The end of the year is here, and 2018 will be here before you know it. If you’re a smoker, chances are your New Year’s resolution will be to quit smoking for good.
According to the CDC, 70% of smokers want to quit, so most of them will make a New Year's resolution to quit smoking.
But quitting smoking is not easy even though we know the dangers of cigarettes. Smoking is the cause of cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, cancer and many other dangerous diseases. The average life expectancy of smokers is 13 years less than that of non-smokers. And that does not even mention the quality of life of smokers, especially those who have suffered from the health effects of it.
The good news is that quitting smoking can help you regain those lost years of life, and with so many people quitting, the process is getting easier with the help of others. Today, nearly 50 million people in the US are ex-smokers, and that number is growing to become a larger part of the population. Quitting smoking a few years ago could have been a challenge, especially if you were around smokers, and today, those same people are likely to have ex-smokers in their social circles.
Your health is one of many reasons to quit smoking, but it is certainly your biggest motivator. In fact, quitting smoking can bring many benefits to smokers, and over time, some of a smoker's bodily functions can return to the same level as those of people who have never smoked.
Once you quit smoking:
Your heart rate and blood pressure will drop after 20 minutes.
Lung function and blood circulation improved within three months.
The risk of heart disease is cut in half within a year
Yet some people struggle to quit abruptly. Nicotine gums and patches work for some, but others want the experience of smoking without the risks. That’s where e-cigarettes come in.
Electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, do not use the same ingredients as tobacco. These devices heat a liquid mixture known as e-liquid to create a vapor when inhaled. In some independent studies, e-cigarettes have been found to be one of the most effective smoking cessation tools.
The FDA has also recently recognized e-cigarettes as a useful tool for smokers.
In Italy, 300 smokers who had no intention of quitting took part in a 12-month study, in which participants were divided into three groups and given e-cigarettes with varying doses of nicotine. By the end of the study, 11% of the participants had quit smoking, a figure comparable to that of NRT users. Those who had no intention of quitting had used e-cigarettes to speed up their decision.
However, a British study suggests that e-cigarettes may be a more effective method of quitting smoking. The study, published in the journal Addiction, found that smokers were 60% more likely to quit smoking when they used e-cigarettes.
With many people making it their New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, e-cigarettes are helping to create a smoke-free future. A survey of e-cigarette users found that they often use the product to cut down on their cigarette consumption. If your New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking, you may have an easier time as e-cigarettes become more popular and have more support communities.
