Is Vaping Helpful to Stop Smoking - for Life?

Most people who take up vaping are smokers trying to reduce their risk of harm from smoking.

Why do people vape?

In Australia in 2019, smokers gave the following reasons for taking up vaping (could select more than one response) according to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey:

• To quit smoking 44%

• To reduce smoking 32%

• To avoid relapse to smoking 23%

• Because they are less harmful 27%

• They are cheaper 23%

• 44% of smokers said curiosity was a factor in their decision to try vaping.

How many Australians vape?

In 2019, 520,000 Australians aged 14 and older, or 2.5% of the population, were vaping i.e. had vaped at least once in the past 12 months (2019 NDSHS).

This was made up of:

• 281,300 current smokers (“dual users”)
• 198,000 ex-smokers
• 43,000 never-smokers

Vaping rates were highest in young adults and gradually decreased with age. 

Men are slightly more likely to vape than women.

Vaping rates in Australia are low by international standards due to legal restrictions and opposition from medical and health organisations, but are now starting to rapidly rise.

References: Australia NDSHS 2019; Sweden Hedman 2018; Germany Kotz 2018; Finland Ruokolainen2017; EU Eurobarometer 458 2017; US Dai, JAMA NHIS 2019; Canada CTADS 2017; NZ Health Survey 2018/19; France Pasquereau 2018; Greece Farsalinos 2018; GB Office of National Statistics 2018.

Is vaping legal in Australia?

It is possible to vape legally in Australia with a nicotine prescription from a doctor. However, most people who vape in Australia do not have a prescription and are therefore breaking the law. Australia is the only western democracy to effectively ban the sale and use of nicotine liquid for vaping.

Nicotine is classified as a Schedule 7 ‘dangerous poison’ in the Poisons Standard, like arsenic and strychnine. However, at present, people can legally import nicotine from overseas to help them quit or reduce smoking if they have a prescription. Under the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Personal Importation Scheme, 3 months’ supply can be imported at a time for personal use.

There are severe penalties (up to $45,000 and up to two years jail) for using or possessing liquid nicotine unless it is prescribed by a doctor to help you quit or cut down smoking. Less than 1-2% of Australians who vape have a prescription. State and Territory laws regulate issues such as sale, use in public places, age limits on sale, display and promotion of vapourisers.

References: https://asaca.org.au/faqs 

So, is vaping a good way to quit smoking?

An e-cigarette's battery-powered heating elements turn addictive liquid nicotine, which can come in various flavors and added chemicals, into a vapour that users inhale. Unfortunately, business is booming. While vaping is often seen as a potential alternative to smoking, there are several compelling reasons why it is not the ideal solution. In fact, vaping may have more adverse consequences than you might think:

1. Unknown Long-Term Health Effects: Vaping is a relatively new trend, and the long-term health consequences are not well understood. Smoking, while unquestionably harmful, has decades of research behind it, allowing us to make informed decisions about its risks.

2. Nicotine Dependency: Many e-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, which can be even more addictive than traditional tobacco products. It's essential to break free from nicotine addiction, not transfer it to a different delivery method.

3. Vaping-Related Illnesses: Over the past few years, there have been numerous reports of severe lung injuries associated with vaping, commonly referred to as EVALI or "e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury". These incidents underscore the potential dangers of vaping.

4. Gateway to Smoking: Studies have suggested that vaping can serve as a gateway to smoking for young people. If you are considering quitting smoking, vaping may not be a safe or effective way to achieve this goal, and provides a bad example for the young people in your life.

   Even more troubling is research showing the year-to-year increase in vaping among teenagers, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey conducted by the University of Michigan.

   “Increases in adolescent vaping from 2017 to 2018 were the largest ever recorded in the past 43 years for any adolescent substance abuse outcome in the U.S.,” the survey found.

   It is also important to note that vaping is encouraging children to become addicted to nicotine at much earlier ages than were seen in children who use cigarettes. The flavours used in e-cigarettes can be particularly appealing to young people, and the addictive nature of nicotine can quickly turn a one-time experiment into a long-term addiction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), e-cigarette use among high school students in the US increased from 1.5% in 2011 to 27.5% in 2019. In the UK, the rates rose from 6% in 2018 to 9% in 2021. 

5. Unregulated Products: The vaping industry is still largely unregulated, leading to inconsistencies in product quality and safety. Smoking cessation programs, on the other hand, adhere to strict guidelines and are led by professionals who have your best interests at heart.

6. No Proven Success: Unlike evidence-based smoking cessation programs, the effectiveness of vaping as a long-term solution to quitting smoking remains questionable.

7. Vaping's Quick and Easy Delivery: Vaping's quick and easy delivery method can make it even more addictive than smoking. The convenience of vaping leads to more frequent use, making it harder to reduce your nicotine intake. The constant ‘topping up’ behaviours where people regularly take a puff from their e-cigarette (even during the night) means that there are potentially consistently higher levels of nicotine in their body as compared to those seen in cigarette smokers. This is especially concerning within young people, as nicotine addiction can cause long-term damage to the developing brain. This makes it all the more important to quit sooner rather than later.

In Australia, it's illegal to buy or sell nicotine for use in e-cigarettes, so most people purchase it online from countries like New Zealand. Most states also ban the possession of liquid nicotine without a prescription. From October 2021, it will also be illegal to import nicotine from overseas without a prescription.

The TGA says this is due to public health concerns, as well as the risk of non-smoking young people taking up smoking in future.

Dr Gary Chan, senior research fellow at the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, says it's important to address these concerns.

"We don't want to promote vaping among young people … it actually doesn't matter whether vaping will lead to smoking, this is not a good thing. We don't want to see our kids getting addicted to nicotine."

He says while vaping is less harmful than smoking, it's not harmless, and the appropriate policies need to be in place to prevent uptake in non-smokers.

References: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/can-vaping-help-you-quit-smoking/100137724

https://monitoringthefuture.org/ 

https://www.nebraskamed.com/health/head-and-neck/you-asked-we-answered-why-is-vaping-bad-for-your-brain-and-can-it-improve-if#:~:text=So%2C%20while%20your%20brain%20can,stop%20vaping%20immediately%20and%20indefinitely. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vaping-time-bomb-can-hypnotherapy-help-peter-mabbutt/ 

Does vaping help people quit smoking?

Vaping is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gums, lozenges). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) show that vaping helps smokers quit in a controlled environment more effectively than nicotine patches and gums (NRT). A study from the UK found that vaping was almost twice as effective as NRT after 12 months. Another large study from New Zealand showed that adding vaping to a nicotine patch tripled the success rate after 6 months compared to using the patch alone. Three meta-analyses of the best quality RCTs (pooling the data from all studies) all concluded that vaping was 70% more effective than nicotine replacement as a quitting aid. 

Most smokers realise now that in reality, they gave up one old addiction and ended up creating another, even more powerful, addiction. Even though vaping does away with the harmful tar of cigarettes, you are still inhaling dangerous chemicals like acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. And you're still inhaling nicotine, which is the most addictive chemical in cigarettes and vaping.

It is more powerful because, at the time, vapes were more acceptable and all the publicity told us that e-cigarettes were much better for us. And for a while, it seemed as though you could have your cake and eat it too. But the manufacturers, the retailers, and even some of the medics who recommended vaping  were unwittingly deceiving you because you now know how harmful these products really are. Perhaps it's the subconscious belief that "it's not as bad as smoking". Or maybe the convenience and efficiency of the delivery mechanism and the lack of offensive smell. Whatever it is, most ex-smokers report that they vape far more than they used to smoke, and they find it much harder to stop.

My "Stop Smoking - for Life!" program has helped hundreds of Queenslanders achieve their goal of a smoke-free life. It is designed to provide you with the support and guidance you need to stop smoking successfully - for life, without relying on unproven methods like vaping.

Maybe you started vaping to stop smoking,

or maybe you didn't,

or maybe you've never vaped,

or maybe you've never smoked.

The fact is, it's the same part of your brain that is sending out that impulse.

And it's an impulse for instant gratification.

You have constructed a habit with the way that you respond to that impulse, and your subconscious has been convinced over a long period of time that smoking or vaping is helping you with some emotion that is attached to that impulse.

• Think of all the triggers and motivations you have for smoking and/or vaping, and let me know those in the interview before your session - that will allow me to break all those connections in your subconscious once and for all.

   

• Take out a piece of paper, when you get a quiet moment and draw 3 columns, ( or download and print the Word file below )

1. Reasons why I want to stop smoking / vaping for life.

2. Benefits expected.

3. Negative consequences of not changing.

Spend a while expanding on each item,

eg. Money - how much per year, and what would you rather do with that money?

Health - what has it done to your health in the past, and what are the worst case scenarios for your health in the future, and what impact would that have on your family and loved ones?

Bring this with you to your appointment.

• Understand that your subconscious may believe that it is protecting you in some way by reminding you to smoke or vape. I know this might not make sense to your conscious mind, but a pattern you created long ago could be "locked in". If you can pinpoint the reason why that is, please be ready to discuss that with me. I know this can be an awkward, embarrassing, or even painful conversation, but this will be the key to letting go of the habit. I never judge anyone - I just want you to stop vaping and/or smoking.

Here are 10 Things that happen to your body when you Stop Vaping - and Smoking - for Life

1. Vaping Withdrawal Symptoms - non-existent!

Most people who quit cold turkey should expect to experience some of the following vaping withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, anxiety or irritability, to start within about 24 hours of the last vape. With Switch-Up Hypnotherapy those withdrawal symptoms never eventuate, because you are mentally and emotionally prepared to reject the impulse for vaping and smoking, and you know they’ll pass in a short time.

2. Nicotine is Gone

By the 72-hour mark, nicotine will be out of your system and most of any unpleasant physical symptoms will have abated.

After Switch-Up Hypnotherapy you feel no physical cravings; your body no longer needs nicotine.

3. Blood Circulation Increases

Physicians know that nicotine from cigarettes decreases blood flow around the heart and the same might be true with nicotine from vapes.

After a period of abstinence though, blood circulation will begin to return to normal.

4. Increased Lung Capacity

Lung capacity will increase as inflammation caused by vaping decreases, and air is able to flow much better.

Circulating more oxygen will also lead to higher energy-levels and better performance during physical activities.

5. Improved Sense of Smell and Taste

After two days of not using vapes, which can dull some of the senses, most people will likely realise they have an improved sense of smell, and more importantly, food will taste better than before you decided to stop.

6. Reduced Risk of Heart Attack

After just 24 hours of not vaping, the risk of having a heart attack begins to decrease.

A regular vaping habit, according to at least one study, can double your risk for having a heart attack.

7. Enhanced Lung Capacity

Within the first 1 to 9 months after quitting vaping, the lung’s capacity to clear out mucus and fight off infections significantly increases.

This event is even more noticeable than the early signs of increased lung capacity you will feel shortly after you stop vaping and smoking for life.

8. Decreased Danger of Stroke

E-cigarette users are much more likely to be at risk for having a stroke.

Stopping decreases this risk almost immediately and the benefits continue to grow as they progress further from the last time you vaped.

9. Cancer Possibility Diminishes

As the years add up, a former nicotine addict’s risk for all sorts of cancers, including lung, mouth, pancreatic and throat, continues to decrease.

Reducing the chances of getting cancer should be one of the biggest motivators for you  to stop using nicotine in all forms, including vaping.

10. Long-Term Overall Health Returns

In the long-term, after approximately 15 to 20 years of not vaping or smoking, you have the same chances at overall health and wellbeing as a person who never vaped or smoked.

It's not easy, but the benefits are worth it

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. If you use it regularly, you know it can be enjoyable, not to mention it sometimes feels essential for coping with stress and other daily annoyances.

But even if you enjoy smoking cigarettes or vaping, you know for certain that it is damaging to your health.

Some people don’t want to stop, and others feel they simply can’t very easily.

You're not one of those people.

All you need is for someone experienced to show you how you can Stop Vaping - and Smoking - for Life.

I’ve outlined 10 things that happen to your body when you stop vaping - and smoking - for life, but there are many more. The top of the list not mentioned here could have been the money that will be saved from stopping an expensive habit like vaping and smoking.

Why Do People find it so hard to Quit Smoking and Vaping?

Research shows that 68% of smokers have tried to quit without success. Everyone knows cigarettes are not good for them. Everyone knows they are outrageously expensive.

So, why do people continue to smoke?

And why is it so hard for so many people to quit cigarettes?

So many smokers want to quit but they either don’t, or they can’t.

Many smokers thought that vaping would help them quit, but have found that vaping is even more addictive!

Why is that?

We are all different but our reasons are often similar: 

• It is too difficult to find the willpower. 

• The withdrawals are too uncomfortable to go through. 

• Life is too stressful and cigarettes help relieve the stress. 

• Worried about having cravings. 

• Worried about gaining weight. 

• Get short tempered and feel cranky. 

• Can’t break the addiction.

The fact is simply that - smoking and vaping is not under our conscious control.

Consciously we tell ourselves that we are not going to smoke or vape anymore, but those subconscious patterns, triggers, and habits just kick in and we have no control over them.

If you really ask yourself, “How many cigarettes a day do I actually enjoy?” your answer is probably, “Very few… Perhaps none.”

You vape and smoke the majority of your cigarettes almost subconsciously. It just happens. And when you really think about it, you don’t even enjoy most of them.

Smoking or vaping is something your subconscious mind simply does automatically. It is a habit triggered by your unconscious patterns.

The only way to quit is to change that habit and alter those patterns.

You can do that by using all your willpower and going ‘cold turkey’ or you can do it the easy way with hypnosis. The only way to stop cigarettes and vaping long term is to deal with your own individual reason, patterns and triggers.

Most People Have Tried To Quit Cigarettes and Vaping Many Times

So what happened? 

• It was too hard to deal with the withdrawal symptoms 

• Couldn’t handle the cravings.

• Stopped smoking or vaping and started gaining weight

• Thought one wouldn’t hurt – but it did. 

• Had a stressful situation. 

• Had a social situation & a few drinks! 

• Or some other reason?

The "Stop Smoking - for Life" process eliminates the withdrawals that people generally attribute to nicotine and addresses all the common reasons / excuses.

• No cravings.

• No withdrawals.

• Learning new ways to deal with old stresses.

• And many people actually lose weight and ‘springboard’ themselves into a healthier, happier lifestyle once they use this solution to quit cigarettes.

You will love the feeling of being a non-smoker and free from vaping; and you will be amazed at how easily achievable it is using our advanced hypnosis techniques.

Experience all the advantages of stopping NOW. 

• Better Health. 

• More energy

• Improved fitness and vitality 

• More money to spend on better things. 

• A wonderful sense of achievement.

• Improved sense of smell and taste.

• Peace of mind

What will being hypnotised feel like?

Well, this is a hard question to answer, because it really is different for different people.

One thing it doesn't feel like - is being unconscious. In fact, when you are undergoing hypnosis, I think it's best if you feel hyper-conscious; or maybe a better way of saying it is that you might feel hyper-focused. 

This is because when you are conscious, you subconsciously filter and analyse everything you see, hear, smell, and feel. When you're in hypnosis, your conscious mind rests, and becomes a silent observer.
Then, it's my job to keep your subconscious mind engaged and imagining life without vaping and/or cigarettes. If you can picture what I am saying, as if you were there, imagining it in the first person - that's exactly where you need to be - so stop wondering if you're doing it right, and just go with it.

And if you think it sounds too good to be true, you only need to look at the astounding success rate and become another success story.

A non-smoker for life.

Free from vaping.

It’s true.

Thousands of people have already found success using this exact  process.

Including me.

I was a smoker for 24 years, and this is what got me to stop smoking - for life.

Hypnotherapy is safe, natural, and effective.

Using advanced hypnosis and NLP processes, you can bypass all the difficult withdrawals and cravings usually associated with quitting smoking. Hypnosis is a totally safe, natural, and extremely effective process. All those old misconceptions about hypnosis are no longer relevant. The technique has been clinically proven to provide powerful medical and therapeutic benefits. These days, hypnosis is used in dentistry, medicine, law enforcement, professional sports, education and so many other areas.

What exactly is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is simply a state of relaxation that allows you to access and communicate with the deeper subconscious part of the mind. This is the place where unconscious habits and patterns are stored. This makes it not only possible – it actually makes it easy - to change the unwanted habits developed over a lifetime.

Hypnosis is "the process trained professionals use to assist a person to achieve a deeper level of focus than one does automatically, or during meditation".

Your mind is in a light-to-medium level of focus when you are concentrating on work, reading, watching TV, driving, texting, playing video games, exercising, meditating, etc.

Some people can achieve a deep meditative focus to access the subconscious mind, and affect cellular change in their lives.
However, the key to achieving transformation is the process of discovering the cause of negative habits, behaviours, and feelings.
When the cause is discovered, the transformation can be made on the subconscious mind, and at a cellular level.

It is difficult for anyone to ask the requisite questions of themselves and still maintain a deep focus. Therefore there is a need to engage with a professional trained in hypnotherapy.

This process is scientifically-proven and highly effective to create desired changes in beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviour; to achieve mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being on the unconscious, subconscious, cellular, and core levels.

What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming explores the relationship between how we think, how we communicate our emotions and patterns of and behaviour. By studying these relationships, we can successfully transform old unwanted behaviour patterns to create new levels of success and accomplishment. NLP provides us with greater levels of understanding about ourselves and others.

Is hypnosis safe?

Hypnosis is an extremely safe, relaxing, and enjoyable experience. It is a meditative state. You are in control the whole time. People use self-hypnosis to improve their lives and resolve issues such as anxiety, insomnia, self-esteem, confidence issues, phobias and much more.

Live and One-on-One is Far Superior

The effectiveness of hypnotherapy can vary based on individual preferences and the specific circumstances of the therapy. Both face-to-face and online hypnotherapy have their advantages and potential drawbacks.  Both of these methods of delivery are far preferable to a recording.

Make a booking now

Luke O'Dwyer

Switch-Up Hypnotherapy

SwitchUpHypnotherapy@gmail.com

0407 88 45 43

https://brisbane.quitsmokinginstantly.com.au/quitsmokingnow

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