Abstinence not healthier than low-risk alternative

[Vocalek]

Great article by Dr. Carl V. Phillips:

Abstract | Debunking the claim that abstinence is usually healthier for smokers than switching to a low-risk alternative, and other observations about anti-tobacco-harm-reduction arguments

The above links to an abstract, but you can access the entire article.

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/...-7517-6-29.pdf

[olderthandirt]

"Thus, discouraging a smoker, even one who would have quit entirely, from switching to a low-risk alternative is almost certainly more likely to kill him than it is to save him."

Good find vocal!

[Dolly]

Fantastic!! ^_^

[olderthandirt]

I just skimmed the entire article, some of the logic arguments were a bit involved for me to follow so I'll need to study a bit closer.

vocal, if the html version of this is posted it would be a great digg!

[jamaesi]

Great find, thank you for sharing!

[kinabaloo]

Then there are also two related issues:

sudden withdrawal may negatively impact health in some cases

that at least some people will be affected long-term by complete withdrawal from nicotine, to an extent that is health reducing

[Vocalek]

I just skimmed the entire article, some of the logic arguments were a bit involved for me to follow so I'll need to study a bit closer.

vocal, if the html version of this is posted it would be a great digg!

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

I tried and Digg would not let me link to a PDF.

The good news is that this article is Open Access, which means that we can post it on the CASAA Web site. I will do so.

[martha1014]

I for one would have never quit cigarettes and I know alot of you are the same as me. I don't know the statistics of how many people quit smoking each year but I bet its not as many as those that start smoking.

But I see they don't let us know what that figure is. How many of you would have stopped smoking without electronic cigarettes.

[Kurt]

I for one would have never quit cigarettes and I know alot of you are the same as me. I don't know the statistics of how many people quit smoking each year but I bet its not as many as those that start smoking.

But I see they don't let us know what that figure is. How many of you would have stopped smoking without electronic cigarettes.

I would have quit tomorrow for the rest of my life.

[weatherbug]

For me, smoking almost always became a habit. That is, the act of smoking was a pacifier and gave me an opportunity to "stop and smell the roses" per se.

What I mean is that I would bet smokers find that it's the distraction, not the smoking of tobacco itself, which is a relief in our way stressed out and complicated lives. When we smoke, we allow ourselves time to step outside, feel the sun on our faces and take in the scenery for 5-10 mins. Not to mention, hang out with other people we have things in common with.

Not smoking for me meant distracting myself and burying myself in work, school, or something else (since I no longer had the urge to smoke), but I MISSED actually smoking.

I'd argue that vaping (nicotine or no nicotine) could actually be GOOD for us by relieving a bit of stress and forcing us to take a few minutes away from our complicated world. Of course the down side of vaping is that we don't actually have to step outside to do it and we're back to the same argument... ARRRGGGG

I for one, choose to step outside and vape... if for nothing else but to keep me sane.

Great article and I couldn't agree more.