There is no evidence that electronic cigarettes help in quitting smoking.
Making statements within the scope of May 31 World No Tobacco Day, Expert Clinical Psychologist Dr. Aslı Başabak Bhais said that smoking addiction is a treatable disease. Emphasizing that trying to quit by reducing or using electronic cigarettes is not an effective method, Bhais said, "Using these products, considering that they are less harmful, reduces the motivation to quit by reducing the anxiety about the harm that may be seen in the future. The fact that it can be used in areas where smoking is prohibited causes the behavior to become more frequent.” warned. Pointing out the danger in hookahs, flavored cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, Bhais said, “1 hookah is equivalent to 4-5 packs of cigarettes. It is seen that electronic cigarettes have negative effects especially on lung, heart, mouth and dental health. Flavored cigarettes increase the risk of cancer.” said.
Specialist Clinical Psychologist Dr. Aslı Başabak Bhais made a statement about cigarette addiction within the scope of 'World No Tobacco Day' on May 31.
If you have two of these criteria, you are addicted
Expert who defines cigarette addiction according to the diagnostic manual of mental illnesses Clinical Psychologist Dr. Aslı Başabak Bhais listed the criteria that must be met for a person to be considered addicted and said that if at least two of these criteria are present, cigarette addiction can be mentioned:
-In the last twelve months, more than planned or for a longer period of time. smoking
-A persistent desire to quit or control smoking and making unsuccessful attempts
-Devoting a lot of time to smoking-related activities
-Having a strong desire to smoke
br /> - Not being able to fulfill the main responsibilities required by the position at work, school or at home due to smoking
-Continuing to use despite experiencing physical, mental or social problems due to smoking
-Some problems due to smoking Reducing or quitting social, recreational or work-related activities
-Increasing t Significantly less effects despite using or using the same amount of iron
-Experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, trouble in attention and focusing when not smoking
100 lifetime smokers are considered addicted
Noting that the way of using tobacco products may vary, Bhais said, “Some people smoke regularly every day, some smoke occasionally, and some are people who have quit”. The question may arise, are all these people addicted? The World Health Organization makes some definitions of smoking. It was defined as the group that smoked at least 1 cigarette per day, the group that smoked less than 1 cigarette per day in 30 days, and the group that smoked occasionally (in social settings). In summary, a person who has smoked a total of 100 cigarettes throughout his life is considered a 'smoker'.
Flavored cigarettes increase the risk of cancer
It should be noted that there are studies on these products increasing the risk of cancer, rather than the possibility of flavored menthol cigarettes, which are widely used especially among young people, to make them more addictive. Bhais said, “In studies on this subject, it has been reported that menthol aromas contain cancer-causing compounds and turn into an oil called pulegon with long-term use. For this reason, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of menthol cigarettes in the USA in 2019. This risk is also present in those who use electronic cigarettes.” He warned.
Electronic cigarettes have negative effects on heart, mouth and dental health
Expert Clinical Psychologist Dr. Aslı Başabak Bhais said, “Although it is a well-known misconception, there is no scientific evidence that electronic cigarettes help in quitting smoking. On the contrary, people's use of these products, thinking that they are helpful or less harmful, reduces their anxiety about the harm they may see in the future and reduces their motivation to quit. The fact that there is no use in areas where smoking is prohibited or that people under the age of 18 can access these products are also excluded. It doesn't help with cramping, it just makes the behavior more frequent.”
Drawing attention to the harms of electronic cigarettes, Bhais said, “Since electronic cigarettes have been on the market recently, research showing the long-term results of use is just emerging. The results show that it has negative effects especially on lung, heart, oral and dental health.” He said.
1 hookah is equivalent to 4-5 packs of cigarettes
Mentioning that some people use hookahs even if they do not smoke regularly, Bhais said, “I believe that this is not an addiction, it is a social use or it will not cause harm. they think. However, the truth is that 1 hookah is equivalent to 4-5 packs of cigarettes because the nickel, lead and cobalt ratios in it are higher than cigarettes. In addition, hookahs that are used by many people and that are not sufficiently disinfected pose a risk for catching many infectious diseases, especially tuberculosis.
Cigarette addiction can be treated, but it does not disappear completely
Emphasizing that smoking addiction is a treatable disease, like other addictions, Bhais said, “One can quit smoking. In the case of quitting, the cigarette addiction disease becomes passive. Cells in the brain that recognize cigarettes go to sleep. The person does not use it, but may have a desire to drink. However, one can pass these moments of desire without drinking. In case of repeated use, the disease flares up again. Usage gets out of control after a while and the person returns to his old usage pattern after a while. In other words, what is meant by treatment in smoking addiction; 'it gets better but never completely disappears'. If the person tries to drink even 5 years after quitting, they can return to their old drinking patterns.”
Quitting by reducing is not an effective method
Stating that the main determinant in smoking cessation treatment is the motivation of the person, Bhais said, "Research has shown that quitting by reducing or smoking 'light' cigarettes with low nicotine shows that there are no effective methods of quitting. For this reason, a treatment that is completely quit has a higher chance of success. Getting professional support in the quit attempt also increases the chances of success. Medication support, nicotine replacement therapy and psychotherapy support can be obtained to plan cessation strategies to help quit smoking in smoking cessation outpatient clinics.
Giving an example of the applied system, Bhais concluded his words as follows:
“A general examination of the client is first performed by a physician and evaluated in terms of smoking addiction. According to the needs of the person, medication or psychotherapy support is added to the treatment. There are two phases in treatment: quitting and continuing. There are different goals for both treatment phases. Especially the first 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after quitting are important in terms of the risk of relapse, these periods are overcome together. In therapies, the person can find more appropriate strategies because they are better aware of risky situations, the reasons that make them reuse them, and the methods that work for not using them.”
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