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Hi all!
There’s been so much great discussion! We all seem to agree that vaping/e-cigarettes should be regulated just as traditional cigarettes are. I think this would be a positive step for public health as there really is no regulation for the contents of the vaping ‘liquid.’ I’ve heard about legislation to take some of the flavoring away (which can appeal to adolescents).
I did a quick review of the literature and found that vaping can lead to pulmonary complications. Patients have been seen in the ICU with ARDS symptoms and other such pulmonary complications. It’s definitely not a safe alternative to traditional smoking.
I’m glad to see interest in smoking cessation training. I will reach out to Christy and see if there’s further opportunity for this.
What do you all think is the biggest impact an oncology nurse can have on smoking cessation?
Hello all!
My name is Lindsay Herndon. I’m the Clinical Nurse Specialist for Thoracic Oncology.
The two articles listed have excellent information about e-cigarette and vaping use. Because these are a growing trend, especially in the younger populations, nurses should be familiar with the current facts and practices, as well as strategies to promote smoking cessation. Of note, these articles do not consider e-cigarettes/vapes to count as smoking. The “e-liquid”, as it’s called, is not combusted like in a traditional cigarette. However, they do still expose patients to nicotine as well as other potentially carcinogenic substances.
The article from Essenmacher, et al (2018) provides information on the background of e-cigarettes (which they refer to as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems). Of note, the tobacco industry has been the biggest proponent of advertising e-cigarette use. While e-cigarettes don’t have some of the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, they do contain flavorings and other chemicals that are not currently FDA regulated. Additionally, the amount of nicotine per “puff” of an e-cigarette is also not regulated.
This ties in well with the Zborovskaya (2016) article. This article goes into more details about the current body of knowledge surrounding e-cigarettes. What I found most interesting was that some people consider e-cigarettes as a method of smoking cessation. This is currently not recommended by any medical body, but it may be a consideration for some patients depending on the benefits vs risks.
What are your thoughts on these articles? Have you had many patients that use e-cigarettes? What is the perception from your patients on the use of e-cigarettes.
Please feel free to discuss these questions or observations of your own. I look forward to hearing your opinion on these articles!
