Who Is Responsible for Leaving Teenagers “Unguarded” Against E-Cigarettes?

It's hard to say, as everyone's smoking habits differ. It's like asking how long a pack of cigarettes lasts; some people might finish a pack in a day, while others might only smoke one a day.

However, if you want to know the approximate amount in a pod, you can refer to the official data: the pod capacity is 2ml, weighing about 4.37 grams, and each pod can be vaped approximately 500 times. If you have a strong craving, you might finish it in a day or two, while if your cravings are lighter, it could last three to five days or even a week.

When I used to smoke regular cigarettes, I would start with at least half a pack a day, but now that I've switched to the RELX Infinity e-cigarette, I find that I go through a pod roughly every three days. To put this into perspective, I used to smoke Yuxi cigarettes, which retail for around 40 yuan a pack. Smoking half a pack a day would cost me at least 20 yuan daily. In contrast, RELX costs 99 yuan for three pods, which means each pod is about 33 yuan, lasting me three days, so I only spend about 11 yuan a day, effectively cutting my smoking costs in half.

Moreover, e-cigarettes are generally healthier than traditional cigarettes. The World Health Organization previously released a report citing evaluations from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine regarding e-cigarettes.

According to the report, which graded different outcomes based on research certainty, there is solid evidence that completely replacing cigarettes with e-cigarettes can reduce users' exposure to various toxic and carcinogenic substances produced by burning tobacco.

There is also substantial evidence that using e-cigarettes can lead to nicotine dependence, but the level of dependence is lower than that of cigarettes, and switching completely from cigarettes to e-cigarettes can improve the health of multiple organs in the body.

Additionally, e-cigarettes are very helpful for quitting smoking. The WHO report cites a significant study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, which found that e-cigarettes can aid in smoking cessation, with success rates nearly double that of nicotine replacement therapies.

Personally, I can relate to this, as I have mild asthma but a strong craving for cigarettes. I always struggled to quit smoking, but whenever I smoked a little too much, I would start coughing uncontrollably. Friends and family have often advised me, and I know the seriousness of the issue, but when the craving hits, I find it hard to control myself, especially when work stress increases, I tend to smoke more. However, e-cigarettes have helped me a lot in this regard. The WHO report also mentions that e-cigarettes can assist in quitting smoking, with success rates nearly double that of nicotine replacement therapies.

After being recommended by a friend, I switched to e-cigarettes, initially not intending to quit traditional cigarettes but thinking of using both. I planned to use e-cigarettes as a substitute when needed, and to my surprise, I found it quite satisfying. I used to worry that e-cigarettes wouldn't be strong enough and wouldn't be enjoyable, but the RELX Infinity has a good draw resistance, making it feel robust, and the taste is almost on par with real cigarettes. Most importantly, I cough much less now, and my family no longer worries about me constantly.

Personally, I feel that quitting smoking directly is indeed easier with e-cigarettes; at least I don't feel restless or uncomfortable physically. As a long-time smoker, I have always wanted to quit, but those who have smoked for a long time know how difficult it is.

My goal in using e-cigarettes is twofold: first, to reduce discomfort in my lungs and throat, and second, to attempt to quit smoking until I succeed. Clearly, e-cigarettes have achieved both of these goals for me.