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

Smoking and vaping

Letters

Published: 6:02am, 31 Jul 2018

Why you can trust SCMP

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.

I urge Hong Kong to regulate vaping, rather than ban it outright, so that smokers can have a safer alternative they can consider.

James Lim, Singapore

Smokers snap up all the cigarettes displayed in a 7-Eleven outlet in Central, just before the tobacco tax is raised by more than 40 per cent in the 2011-12 budget delivered on February 23, 2011. While the rate of smoking is relatively low in Hong Kong, obesity is on the rise. Photo: David Wong

It’s not smoking, Hongkongers have a bigger problem

It’s good that the rate of smoking here is quite low, which helps to boost our life expectancy (“High longevity rates are not guaranteed”, July 28). However, your editorial did not mention the higher calorie intake in Hong Kong, or that most people do not exercise enough.

When I moved to Hong Kong in 1991, only a few people were overweight. Today, there are even more convenience stores selling snacks, which are not good for expectations of a long life. Full disclosure: I’ve gained a number of kilos over the years.

Michael J. Sloboda, Tsim Sha Tsui

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