Smoking cessation & e-cigarettes: pro & con debate

Smoking cessation is seen by many as a public health issue – a lifestyle choice that can prevent ill health. While prevention is important and should be strongly encouraged, the reality is that there are many smokers who are already sick and need evidence-based treatment.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) states that tobacco dependence is a chronic disease, and that clinicians should recognise that relapse is common and does not represent failure on the part of the patient or the clinician.’

As prevalence is high in many of our long-term conditions patients, now more than ever we need to explore ways to help treat our patients.

For many years, patients have been using licensed treatments alongside behavioural support through our NHS services. There are however many smokers who will be using e-cigarettes (also known as ‘vaping’) as a harm reduction tool to cut down smoking or may even go smokefree making the switch. 

E-cigarettes are devices designed to deliver nicotine without tobacco smoke by heating a solution of nicotine, flavouring, additives, and propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine.

This debate will look at the pro’s and the con’s of hand to mouth devices from the worst extreme: Smoking combustible substances all the way to using a licenced Nicotine Inhalator