Vaping is conquering more and more young Italians. According to data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, in 2023-2024 30.2% of students between 14 and 17 years old, therefore 1 in 3, declared having used at least one product including traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco in the last 30 days, behaviors that outline the so-called “polyconsumption”, i.e. the simultaneous consumption of the aforementioned products, a phenomenon that has doubled compared to the latest findings in 2022.
The Ministry of Health has repeatedly reiterated the need to correctly inform about the risks associated with the prolonged use of these devices, especially for those who have never smoked. Scientific evidence indicates that vaping still exposes you to potentially harmful substances, although to a lesser extent than traditional smoking, as highlighted by the Scientific Committee of the European Commission in April 2021, the body responsible for evaluating emerging health risks (SCHEER – Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks).
The psychiatrist’s method to say goodbye to electronic cigarettes
Doctor Daniel Amen, an American psychiatrist with over 3.5 million followers on TikTok, as well as an internationally appreciated author – he has written 20 national bestsellers, such as the famous “Change your brain, change your life”, capable of selling over 1 million copies, and published around 100 scientific articles – and an entrepreneur – he is the founder of the Amen clinics, with 11 offices throughout the country – he shared in a video the protocol he uses with his patients to free themselves from drug addiction I vape. The first step consists in openly recognizing the problem, then, after the initial awareness, it is possible to move on to the next phase, which consists in precisely monitoring the frequency of use.
@docamen Hope this helps!
♬ original sound – BrainMD
Amen suggests “counting” every time you use an electronic cigarette. For those who prefer a gradual approach, he recommends reducing consumption by 5% per day, a method that allows you to scale the habit in a progressive and more sustainable way.
The supplement that reduces cravings
The American doctor also proposes a natural pharmacological support, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a supplement available in pharmacies and specialized shops also in Italy. At a dosage of 1,200 mg twice daily, this substance has been shown to reduce cravings linked to various forms of addiction. As expressed in the video, many of Dr. Amen’s patients have reported significant benefits from taking this compound.
NAC is mainly used to treat paracetamol overdose and some respiratory conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis. The antioxidant properties and the ability to modulate some neurotransmitters mean that it can also be used in the management of compulsive behaviors.
The cardiovascular risks of vaping
Scientific research has documented negative effects on the cardiovascular system. A study published in 2023 in the journal BMC Public Health analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that exclusive use of e-cigarettes doubles the risk of stroke compared to nonsmokers. Experts have observed that vaping causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as causing stiffening of the arteries.
Experts who continue to raise the alarm, as happened during the traditional meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Madrid last year (the ESC 2026 congress is already scheduled and will take place from 28 August to 31 August in Germany, near Munich) in which Professor Maja-Lisa Løchen – senior consultant of cardiology at the department of cardiology of the University Hospital of Northern Norway in Tromsø and professor of preventive medicine at UiT, the Arctic University of Norway – expressed several concerns regarding tobacco and e-cigarettes:
Smoking, even occasionally, increases cardiovascular risk, particularly in women. There is no safe level of tobacco use. Quitting smoking is the most cost-effective strategy for cardiovascular prevention and the health benefits are immediate. Vaping and smokeless tobacco also increase cardiovascular risk and should be strictly regulated or banned. Let’s join forces to tackle the tobacco epidemic and big tobacco companies.
What the Italian law says
In Italy, the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors under 18 has been prohibited since 2016, and the law also punishes those who purchase these products on behalf of minors. The Ministry of Health has published precise guidelines: people who have never smoked, especially young people, should never start vaping. For those who use e-cigs as a tool to quit tobacco, the ultimate goal should be to eliminate vaping as well.
Smoking remains the main preventable cause of death in our country, with around 93,000 deaths per year according to data from the Ministry of Health, and if electronic cigarettes can represent a less harmful alternative for adult smokers, the alarm concerns above all the initiation among non-smokers, an increasingly widespread phenomenon among adolescents.
