For many years, the quest for ‘safer cigarettes’ has been of interest to both companies producing tobacco products and their consumers. The development of e-cigarettes is a step in the right direction because even though ‘safer’ does not necessarily meansafe,’ it stands to reason that products with lower neuropharmacological activity are more likely to help bio-behaviorally addicted individuals to quit the harmful habit of smoking (Hart & Ksir, 2015).
The formation of this type of product is supported by the findings of the study suggesting that e-cigarettes can be of substantial help to people who are willing to maintain cigarette abstinence (Barbeau, Burda, & Siegel, 2013). Due to the absence of toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes, they can be considered a viable substitute for conventional tobacco products. The development of the product is also justified by the fact that second-hand vaping is less harmful than emissions from traditional cigarettes (Farsalinos & Polosa, 2014).
Whereas there is no question that e-cigarettes are less harmful than their tobacco counterparts, it is important to ask how to prevent manufacturers of e-cigarettes from marketing their products to children?
It is hard to agree with the statement that smoking is a matter of choice. Rather, it is an addictive practice that is associated with such withdrawal symptoms as anxiety and irritability (Barbeau et al., 2013). People find it difficult to quit smoking because the consumption of nicotine is accompanied by dependencies of physical and emotional character (Caba, 2015).
A study on pharmacotherapies for tobacco dependence suggests that individuals with different nicotine metabolite ratios are characterized by variances in their therapeutic responses (Lerman et al., 2015). This view is supported by Caba (2015) who writes that some individuals might find it easier to quit smoking than others because they are normal metabolizers who can benefit from the nicotine patch treatment.
References
Barbeau, A. M., Burda, J., & Siegel, M. (2013). Perceived efficacy of e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy among successful e-cigarette users: A qualitative approach. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 8(1), 1-7. Web.
Caba, J. (2015). Nicotine patch or pills: Which method for quitting smoking works better? Web.
Farsalinos, K., & Polosa, R. (2014). Safety evaluation and risk assessment of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: A systematic review, Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, 14(1), 1-20. Web.
Hart, C., & Ksir, C. (2015). Drugs, society & human behavior (16th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.
Lerman, C., Schnoll, R. A., Hawk, L. W., Cinciripini, P., George, T. P., Wileyto, E. P.,…Tyndale, R. (2015). Use of the nicotine metabolite ratio as a genetically informed biomarker of response to nicotine patch or varenicline for smoking cessation: A randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 3(2), 131-138. Web.