This post was coauthored by Jane Martin, RT and Kristen Szymonik BS, RRT, AE-C
We've got a lot to talk about today! To close out our discussions on the air around us, we'll begin by briefly looking at forms of tobacco use other than cigarette smoking. Then we'll go on to talk about expectations you may have had (or still have) after quitting cigarettes. So, let's get started.
Although cigarette smoking is the most prevalent use of tobacco, there are other forms as well. Two of these forms are heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes. Heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes create an aerosol vapor by heating liquid. Heated tobacco product users then inhale the vapor that is produced. This is why using these products is sometimes called “vaping.” HTPs and e-cigarettes often contain nicotine which is highly addictive. What's the difference between HTPs and e-cigarettes? Nicotine is found in HTPs, because it is already, naturally, in the tobacco. On the other hand, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, so the nicotine that comes from tobacco is added to the liquid used in e-cigarettes.
Heated tobacco products (HTPs)
HTPs, like other tobacco products, are toxic and contain substances that cause cancer. HTPs produce an aerosol that is inhaled by users as they breathe in on the device. The aerosol contains nicotine, as well as non-tobacco additives, and is often flavored.
We know that the vapor from these products contains harmful and potentially harmful chemicals,[i] but there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that HTPs are less harmful than conventional cigarettes, or lead to bad effects from "second-hand" vapor.
E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes are devices which heat a liquid to create an aerosol which is then inhaled by the user. They may or may not contain nicotine. Although e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they are still harmful. They are especially unsafe when used by children and adolescents because young people's brains continue to develop up to their mid-twenties.
E-cigarettes should not be promoted as a way to quit smoking. Like HTPs it is too early to provide a clear answer on the long-term impacts of using e-cigarettes or being exposed to them.
Follow this link for the COPD Foundation's position statement on Vaping, eCigarettes and COPD | COPD Foundation.
I quit smoking…now what?
Okay, now that we've learned more about non-cigarette tobacco products, let's talk about what you expected, or might still expect, to change when you quit smoking.
You may have thought that when you quit smoking you would:
- stop coughing.
- still cough but stop bringing up mucus.
- have improved lung function numbers.
- breathe easier.
- improve your ability to taste and smell.
- be more active with less shortness of breath.
If you had any of these expectations, and things didn't improve, were you tempted to think, "Wait a minute here... I'm not feeling any better. Why shouldn't I just go back to smoking again?" Well, we're here to tell you that even if you're not seeing changes, the benefits of quitting smoking are there. They really are. Positive changes may not be noticeable to you, but if your lungs could talk, they'd say they're very happy you quit - and to please stay that way!
If you have quit smoking, what did you expect to change? Did anything change for the better that you didn't expect? If you are currently working on quitting smoking, what do you expect to change?
Let's talk! I look forward to hearing from you!
[i] Davis B, Williams M, Talbot P. iQOS: evidence of pyrolysis and release of a toxicant from plastic. Tobacco Control 2019;28:34-41.