It’s world health day – never has there been a better time to switch to vaping to quit smoking.

Smoking has created a world health crisis that continues to wreak havoc with communities and health services all over the world. With Coronavirus rampaging through our communities, it’s important that we revisit the harm smoking does to the respiratory system and consider alternatives.

Coronavirus develops into a deadly form of pneumonia that destroys the airways of its victims. The speed at which the virus takes hold is unprecedented and it is affecting people with underlying health conditions more acutely than the rest of the population.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a common problem for long term smokers. Whether it comes in the form of bronchitis or emphysema. Sadly, anyone suffering from COPD or any other respiratory illness will find themselves in the ‘most at risk’ group when facing Coronavirus. Smoking weakens the respiratory system and places undue stress on body systems, which make a smoker more vulnerable to contracting respiratory infections.  If you are a smoker, there has never been a more pressing reason to quit than coronavirus.

Is it too late to quit smoking now that Coronavirus is upon us? 

The answer is an unequivocal NO! it’s never too late to quit. The body begins to heal almost immediately and any gains that can be had right now need to be taken. The second you stop smoking; your body will begin to bounce back. In less than a week your blood oxygen level will improve, inflammation reduces, and blood pressure begins to respond positively.8

Is switching to vaping a good choice?

Switching to vaping as a means of quitting smoking is proven to work and is also proven to be 95% less harmful to your body than smoking. Public Health England (PHE) found that while vaping is not entirely risk free, it is 95% less harmful than smoking, due mostly to the absence of smoke as the chemicals in e-liquids are heated, not burned.¹

Why is vaping less harmful than smoking?

It’s all about the toxins. There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are toxic.

Here are just a few of the ingredients found in combustible tobacco products, aka cigarettes:³

Acetone—found in nail polish remover

Acetic acid—an ingredient in hair dye

Ammonia—a common household cleaner

Arsenic—used in rat poison

Benzene—found in rubber cement and gasoline

Butane—used in lighter fluid

Cadmium—active component in battery acid

Carbon monoxide—released in car exhaust fumes

Formaldehyde—embalming fluid

Hexamine—found in barbecue lighter fluid

Lead—used in batteries

Naphthalene—an ingredient in mothballs

Methanol—a main component in rocket fuel

Tar—material for paving roads

Toluene—used to manufacture paint

Many smokers incorrectly believe that it is the Nicotine that causes the health issues, but this is a myth.⁴  In fact, it is the tobacco, or more specifically, it’s the burning of tobacco and the related toxins released into the body and environment via the smoke.

Not only is smoking traditional cigarettes disastrous for your health, it has a serious impact on those around you. Secondary smoking related illnesses are common and, like smoking related illnesses, are preventable.² Which means, that not only is smoking putting the smokers health at risk, it’s also compromising the health of those who are in close contact with the smoker.

We have never faced anything like the Coronavirus pandemic and the entire world is focused on reducing the impact on health services. Thinking that there’s no point worrying about quitting smoking now as nothing you do right now will improve your ability to survive the virus is just flat out wrong. Start now. Tomorrow is too late to quit smoking.

If you, or someone you know, wants to switch to vaping, but doesn’t know where to start please reach out. We will help.

#inthistogether

STAY SAFE OUT THERE.

Joanne Emmerson FCIM
Head of Marketing, Ibiza Club

Joanne is a fellow of the Royal Chartered Institute of Marketing and has 30+ years marketing experience. She has worked all around the world, is published in 7 countries and teaches marketing communication theory at Post Graduate level both in the UK and USA. She has worked alongside many government bodies, health organisations and national charities. ivcservice@ibizavapeclub.com