Smoking to Vaping?

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Julian123

From Smoking to Vaping

E-cigarettes are generally considered to be less dangerous for human health than combustible cigarettes, and are a promising harm reduction tool for smokers.

However, despite possible health benefits compared with tobacco smoking, vaping is a potential environmental threat. Recently, dry powder inhalers—widespread medical devices routinely used to treat pulmonary diseases—were shown to have a concerning carbon footprint.

Given their similarities to inhalers, the impact of e-cigarettes on planetary health can also no longer be ignored.

Historically, tobacco waste was one of the most abundant forms of plastic pollution in the world, with trillions of individual cigarette butts polluting the global environment every year.

Cigarette butts and their filters are made of a common man-made plastic, and when thrown into soil and water, release harmful chemicals before turning into microplastic pollution. Discarded cigarette butts present a serious threat to human health and wildlife, and are an example of how the tobacco industry has had a substantial impact on the environment for decades.

Vaping, an alternative to smoking, has substantially risen in popularity over the past 15 years. With the vape market mainly owned by the tobacco industry, it is legitimate to question whether vaping is more eco-friendly than smoking, or whether the tobacco industry has actually gone from bad to worse. To fix the problem of cigarette butt waste, several countries are introducing measures to make tobacco companies responsible for reducing and managing this waste through a mandatory product stewardship scheme.

Nonetheless, a new threat is now facing our planet: vape waste, including disposable devices, e-liquid containers, packaging, and batteries, comprising not one but three forms of waste.

The first type of waste that vaping products contain is plastic waste. Many popular e-cigarettes are pod-based devices with single-use plastic cartridges. Just like coffee capsules were over the past decade, the vape industry could soon be the next environmental crisis in terms of plastic pollution. The comparison between vape pods and coffee capsules fits well, since e-cigarettes are intentionally designed to be convenient and single-use, and both are (largely) non-biodegradable and poorly recyclable.

The second type of waste is electronic waste. Similarly to cigarette butts, disposable e-cigarettes are thrown away carelessly, instead of being disposed in special electronic waste facilities like smartphones are. Vape waste presents at least two waste disposal issues, since e-cigarettes contain both circuit boards

and lithium-ion batteries.

As e-cigarette batteries degrade, their toxic compounds progressively leach into the environment.

Additionally, batteries put in rubbish bins pose both an explosion and fire risk in waste and recycling facilities or trucks.

The third type of waste is hazardous chemical waste. Pods and e-liquid containers cannot be recycled with other plastic waste because they have contained nicotine, a substance listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency as an acute hazardous waste.

Therefore, nicotine-contaminated single-use cartridges and e-liquid waste should not be thrown in the regular waste unit or poured down the sink.

E-cigarettes remain controversial because their long-term health impact is unknown and because they are a possible gateway to cigarette smoking. But one thing is clear: they are a rising environmental threat. Thus, regulatory agencies should not only focus on the health effects of vaping products, but also consider their environmental impact. Indeed, this environmental issue could rapidly worsen due to the rising popularity of disposable e-cigarettes.

Vaping trends have seen many changes over the years—eg, since early 2021, disposable vaping products seem to have increased in popularity worldwide. Generating even more waste than reusable e-cigarettes, disposable e-cigarettes are designed to be used only once. Targeting mainly young people, these new devices are a worrying health concern, but are also highly concerning on an ecological level.

Fortunately, vape waste is a preventable environmental disaster, but for this disaster to be averted, disposable e-cigarettes must be better regulated. In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned flavours other than tobacco and menthol for pod or cartridge-based e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, the FDA’s policy does not include disposable e-cigarettes. For the environmental consequences alone, this position should be re-examined. Additionally, because vape waste contains both electronic and hazardous waste, there is currently no legal way to recycle disposable e-cigarettes in the USA. Thus, regulatory agencies need to coordinate their regulations to allow for the safe recycling and waste minimization of these products in the near future. Furthermore, e-cigarette manufacturers have failed to provide consumers with guidance on, or taken responsibility for, appropriate disposal methods. This point should be addressed quickly, since product stewardship is a compelling way to drive vape industry responsibility and reduce pollution

5 Steps to Quit Smoking and Vaping

So you’ve decided to quit smoking, vaping or using any form of tobacco. Great! It’s one of the best things you can do to improve your health and add years to your life. It’s not easy — but you can do it. You’re more likely to quit for good if you prepare for the cravings, urges and feelings that come with quitting. Remember, nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, and your body will need to get used to being without it again.

Get ready to stop smoking and vaping for good with these five steps — just remember to take it one step at a time:

1. Set your “Quit Day” and take a No Smoking or Vaping pledge.

Choose a date within the next seven days when you’ll stop using tobacco products – that’s now your “Quit Day.” Make a pledge or commitment in front of people who will support you on your path to quitting. Use the time until your Quit Day to prepare and to gradually cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke or how much you vape or use other tobacco products.

Take the pledge: “I promise to not smoke or use any tobacco products after my Quit Day. I know it is a serious danger to my (and my family’s) health. I will also try to stay away from secondhand smoke and encourage and support others to quit smoking and using tobacco products.”

2. Choose your method for quitting.

There are three ways to quit smoking. You can choose one or use them in combination – whatever you think will work best for you.

“Cold turkey.” Stop smoking or vaping all at once on your Quit Day. This method works best for some people because it doesn’t drag out the quitting process.

Cut down the number of cigarettes you smoke each day or how many times you vape until you stop completely. For example, if you smoke 20 cigarettes each day, cut down to 10 per day for two to three days. Next, cut it down to five cigarettes for two to three days. Keep track on a calendar. By your Quit Day, stop smoking completely.

Smoke only part of each cigarette, reducing the amount until you stop smoking completely. Count how many puffs you normally take from each cigarette, then reduce the number of puffs every two to three days. Keep track on a calendar. On your Quit Day, stop smoking completely.

3. Talk with your doctor and decide if you’ll need medicines or other help to successfully quit.

4. Make a plan for your Quit Day and afterward.

Have healthy snacks available, like:

fruits and vegetables
nuts and seeds
air-popped popcorn
sugar-free mints and chewing gum
Find enjoyable ways to fill the time when you may be tempted to smoke:
Go to a movie.
Work out or go to the gym.
Visit non-smoking friends.
Take a walk.
Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.
Try a new hobby that occupies your hands, like painting, playing an instrument, woodworking or knitting.
Work in the yard or garden.
Get rid of every cigarette, vape, match, lighter, ashtray and any other tobacco product in your home, office and car