Vaping helped me to quit smoking: Hong Kong should offer that option

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Electronic cigarettes being showcased at VapeFair, an annual industry event, in Kuala Lumpur in December 2015. The Hong Kong government has proposed to regulate e-cigarettes in the same manner as regular cigarettes. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:02am, 31 Jul 2018Updated: 6:02am, 31 Jul 2018

I quit smoking three years ago with the help of vaping and it has worked much better than any other form of nicotine replacement. Two of my friends quit smoking as well with vaping, as they were curious about how I managed to quit.

As vaping does not involve burning tobacco and only vaporises the liquid, it involves much fewer toxins than smoking. Vapour fills the lungs and so does smoke. This is the reason vaping worked for me compared to the other methods, as the sensations I got are very similar to smoking.

Vaping also involves the upkeep of the device, for example, cleaning it and “wicking” the atomiser. This kept my hands busy and got my mind off smoking.

The people around me, especially my family, found it more acceptable because I did not stink up the house and I no longer smelt of cigarettes, or disappeared right after dinner to have a smoke. I also slept better and woke up without a smoker’s cough.

Stubbing out demand: sale of e-cigarettes set to be regulated

There is a lot of misinformation online to scare potential vapers and the general public. Most of this revolves around the notion that vaping causes cancer, involves danger from exploding batteries, and about toxins in the e-liquid. But this detracts from the fact that cigarette smokers can try vaping to quit smoking. Those looking to try vaping need to get accurate information.