The Utah Department of Health makes it sound as if the only time a smoker would ever use an e-cigarette is when they are in a place where smoking is prohibited. Two published surveys of electronic cigarette users show that smokers are using e-cigarettes as a permanent replacement for smoking at all times. In one study limited to a single brand, 31% no longer smoked. In the other study, which included participants in on-line forums where they received advice on which brands work more reliably and on how to use the devices, 82% were substituting e-cigarettes for all their smoked cigarettes, and an additional 15% had greatly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked. In contrast, the FDA-approved nicotine weaning products have an unimpressive 7% success rate. The UDH list of nicotine effects is not entirely accurate, because elements other than nicotine in smoke cause hypertension, increase cholesterol, and promote insulin resistance. Decades of research on smokers who switched to low-nitrosamine snus show that snus users have no increased risk of cancer, lung, or cardiovascular disease. The fact that nicotine is addictive illustrates why e-cigarettes are proving to be an acceptable substitute for smoking. The nicotine in e-cigarettes is no more poisonous than the nicotine in regular cigarettes. Many smokers are unwilling to give up nicotine because they are dependent on its beneficial effects. Nicotine enhances the ability to concentrate, pay attention, and remember, and helps to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety It also helps people deal with chronic fatigue and chronic pain. E-cigarettes are being used by people who smoked for decades and tried repeatedly to quit by using the FDA-approved treatments, as well as non-medicinal approaches such as classes, counseling, hypnosis, 12-step programs, and laser therapy. We were smokers who had almost given up all hope of being able to stop lighting up. To us, these products are miraculous.
