Key takeaways
- Many seniors continue to smoke and believe 'it's too late' to stop
- Still plenty of health benefits for motivated senior smokers to quit
- True relaxation, financial freedom among benefits of stopping
- Seniors must stick with responsible pharmacy NVPs and GPs to quit.
Do your parents or older folks you know still smoke, even with all the campaigns against it?
It can be frustrating, but it’s important to remember that back in their day, people didn’t know just how dangerous cigarettes were.
Smoking was a common habit, and it can be really hard to quit, especially if they started as teenagers.
A survey by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2022 found that 16% of Australians aged 55 to 64 are current smokers, and 7.1% of those aged 65 and older still smoke.
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While many older smokers might be reluctant to quit, it doesn’t mean they haven’t tried. A lot of seniors have made countless attempts to stop but find it tough with regular methods.
Some might believe that quitting isn’t worth it now because the damage is already done, but that’s simply not true. It’s never too late to kick that unhealthy habit.
Sure, it can be challenging, especially in the first few months, but there are loads of health benefits for seniors who stop smoking.
New and effective quitting tools and therapies are popping up, making it easier and more rewarding to quit.
One of these options is vaping for seniors. Let’s explore that further.
The Effects of Smoking on Seniors
Older individuals who constantly consume tobacco are at a higher risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other serious illnesses.
At their age, their bodies tend to deteriorate much more quickly. Seniors can also experience the short-term effects of smoking more intensely.
After smoking a cigarette, they may notice a tightening of the airways, which makes breathing significantly more difficult.
They often face physical symptoms of emphysema, such as a chronic cough and increased phlegm production.
Moreover, smoking can greatly diminish endurance and overall fitness, limiting older smokers’ ability to enjoy important activities, such as playing with their grandchildren or exploring the outdoors.
Smoking can exacerbate joint pain, as it narrows blood vessels, leads to brittle bones due to lower calcium absorption, and increases the risk of conditions like bursitis and tendonitis.
Why Still Strive to Quit Smoking?
Being in the later stages of life doesn’t mean someone has to keep smoking until the end. Older smokers who are determined to quit still have the chance to experience several benefits:
- Real Relaxation: Many seniors smoke, believing it helps them unwind. However, smoking only brings short-term relief while harming the body. By quitting, they can find true relaxation as their body starts to heal and naturally regain strength.
- More Savings: Smoking not only damages health but drains finances too. A pack-a-day habit can cost over £10,000 a year. Instead of spending that on cigarettes, they could use the savings for holidays, a new car, or experiences they’ve always dreamed of.
- A Smoke-Free Environment for Loved Ones: Smoking poses a threat to those around them—especially children, pets, and non-smokers. Quitting the habit can ensure a safer, healthier environment for their family and friends.
Can Seniors Use Pharmacy Vaping Products?
As a second-line therapy, responsible nicotine vaping products (NVPs) you can purchase from a pharmacy can help seniors, especially those that have tried and failed to quit in the past and may have seemingly given up.
Unlike NRTs like patches and gums, NVPs imitate the sensations of smoking, such as the throat hit, inhale/exhale, and even the gesture-based triggers like the hand-to-mouth motion.
Unlike cigarettes, pharmacy NVPs do not contain the thousands of chemicals found in cigarette smoke as the nicotine is delivered through heating a liquid which produces an aerosol (commonly known as ‘vapour’), rather than combustion into deadly smoke.
While NRTs have helped many smokers of any age quit cigarettes, the latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking.
But, it’s important to stick with responsible NVPs from your local pharmacy and stay well away from the illegal vapes commonly found under the counter in tobacconists and convenience stores.
Learn more on this below.
The Dangers of Illegal Vapes
You’ve very likely seen the news about illegal vapes – the brightly coloured disposable products from overseas that are sold illegally in many tobacconists and corner stores.
Illegal vapes are imported under the radar from foreign manufacturers by blackmarket criminal groups (the same ones who smuggle in drugs and illegal tobacco products) for as little as $1 and are sold at as much as a 3,500% markup, including to teenagers and children.
With completely unknown manufacturing and hygiene standards, consuming illegal vapes is potentially extremely dangerous – they’ve been found to contain heavy metals like nickel and lead, foreign saliva, and as high as 357mg of nicotine (which can significantly increase the risk of nicotine overdose in seniors and older adults).
Pharmacy NVPs: High-Quality Tools for Seniors
Now that you know about illegal vapes, it’s time to learn why pharmacy NVPs are a legitimately helpful tool for any older adult who wants to stop smoking.
NVPs that you can buy from your local pharmacy are specifically designed for smoking cessation, are rigorously tested for inhalation safety, are locally insured, and are trusted by doctors and pharmacists as a tool to help you quit smoking.
Like all other medicines on the shelf, they’re supplied by Australian medical wholesalers and have undergone the same rigorous vetting to ensure you’re only receiving a quality product that your GP and pharmacist can stand behind.
How to Get Pharmacy NVPs for Seniors
Go Through First-Line Solutions First
Some motivated smokers can handle cold turkey just fine and see success within a few tries, but oftentimes, smokers have strong withdrawals that can draw them back to lighting a stick.
That’s where nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products come in. These are readily available and stocked at your local pharmacy.
NRT products are the most trusted quitting option available for motivated smokers. They might not imitate cigarettes, but they contain a small dose of nicotine that may be enough to alleviate your withdrawals. These come in the form of patches and gums for easy and convenient nicotine delivery.
While NRTs can be effective, they don’t work for everyone. If these haven’t done the trick for you, you may now be eligible for a nicotine prescription to use nicotine vaping products (NVPs).
Chat to a GP
As mentioned, NRT products have worked for many successful ex-smokers. But, you might have ingrained behaviours and triggers that only something that mimics a cigarette can successfully address, such as the hand-to-mouth motion, and needing something to puff on during your morning coffee.
That is where NVPs become very handy in helping you fight the urge to consume tobacco.
You need a nicotine prescription before you can purchase NVPs, so you’ll need to consult with a GP to help you on your smoking cessation journey.
And, if your GP deems it necessary, they can write you a nicotine prescription for NVPs.
You can chat to your usual GP about this.
Visit Your Local Pharmacy
Once you have your nicotine prescription, you can pop down to your local pharmacy. Over 2,200 pharmacies across Australia hold these products in-store, but any pharmacy can order these in for you if they don’t currently stock them.
Both your pharmacist and GP can advise you on how best to use the product, such as the initial setup, and the number of puffs to take when you feel withdrawals.
Summary
Can seniors use pharmacy vaping products for quitting? Yes they can – as long as they have the guidance and regular assessment of a GP. With an NVP from a pharmacy, it can be easier for seniors – who stand to benefit the most from quitting – to kick their smoking habit for good.
And if you need help to stop smoking, we can help.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to friendly Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good, including via the use of pharmacy NVPs.
Click here to book in with a doctor today.
Link Reference:
- https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey/contents/about
- https://www.cochrane.org/news/latest-cochrane-review-finds-high-certainty-evidence-nicotine-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective
- https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65614078
- https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/08/paddy-gower-on-vaping-shocking-facts-uncovered-about-the-known-and-unknown-health-risks-of-e-liquids.html
- https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb37/we-got-your-vapes-tested-in-a-lab-heres-what-we-found