E-Cigarettes, Smoking, and Addictive Personalities

By Sigrid Salucop

Photo via publichealthforums.com

We’ve heard this a lot of times before –smoking is bad for you but those who are addicted to smoking just can’t kick the habit. From nicotine patches to chewing candy to pills to quitting cold turkey, what other choices does a smoker have?

Addictive Personality and Smoking

A report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism titled “Alcohol and Tobacco” says that heavy smokers usually have addictive personalities and that most heavy smokers are likely to abuse alcohol as well.

Another study back in 2007 has found a link between other addictions and smoking. Carolyn Schaefer Placko’s study on smoking revealed that 70% of alcoholics are also chain smokers. Six years before these studies were done, an article on addictive personality was published in the Encyclopedia of Psychology stating that people who get addicted easily use their addiction to soothe anxiety and to drown uncomfortable emotions. If this is the case, is there a possibility for a smoker to quit smoking through therapy? There is no clear cut answer to this question because experts believe that a smoker would have to have the will to stop smoking because if he or she does not want to stop smoking, therapy won’t work. Commitment is a very important thing when an individual chooses to go through therapy.

E-cigarette Review: Is it time to switch?

Photo via e-cigarettez.blogspot.com

E-health cigarette, an electronic cigarette brand sold in the Philippines holds a promise for those who would like to quit smoking. E-cigarettes became popular in the Philippines when many Starbucks branches within the metro banned smoking in their premises.

In the Diliman area alone, many Starbucks patrons in the coffee shop’s Matalino branch started using e-cigarettes inside the café just days after the issuance of the ban. Although these cigarettes look cool, they aren’t like the real thing.

The first thing one would notice is that it is more difficult to suck that nicotine out of the e-cigarette compared to smoking real cigarettes. There is an advantage of having an e-cigarette though because you can finally smoke in air conditioned places without having to worry about non-smokers getting annoyed by you.

In terms of health, switching from real cigarettes to the electronic version is a good thing because one can choose the nicotine content in the cartridges that they buy. Another way to finally get rid of nicotine addiction is to switch from nicotine cartridges to those that do not have nicotine.

If you have seen someone smoking an e-cigarette before, you would notice that there is still smoke coming from the user’s mouth. This is a good thing because it simulates the experience. However, chain smokers do not like it because of the smell. There is also a sweet after taste when one smokes an e-cigarette but this depends on the flavor one chooses.

If you work in an air conditioned place and then go out for a smoke, the contents of the cartridges will “melt” once you step outside. This is a minor disadvantage of course but if you get irritated by it, it is better not to switch.

For those who would like to save money in the long term, getting an e-cigarette today would be a good idea because you’d only be buying your cartridges instead of a P36 pack of Marlboros. The cartridges last a long time and one cartridge is equal to about 10 cigarettes.  

Although those who are addicted not only those who are addicted to cigarettes usually do not know how to stop the addiction, it may be time to look for other reasons other than your own health.