Vaping nicotine can be a 'crutch,' and for those trying to quit, the process can be painful
CTV
Canadians who vape nicotine say the impacts the habit can have on their health and wallet have led them to try quitting, but the difficult withdrawal process can have lasting effects.
For over a decade, Amanda Calkins was addicted to vaping nicotine.
In early 2013, the now 38-year-old was smoking cigarettes, but was growing uncomfortable with the negative health effects of her addiction. She was looking to quit and found out about a new technology touted by many as "good" and a form of "harm reduction."
"There was no research about it, so I couldn't do any research on it. Anything that I found was pro-vaping…Like 'it helps people, it's not harmful, there's no secondhand smoke risk for people' all these good things," Calkins told CTVNews.ca in an interview.
She says the lack of information around vaping led to her nicotine addiction, a habit she says she successfully kicked about four months ago, but the process of getting there was not easy.
Calkins said the nicotine withdrawal symptoms lasted longer and were more severe than she was prepared for. For months she experienced debilitating depression and anxiety and was not getting enough sleep each night.
Experts warn the impacts of vaping on the body are not minimal, and may cause long-term health impacts. This is true not just for those who vape for years but also during withdrawal.
In 2013, there were no regulations around vaping, and many places, such as pawn shops, made their own "juice,"—the chemicals that when heated produce vapor. Calkins said she regularly bought "juice" from places like that.