Statewide Iowa — If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to quit smoking, you’re not alone. A survey finds 70-percent of Iowa smokers want to quit, while 50-percent will try to quit this year.
There are mixed messages circulating about how vaping can help smokers to kick the habit, messages that are blatantly false, according to Erika Sward, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit, she says, and the Lung Association is urging smokers to step away from all tobacco and nicotine products, and not switch to vaping.
Surveys find about 16-percent of Iowa adults smoke cigarettes and more than 5-percent use e-cigarettes. As for Iowa teens, about 4.4-percent smoke cigarettes while 22-percent of Iowa 11th graders use e-cigarettes. Breaking the addiction can be very difficult and the advice of a professional may be key.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported nearly 50 cases of serious illness related to vaping during 2019.
For more information, visit the American Lung Association, or the Iowa Department of Public Health.
