitled, “Dependence levels in users of electronic cigarettes, nicotine gums, and tobacco cigarettes” (Etter and Eissenberg, 2015) reveals that e-cigarettes cigarettes “are far less addictive than tobacco cigarettes, and that their addiction potential is probably closer to that of nicotine gum.”
The study surveyed and compared:
- (766) nicotine-containing e-cig users vs. (30) nicotine-free e-cig users
- (911) former smokers who now vape daily vs. (451) former smokers who now use nicotine gum daily
- (125) dual users (smoke and vape daily) vs. (2) smokers who don’t use e-cigs
The results or findings observed are as follows:
- There was dependence observed among those who vape nicotine-containing e-cigs; the number was higher compared to vapers using nicotine-free e-cigs.
- Former smokers have less dependency observed among the e-cig users; dependency is higher on the nicotine gum users.
- Dependence is lower on dual users than on tobacco cigarettes.
The conclusions drawn from the study is:
There is dependency observed on nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, but this is less addictive than traditional cigarettes, and even less addictive than nicotine gums, which are not really addictive.
Appreciating the Lessons
This is a research that e-cig antagonists would not be happy about. The results clearly eschew the allegation that it is addictive or that it can lead minors to worse vices – tobacco smoking or hard drugs. The findings support the conclusion that e-cigarettes do not seem to be anywhere near the addictive potential of the cigarettes. Dr. Eissenberg has demonstrated in a study that this can be related to the inferior mode of nicotine delivery using e-cig device compared to the efficient manner of delivery perfected by tobacco companies.
This brings to the fore the increasing participation of tobacco companies in the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes. With an almost perfect (cigarette) technology on efficient and consistent delivery of nicotine to the users, the issue of increasing the addictive potential of their “brands” of e-cigs is something that needs monitoring.
For now, these findings can spark fear in parents and authorities. E-cigs are not addictive tobacco cigarette clones. They do not get teens addicted to cigarette smoking, cigarette smoking does. Though minors are discouraged from vaping, it would be safer if they will opt for nicotine-free types progressively to eventually quit altogether, if and when they do. Fortunately, that is one option available for them, which is something you can’t say for tobacco cigarettes.