Ending vaping and smoking for erectile strength

Dear Dr. G,

I understand you are featuring pollutants that can cause erectile dysfunction in July and I agree with your earlier articles highlighting the undisputed links between smoking and erectile dysfunction.

I am hoping to put Dr. G on the spot for help in kicking my bad habit of cigarette smoking, which is beginning to affect my erection even in my early thirties; my smoking habit began when I was 16-years-old.

Although I have been cutting down on the number of cigarettes I smoke each year, it has still been more than ten years since I started.

I am sure all that smoking is not doing my overall and sexual health any good.

I am determined to kick the habit and hope vaping will be an acceptable alternative to help me quit smoking and I have read that although e-cigarettes themselves are not exactly healthy, they are the lesser of two evils.

My only concern is that e-cigarettes can also harm my health.

Therefore, I am keen to put Dr. G on the spot for some clarification.

Can you tell me what exactly e-cigarettes are and what the difference is with vaping?

Is it true that e-cigarettes have fewer toxins and cause less harm and do you think it is sensible to use e-cigarettes to help quit smoking?

Also, is there scientific evidence linking e-cigarettes with sexual dysfunction in men?

I have a feeling you are going to tell me my e-cigarette theory is all smoke and mirrors, but I still look forward to your opinions.

Do you think I should just end it all by giving up these bad habits?

Yours truly,

Smoking Samuel

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), also known as e-cigs or vapes, are battery-powered devices that heat liquid to create vapours for inhalation. When e-cigarettes first became available in many countries, the vaping liquids contained nicotine and a range of chemicals to add flavour.

Although countries like Australia have imposed regulations that nicotine vaping products can only be bought with a doctor’s prescription, nicotine-free devices and e-liquids can still be legally bought in most parts of the world. The sales of ENDS have continued to grow exponentially, with an estimated 82 million users globally. Part of the increase in the vaping industry is due to the perception of ENDS being the lesser of two evils compared to cigarette smoking.

As the name ENDS suggests, e-cigarettes are also hailed as a useful way to assist in smoking cessation programmes. Strong public health campaigns and strict regulations in many countries have seen rates of tobacco smoking almost halve over the last three decades.

However, the number of people vaping or using e-cigarettes daily has grown from 6% in 2016 to 30% in 2021, especially among the youth. As such, the increase in ENDS usage is almost exponential, raising alarm bells about the long-term adverse effects on users. Quitting smoking can be difficult, so the best option is not to vape or smoke at all.

Many people use e-cigs to try to stop smoking, reduce the number of cigarettes smoked, or avoid restarting a smoking habit as a gentle cessation strategy. Evidence suggests ex-smokers who use nicotine e-cigarettes are more likely to not smoke than those who use other nicotine replacement options such as patches, gum, lozenges, mouth spray, inhalators, and intranasal sprays.

However, most studies showing this effect have a moderate or high level of bias, and more research is needed. Vaping is often marketed as a better alternative to smoking cigarettes. When e-cigarettes are used by smokers instead of conventional cigarettes, there is evidence of a slight improvement in individual short-term health.

However, many people who use e-cigarettes also smoke cigarettes, and diseases caused by smoking are unlikely to be reduced by e-cigarettes if the cigarette smoking continues. Additionally, many diseases take a long time to develop, so it is important to remember that just because there is currently no proof that vaping causes disease, this is not proof that it is safe.

Laboratory studies suggest that regular vaping is likely to have bad effects on your health, especially lung function. As e-cigarettes are addictive, this may impact relationships and intimacy with partners who do not smoke or vape. There is also plenty of evidence to suggest nicotine impairs normal erectile function and negatively affects male sexual performance. Erectile dysfunction is twice as common among men who vape every day compared to those who have never vaped. This is likely due to nicotine being a vasoconstrictor, resulting in poor circulation to the penis.

In addition to the impairment of sexual health, e-cigarettes are also noted to have adverse impacts on men’s reproductive health. One Italian study revealed that men who vape for more than two years have smaller testicles compared to men who do not use e-cigarettes.

Other studies have shown that electronic nicotine delivery systems can result in male infertility as sperm quality deteriorates with continued vaping. The use of ENDS seems to be associated with erectile dysfunction independent of age, cardiovascular disease, and other risk factors. The adverse impact on reproductive health in men is also clear.

While ENDS remain under evaluation for harm reduction and smoking-cessation potential, ENDS users should be informed about the possible association between ENDS use and erectile dysfunction and male infertility. Men contemplating a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking by vaping and considering it to be the lesser of two evils often put Dr. G on the spot for his opinion.

His opinion is: “Complete cessation is the be-all and end-all approach. Alternative ending ideas should go up in smoke!”