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I quit smoking for over a year because of e-cigarettes, back when I was living in the US. Thousands of people have quit for good because of them. I, and others who ‘vape’, will agree that it is a valid, effective and healthier alternative to smoking. There’s a battle now in the US between ‘big tobacco’ backed lobbyists or legislators and e-cigarette companies. They both release studies that support their own claims. It is up to you to decide which studies you decide to believe. For me, I believe smoking is a physical addiction as well as a mental addiction. Just the action of smoking is half the addiction. Also, feeling the smoke go into your lungs is definitely a big part of it. This doesn’t actually help when you use nicotine gums or patches, which is why I didn’t find them as effective.
When I came to the UAE I found out that e-cigarettes are banned, so I have gone back to smoking cigarettes. As far as e-cigarettes being smoking cessation devices, it won’t actually take away the addiction to nicotine, just like gums or patches. Either way your body needs nicotine, so unless you go cold turkey, you will still be addicted to it.
From Mr Sharif Kalil
Dubai
The entire e-cigarette concept appears to be spoiling regular cigarette smokers – the advanced version of smoking with a pat on the back saying, “It’s okay son. It’s not a real cigarette, so you can smoke.” As for the less toxic nature of nicotine, a human being’s body is not very tolerant to harmful chemicals whatever be the case. A smaller percentage of a chemical, when used long term, does have poisonous effects. E-cigarette may seem less toxic but it is just like instead of having full cream milk chocolate that would make you fat in a week, you have low-fat milk chocolate. It might take longer, but you’ll still get fat. Think long term and don’t just satisfy your desire for short term pleasures.
From Ms Aisha Abrar
Sharjah
They are said to be a safer alternative to actual cigarettes, but they are still harmful so it is really a difference of slower death versus a quicker one, figuratively speaking. Cigarette smoking causes a lot of harm and damage to the body. Also, it can be highly addictive for children, and it is easier for them to hide it from their parents because it does not have the same smoke that cigarettes do, and there is no need to be hiding a lighter. It can also be addictive because of the different flavours it comes in.
From Ms Rabab Hussain
Dubai
I know there’s much controversy around them, but I know of three friends back in the UK – possibly four – who have successfully stopped smoking due to e-cigarettes. Shisha pipes are far, far worse for health than these e-cigarettes, yet shisha is not banned in the UAE.
From Ms Sheena Smith
UAE
I am not a smoker and I hate it when smokers do not have specific smoking areas and they spread their cancer-causing habits all over me. This is not fair. I am not the only person complaining, many others are seriously affected. What hurts is that many of these individuals smoking arrogantly in public places are expatriates in whose own countries it would be an offence. But they keep doing it here because there is leniency in public smoking regulations.
From Mr Ryans Salt Alexander
Kigali, Rwanda
They should raise the price of cigarettes in the UAE. Everyone will eventually stop smoking or at least cut down.
From Mr Abdullah Osaid
UAE
E -cigarettes just sounds like another addition to the list of things we have to stay away from . There isn’t any good in finding a lower version of a harmful thing and e-cigarettes might give comparatively more opportunity to teenagers to use them and hide it from their parents, as it doesn’t give out the smell of usual cigarettes. For the smokers who are trying to quit, they really shouldn’t get addicted to another toxic item in the process of quitting – even if it is comparatively less.
Ryhana Basheer
Sharjah
- Compiled by Huda Tabrez/
The writer is a trainee with the Readers Desk at Gulf News
