Electronic Cigarettes Use and Pharmacological Strategies as an Intervention for Tobacco Cessation

Abstract

Tobacco use is a single leading preventable cause of death worldwide. It contains nicotine, which is one of the most addictive psychoactive drugs; thus, successful quitting becomes a challenging process. Occupation has a profound influence on tobacco use patterns, and in the majority of scenarios, users are unable to achieve abstinence to maintain the need for the psychoactive effect of nicotine to cope up with job stresses and to remain energetic. Various tobacco cessation aids are available with variable success rates. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vaping has become popular, particularly in Western Countries and among occupational workers as they contain less harmful chemicals than combustible cigarettes and can help heavy smokers to quit the habit. Reports of short- and long-term health effects of vaping have currently led to a ban on the production, manufacturing, and advertising of e-cigarettes. Pharmacological interventions such as bupropion and varenicline have been proven to provide long-term abstinence; however, neuropsychiatric side effects limit their use. This paper focusses on the hypothesis that whether the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) or vaping and pharmacological interventions are an effective tobacco cessation interventions.