Giving up smoking is easier said than done because many adults resort to the natural quitting method — quitting cold turkey. This can have the capacity to increase the urge to smoke a conventional cigarette, however, and they end up smoking more than they used to before.
It is for this reason that even a strong-willed person finds it difficult to put an end to this injurious practice. The success of this method primarily depends on the number of conventional cigarettes smoked by the consumer daily and the amount of nicotine one needs.
There are other contributing factors also at play when one opts for the cold turkey method of quitting. For example, even though you might not feel the urge, you will likely light a cigarette if friends around you are smoking. Your lifestyle, activities, and even health can also play an important role in determining how successful you will be in your mission.
But even then, there is no guarantee that you will quit smoking altogether. And despite opting for safer alternatives for nicotine intake, like, for say, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), the chances vary from person to person.
However, technological innovation has given rise to electronic cigarettes, which have gained tremendous popularity over the years. According to several researchers and institutions like the University of East Anglia (UEA), e-cigarettes can increase the number of people who stop smoking compared to other forms of nicotine replacement therapy.
Additionally, what makes e-cigarettes a better alternative is that they can offer a more realistic and enjoyable smoking experience that feels familiar to adult smokers. The convenience of smoking anywhere – outdoors, indoors or in a car, is also an attractive feature because e-cigarettes tend to disturb others less as compared to the second-hand smoke put out by combustible cigarettes.
Recreating the smoking experience, minus the smoke
Several carcinogens are inhaled with each puff of a conventional cigarette, thus negatively impacting the human body, especially the vital organs of those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day.
In recent years, certain medical experts have strongly advised heavy smokers to give up smoking or at least to switch to e-cigarettes as they are less injurious for lifelong smokers. This way, their daily nicotine requirements are met while keeping up with their social smoking and lifestyle.
E-cigarette users get to enjoy the habitual experience of puffing and inhaling nicotine with approximately 95% less harm, according to the Public Health England. The e-cigarette design meets their psychological desire to inhale and exhale, thereby better substituting for regular cigarettes that burn and produce tar.
Prof Caitlin Notley at UEA’s Norwich Medical School states, “Modern electronic cigarette products have better nicotine delivery than the early devices.”
E-cigarettes adding new features and controlled intake
The latest e-cigarettes come in innovative and stylish designs. Users can also control the amount of nicotine they are consuming with each puff by selecting pods or e-liquids with varying nicotine strength. This practical feature promises more freedom to help adult smokers taper down the amount of nicotine they consume.
Technology to the rescue
Researchers at the aforementioned University of East Anglia analysed e-cigarettes in comparison with NRTs, namely nicotine patches or gums. The findings revealed that e-cigarettes enable more people to quit smoking than any other form of NRT.
According to the same study, if NRTs enable six per cent of smokers to quit, e-cigarettes enable approximately ten percent, reflecting a higher efficacy.
E-cigarette or combustible? Your call
Although the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are yet to be studied, the accessible data does indicate a significantly higher level of safety compared to conventional cigarettes. Reliable evidence from the research conducted by the University of East Anglia suggests that “e-cigarettes are much safer than continuing to smoke tobacco.”
So, that begs the question: are you ready to make the switch yet?
(The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the newspaper)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021