My patient asked me to advise him on whether or not to use the, relatively new to the market, vaporized nicotine products, such as blu and others. I am sharing the results of my research and analysis here:
Thank you for encouraging to learn more about the Vapor inhalation of Nicotine. Albeit, a little later than I promised, I have done my research and analysis, and I am ready to give you my definitive opinion and recommend a course of action for your to take.
The Positives for Vapor are:
Allows someone addicted to nicotine to get their dosage without the use of tobacco product and the other, mostly carcinogenic, compounds associated with them.
It is odorless, so is more socially acceptable
It puts no one else’s health at risk through second-hand exposure to carcinogens, as does smoking cigarettes.
Measure for measure of nicotine, it is less expensive than smoking cigarettes
The Negatives for Vapor are:
Being more socially acceptable may actually cause a person to inhale more nicotine during the day than they do with smoking cigarettes.
Because Vaporized nicotine is not a tobacco product, it is not regulated and there is no bona fide research with regards to its safety. There is a general concern that, in the absence of any research, vaporized nicotine has yet to be identified health risks; currently, all claims regarding the safety of vaporized nicotine is in the hands of the manufacturers of these products, which of course, is not a credible source for health and safety information.
Being unregulated, minors are able to purchase vaporized nicotine without proof of age, which will increase the likelihood of minors using these products becoming new nicotine addicts; and customers for life.
The nicotine levels in Vapor are similar to smoking cigarettes; thus, vaporized nicotine has the same increase in risk for heart disease and other vascular diseases as cigarette smoking.
My conclusion is that you should discontinue using vaporized nicotine. Instead, you should use a similar, but regulated prescription nicotine product, Nicotrol Inhaler. In addition to all of the positives I cited for Vaporized Nicotine, Nicotrol Inhaler safety and risks have been fully studied scientifically. In addition, it has been proven that the use of Nicotrol Inhaler will increase your likelihood of quitting smoking cigarettes and all other forms of nicotine use completely over time. Here is a link to learn more about this product, which I will prescribe for you:
Sincerely,
Mitchell R. Weisberg, MD, MP
Internist-Psychopharmacologist
Founder-CEO and Personal Physician at:
Optimal Performance MD
Comments