As people seek to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions, many wonder if vape pens may help them quit smoking, or if vape pens are addictive themselves.

Advertisers would have us believe that electronic nicotine delivery systems known by several different names such as e-cigarettes, e-pens, e-pipes, and e-cigars are effective transition tools when seeking to give up traditional cigarettes, according to a Jan. 2, 2020 article posted by U.S. News and World Report. The American Lung Association (ALA) says otherwise.

In fact, the ALA goes further and says not only are vape pens addictive, they do not have the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a proven and successful method of quitting tobacco. As indicated in the report, you can’t quit tobacco with another tobacco product. E-cigarettes are a tobacco product. There are reportedly active efforts out there—largely sponsored by the manufacturers of these products and geared toward naïve, young people—to spread distorted information to the contrary.

In the article, ALA’s Director for Health Promotions underscores that no tobacco-based product is free from health consequences when used. Not only are vape pens addictive because of the nicotine, but they contain metals and chemicals which can be dangerous and contribute to lung diseases.

The ALA’s website notes that four years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that even second-hand vaping emissions are problematic. They contain the “nicotine; ultrafine particles; flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds such as benzene, which is found in car exhaust; and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead.”

This professional opinion has been substantiated with a recent and ongoing epidemic of vaping related illness sweeping the U.S. and Canada. According to an article posted on the truthinitiative.org website, there were 2,051 reported cases of vaping-related injuries and 39 deaths through Nov. 5. THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has figured in a large percentage of the vaping cases, but not all.

Also isolated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been the impact of Vitamin E acetate as an additive. While headway has been made in unlocking the puzzle of the illness, there is still a lot of investigation to be done and the outbreak of vaping illnesses has not abated.

According to the stated opinion of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of ALA in the U.S. News article, there is a significant problem with using vape pens as a supposed transition tool to quit smoking combustibles. This problem is that rather than switching, users often “double-up”, using regular cigarettes when they can and then add e-cigarettes when lighting up is not practical or convenient.

The CMO also noted a recent study whose data was released last month and pointed to a 30 percent increase in risk of developing chronic lung illness among adults that have ever used e-cigarettes or currently engage in the practice. This can take the form of asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), or even bronchitis.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.