A warning has been issued to everyone who vapes following a new study that has uncovered the shocking truth about addiction levels.
It turns out that vaping is actually more addictive than chewing nicotine gum, according to the study.
And now scientists are warning that vapes have a ‘very high’ potential for abuse as it could increase dependency much more than the gum alternative.
While vapes were originally thought to be a device to aid with quitting smoking, recent research has shown that a large amount of people who vape have actually never significantly used other tobacco products.
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According to reports, over 30% of adults who vape were not regular smokers in the past and this figure increases to a whopping 61.4% for people aged 18 to 24.
In this new study, experts compared the effects of electronic cigs to nicotine gum and how both products impact adults under 25.
Participants were all regular vapers but non-smokers and all live in the Morgantown area of West Virginia.
The subjects didn’t have any tobacco or nicotine overnight and then spent 30 minutes using either a vape or nicotine gum and recorded their cravings and effects.
Speaking to Plymouth Live, Andrea Milstred, who is the lead author of the study, said: “We found that participants’ own pod-style vaping devices were more reinforcing than active and placebo nicotine gum. Specifically, electronic cigarettes significantly decreased craving and withdrawal, and increased satisfaction, relative to both doses of gum.”
She added: “Today’s electronic cigarettes have great potential to produce addiction in populations that are otherwise naive to nicotine. This often includes youth and young adults.”
However, it might not come as a surprise to find out that vaping is more addictive than nicotine gum as it seems people have taken to social media to discuss how they have been using the gum to help them wean off from their addictions to electronic cigarettes.
On Reddit, one user wrote: “To me, the vape is more addictive because of how convenient it is. With the Zyn, I have to wait for it to get in my system, and I have to spit. Chewing regular gum has helped me, too.”
Another said: “132 days vape free. Saved over $1000! I quit using nicotine lozenges. I only used them for the first week or two when cravings felt unbearable.”
And a third person added: “Nicotine gum worked for me! I had to completely replace the vape with the gum.”