TING & TING
Giving up smoking can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Not only does the nicotine contained in cigarettes have an addictive effect on the brain, the very act of smoking can become an ingrained habit. Unsurprisingly, this means that many smokers are willing to try smoking cessation products to help them stop smoking for good. One of the most popular products is electronic cigarettes.
What Are Electronic Cigarettes
There are several different types of electronic cigarette, but all of them are essentially a battery powered device which emits nicotine vapor. Many of them are designed to mimic the appearance of a genuine cigarette, which can make the transition from real cigarettes to e-cigarettes much smoother.
The electronic devices contain a cartridge filled with a water and propylene glycol, which has been mixed with diluted nicotine. When in use, the battery heats up the device so that the liquid is vaporized. The person inhales enough vapor to give them a hit of nictoine, but the actually amount that they take in is lower than for a regular cigarette.
Can E-Cigs Really Stop You Smoking?
Electronic cigarettes are still comparatively new on the market, so some people are a little distrustful of whether they truly live up to their claims. However, there is good evidence that they really can help some people to give up cigarettes for good.
Perhaps one of the most interesting studies was an online survey which was conducted 3 years ago, and had nearly 4,000 respondents. At the end of the survey period it was determined that after 3 months almost every respondent found that electronic cigarettes had a positive impact on their cessation attempts. Nine out of ten people claimed that the e-cigarettes had helped them to stop smoking real cigarettes altogether, while other survey participants credited the devices with at least cutting the number of cigarettes they smoked per day. Only 4 percent of respondents said they saw no benefit.
There are several credible scientific studies which back up the assertion that around 90 percent of people are able to quit cigarettes by switching to e-cigarettes. Significantly, a number of studies have focused specifically on smokers who had made several failed attempts to quit. Consequently, it seems that the claim that e-cigs reduce nicotine cravings is valid.
Scientists have also concluded that the vapor emitted by electronic cigarettes is well tolerated by the body and does not cause the same health issues as tobacco. This may alleviate the worries of smokers who are reluctant to swap tobacco for a substitute which still emits nicotine.
The best way to use electronic cigarettes is as a way to slowly wean yourself off your addiction. You can gradually decrease the amount of nicotine you take in over several weeks, until you are eventually living a cigarette free life.
In an ideal situation, quitting smoking should involve nothing more than will power. However, the majority of smokers find this nearly impossible and require the help of a smoking cessation aid to quit completely.