Escape the vape

The jury is back on vaping – it’s not good news.

A major international study has confirmed what health experts in New Zealand have long warned: vaping is not a harmless habit.

Published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research Journal, the groundbreaking study tracked over 250,000 people and found a strong link between vaping and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a life-limiting, irreversible lung condition and the fourth leading cause of death in New Zealand.

Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, says the findings are a wake-up call. “For years, we’ve been gaslighted into believing vaping is harmless – or at least ‘less harmful’ than cigarettes – meanwhile, we’ve watched teen vaping rates skyrocket.
“Vaping is not harmless – it never has been – and this study shows it causes long-term irreversible lung damage.

Respiratory physician Dr Stuart Jones adds, “For the first time, we’ve got hard data showing that vaping alone can cause COPD – and if you’re vaping and smoking, you’re not reducing risk, you’re doubling down on it.

E-cigarettes must be kept out of the hands of non-smokers, particularly young people, Dr Jones says. “Vapes are not harmless devices – they are engineered nicotine delivery systems that inflame lung tissue and can leave lasting damage. “If you smoke and vape, then the goal is to stop both. If you don’t smoke, then don’t vape. It’s that simple.”

Gasp! Kiwis who vape daily skyrocketed from 33,000 in 2015 to about half a million today.