Chocolate. Espresso. Mango. Bubblegum. With tempting flavors and the promise of being a safer alternative to tobacco, electronic cigarette sales have gone from zero to 60 in no time flat.

 

But, buyer beware. Pulmonologist Andrea K. Anthony, MD, with Meritas Health Pulmonary Medicine, pops the hood on vaping to show it could you put on a road filled with dangerous health curves.

E-cigarettes can be a tool to help you stop smoking completely, if you have a plan in place to quit them, too. It’s OK to use them for a couple of months but, they are a nicotine replacement product. We know nicotine is addictive and not good for cardiovascular health.

The convenience factor concerns doctors. Electronic cigarettes are always ready to use. You don’t have to light them, and you can use them in places where smoking is banned. As a result, people use them more often, and take in more nicotine. Studies suggest they are as harmful as cigarettes in some ways.

What You Need to Know

  • E-cigarettes contain ingredients not FDA-approved for human consumption.
  • It can be tougher to quit vaping than to quit smoking.
  • Data doesn’t yet exist to show the long-term effects vaping may have on health.

Our pulmonology team offers personalized care and treatment for a wide range of pulmonary health issues, including those that are sleep-related. Explore our experts and their services.

Related Reading

Up in Smoke

Andrea Anthony MD

Andrea Anthony, MD, is a pulmonologist with Meritas Health Pulmonology. She has special interest in the treatment of asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis and other lung diseases, as well the use of endobronchial ultrasound and bronchial thermoplasty.
Related Stories
Read article
Salon Professionals Bring Added Line of Skin Cancer Defense
Salon Professionals Bring Added Line of Skin Cancer Defense
Read article
No Mammogram No Excuses
No Mammogram No Excuses
Read article
How to Use Self-Tanners Safely
How to Use Self-Tanners Safely