Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs)

Nurses Education

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Hello everyone,

So I saw this old clip today for the first time:

and at the 3:23, Letterman's guest begins to suggest that nicotine is not harmful to one's health. Clearly, advocating this E-cigarette device is part of her agenda while on Letterman's show, and sadly, she sidesteps the real consequences of long term nicotine use.

Before I get too rant-y, I will say that when a smoker friend of mine tells me they're switching to E-cigs I am happy for them as I feel there's a better chance for them to quit altogether. However, most of them are surprised to learn that using these devices will still lead to increased BP, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and all the other manifestations of arteriosclerosis.

Usually, I just comment by saying, "It'll save your lungs but wreck your heart"

Anyway, I just wanted to bring this topic to discussion. Have people on this board addressed this topic to patients, or other people in the general public? What have been their response? Do you feel most people are aware of the dangers for nicotine?

When I can't smoke, I choose to vape and use nicotine gum!

Specializes in Specialty Oncology Pharmacy.

I have the E-go V-V2 with a Kanger tank....I absolutely LOVE it! I'd vape on the way to the hospital (while I was still working bedside) and the pts never complained about me smelling like smoke. Also, I feel better vaping. I had a cigarette the other day when I ran out of e-juice and felt horrible:-(

Specializes in Holistic and Aesthetic Medicine.

What I usually tell people is that while I believe E Cigs are probably less harmful than cigarettes, there is little data on the effects of the chronic glycerin exposure to the lungs from the vehicle. The nicotine we understand. As glycerin is a humectant, it may pull more moisture into the lungs. I think they can be a great way to get off smoking IF you start at an appropriate dose of nicotine AND wean the nicotine down. I usually have them do so on a 2 week to 1 month basis. I recommend that they vape nicotine free for 2 weeks to 1 month after getting off the nicotine then stop. The thing I most hate about vaping is that people feel like they can do it anywhere and I find the smells of the flavors to be offputting. I also do not want them exhaling nicotine in my presence. It's still important to go out side and not do it around your children (or me). I think the FDA will take action in the next year due to flavors being enticing to children.

Thee are Ecig that have NO nicotine in them. You can start with a small amount of nicotine, go lower and then go to NO NICOTINE. So, if they use it for non-nicotine purposes.... It has to be better to help them quit that way... I WOULD THINK. I have never smoked, so this is an observation from my husband quiting.

Take a look at this article about a study in JAMA http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2014/03/07/e-cigarettes-lead-young-folks-to-the-real-thing.html . Although there may be a problem with the initial cohort of the study in relation to conclusions reached it still warrants for further stronger reasearch on e cigs and smoking cessation.

Aren't they manufactured by the same companies who brought us cigarettes? I would think it would be a long time before we know the truth about their dangers.

I work in LTC and have a hard time with residents who use them in shared (small) rooms.

Didn't read the whole thread (sorry, on my mobile) but I just had to point out an aside - ahem..... WHAT THE HELL IS JENNY MCARTHY DOING PROMOTING ECIGS IN COMMERCIALS?!?! ISNT SHE THE ONE WHO THINKS VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM??

yes. She is a moron as are most people in Hollywood.

oops wrong thread

yes. She is a moron as are most people in Hollywood.

But she "cured" her son's Austism, remember? Oh, wait, her son never had autism.

Anyway, regarding the e-cig thing, my ex did what the first poster mentioned, he'd switched to the e-cigs and the charger died and it was cheaper to buy a pack of cigarettes than a new charger, and that one pack has led to a carton, and he's a regular smoker now. Regardless how someone chooses to quit smoking, the most important thing is the smoker deciding they're ready to quit. Then they can find the method that works well for them. I never smoked but had relative who did (and that's why I don't smoke; I watched my grandmother have a heart attack when I was 13; she survived that one but the 4th one killed her when I was 18). What I can't understand is how someone could start smoking now, given what we know about the hazards of it.

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Hey! If Jenny McCarthy says its OK and safe to "smoke" e-cigs, well by golly that should be good enough for all of us! After all, look what she did to the fight for vaccinations by telling anyone who would listen that her son "got" autism from being vaccinated!

I vape as well. I have been doing so for a new months and while I have picked up the habit a few times, I have not had a cigarette in about a month and as of now have no intention or desire to ever pick one up again.

I just wanted to say about the exploding thing....there are certain ways to take care of them. You're not supposed to puff on them until the tank and the batter get hot to the touch, and you're also not supposed to leave them in the car in severe heat or cold. Also, there are batteries called mods that are basically a hunk of metal that run off of a battery that looks similar to a normal battery but are bigger and rechargeable. Well, with those you have the option to build your own coils and if your coil is too much for your battery, the battery could vent which can cause burns or the older type batteries can explode.

The only thing that I don't agree with is that in the e-cig market, they spend too much time explaining how to use them rather than how to take care of the products themselves. I've seen people come to the shop we go to and complain that their battery doesn't work anymore when we come to find out they left it sit in the sun all day and when they picked it up it was too hot for them to even hold. Or people that don't research how dangerous rebuilding can be when you don't know exactly what you're doing. There are vast arrays of websites and YouTube videos that will explain all these things.

I'm not one to just consume something before I know about it. I researched vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol before I even went to the store, and while I was there the owner was gracious enough to allow me to read all the ingredients on her flavor bottles. I do know what I'm taking in. As far as long terms effects, I know what strictly vaping for almost ten years causes (as I know several people that have been vaping for that amount of time) and each of them has no health issues they did not have before beginning. Long term effects are yet to be seen.

But I will say....I can smell again. I can taste again. I can breath much easier and it takes a lot more to get me winded than ever before. And I have also been tapering down the amount of nicotine and have yet to throw a nic fit bad enough to convince me to pick up a pack of cancer sticks again. Vaping becomes a hobby for some....and that hobby to me is much better than smoking, especially once the nicotine and harmful substances are taken out of the equation.

What bothers me are the NON smokers who vape because they think it's safe.

Lots of my younger friends from the hospital who don't smoke have picked this up. Mostly women. And of course, the really "cute flavors" this stuff comes in doesn't help.

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