Vaping has surged in popularity in the UAE but left many questioning how to end their nicotine addiction. Arabian Business reached out to doctors in the UAE for guidance on how to quit vaping.
Respiratory Specialist Dr. Rania Zein Eldien, based at Abu Dhabi’s Burjeel Hospital, emphasises five straightforward steps that smokers can take to successfully quit: establishing goals, choosing a quit date, seeking professional medical advice, enlisting support from loved ones for accountability, and steering clear of triggers.
How to quit vaping
Conquering the addiction to vaping requires determination and support, but as highlighted by Dr. Zein Eldien, those looking to quit can significantly improve their chances of success by implementing a five-step plan.
“Set goals even if it includes reducing vaping gradually,” she said.
Unlike smoking cigarettes, vaping is more socially acceptable, making it easier for nicotine-addicted people to turn to.
“Vaping has fewer social restrictions, no odour, and is easy to carry. Hence people tend to use vaping much more and thus inhale higher doses of nicotine. They find it harder to quit,” said Respiratory Medicine Specialist at the LLH hospital in Abu Dhabi’s Musaffah, Dr. Sajeev S. Nair.
“If you are unable to stop on your own, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Consult a physician and seek her/his advice. Five step intervention for smoking cessation: ask, advice, assess, assist and arrange.”
The global market for vaping products is growing exponentially. Its value rose from $3 billion in 2016 to $22.8 billion in 2022. This number is expected to mount to $28 billion this year.
As of 2023, around 9 million people vape regularly in the US making it the country with the highest number of vape smokers in the world, followed by the UK with a total of 3 million vapes, France with 2.4 million and Japan with 1.2 million consumers.
“Addiction to nicotine means you are urged to keep putting nicotine into your body,” said Dr. Nair. “Your body depends on it, and you will have symptoms that make you uncomfortable – sometimes very painful – if you don’t get enough of it or don’t get it often enough.”
Withdrawal symptoms
Like quitting cigarettes, vaping comes with nicotine withdrawal symptoms too, which are said to be very uncomfortable.
“The uncontrollable urge is the first hurdle to overcome. Many feel irritated, restless, and vague discomfort,” said Dr. Nair. “Some may feel more appetite and weight gain.”
Some of these withdrawal symptoms include irritability, intense cravings, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns. They arise as the body adjusts itself to the sudden absence of nicotine and can persist for several weeks.
“Both vaping and smoking are addictive and the levels of many of the chemicals in e-cigarettes is higher when you burn tobacco. Vaping hasn’t been around long enough to know what kind of long-term damage it might cause,” said Dr. Zein Eldien.
“The particles you inhale while vaping can cause inflammation and irritation in your lungs. This can lead to lung damage like scarring and narrowing of the tubes that bring air in and out of your lungs. Researchers don’t yet know all the effects vaping can have on your body.”
Concerns mount over teenage use of vapes
Vape liquid contains up to 80 chemicals including nicotine as well cancer-causing chemicals and toxic heavy metals like nickel, lead and tin.
Particularly concerning is the fact that more children, teenagers and young adults have turned to vaping for fun or out of curiosity. Some studies have found that the majority of teens who smoked the JUUL vape were unaware that they contained nicotine as many of them turned to vapes for the fruity flavours and became highly addicted.
It is estimated that some 800,000 teenagers vaped for the first time in 2021, and this number is expected to be higher in 2023.
“Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s,” said Dr. Nair.
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