Amanda Calkins’ journey with nicotine addiction traces back over a decade. As a 38-year-old in the early part of 2013, she found herself riddled with disquiet at the health harms engendered by her smoking habit. Eager to break free, she sought salvation in a technology that many were branding as a “benevolent tool” and a means to “harm reduction”–vaping.
At that juncture, the available literature on the subject was virtually nonexistent—leaving her to glean insights from one-sided, vape-friendly perspectives that projected a host of benefits and dismissed harmful effects such as secondhand smoke risks. It was within this informational vacuum that Calkins’ replacement addiction to nicotine took root.
Four months ago, Calkins emerged victoriously from this struggle; however, the journey to recovery was an arduous one. Longer and more severe than she had anticipated, withdrawal symptoms left her grappling with severe depression, anxiety, and chronic sleep deprivation.
The harmful effects of vaping are far from minor, warn experts, disclosing potential long-term health implications. These impacts are not confined to chronic vapors but also loom over those undergoing withdrawal.
In the early days, when regulations on vaping were nonexistent, Calkins would buy her vaping “juice,” the vapor-producing chemical cocktail, from sources as disreputable as pawn shops. This unregulated marketplace provided no clarity on nicotine concentration levels in vapes, a mystery that Calkins suspects was a catalyst for her addiction.
By 2016, Calkins was inhaling the vape relentlessly. She was so consumed by her habit that it literally followed her to bed. Two year later, the federal government stepped in with legislation under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act to regulate the manufacture, sale, and labeling of vaping products. Unfortunately for Calkins, regulations came late, and she was already grappling with the implications of her heavy and incredibly addictive vaping habit.
Despite the initial cost benefits of vaping over smoking, by 2018, the tables had turned. Tax hikes and mounting research on vaping’s adverse health effects spotlighted the financial and health burden it had exerted on Calkins. But overcoming an addiction is easier said than done. Despite her determined attempts supplemented with nicotine replacement therapy, Calkins found herself tethered to her addictive tendencies.
The real wake-up call arrived in the form of her beloved cat, Seth’s, ill-health, which strained Calkins’ finances, already depleted by her vaping habit, even further. This unexpected challenge, while harsh, was what Calkins needed to muster the strength to defeat her addiction.
Withdrawal brought with it debilitating physical, emotional, and mental effects. Calkins found herself haunted by heightened anxiety, severe depression, and persistent insomnia. The cravings and anxiety kick-start almost immediately post-vaping and can last up to 24 hours, leading Dr. Michael Chaiton, senior scientist at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), to shed light on the intense process of overcoming withdrawal based on his forthcoming study.
Vaping had served as emotional salve for Calkins, making the quitting process even more challenging. Yet overcoming this challenge brought her significant relief. By the end of the second month, Calkins felt more in tune with herself and noticed her overall health improve.
Vaping’s wide social acceptance often makes quitting a formidable task for many. It’s easier to conceal and use in public, something that sits well with people’s perception and therefore perpetuates its use. However, such normalization does nothing to alleviate the worrying trend of vaping among youths, a demographic more likely to have tried vaping over smoking.
As of 2022, nearly half of the adults aged 20 to 24, and roughly 30 percent of the youth aged 15 to 19 have tried vaping, according to Statistics Canada. Underscoring these concerning figures is the general lack of understanding about the long-term impacts of vaping. Emerging studies have begun to underscore potential detrimental effects on both respiratory systems and long-term mental health.
Calkins’ strategy to overcome her addiction was multi-pronged. She supplemented her vaping habit with increased use of medicinal cannabis and relied heavily on the support from both Facebook groups and Zoom communities during the testing times. The simple act of keeping a water bottle handy provided an effective counter to resisting cravings. Calkins significantly cut down her expenditure on vaping, leaving her with a surplus fund that better catered to Seth’s health needs.
Her journey highlights the severity and complexity of nicotine addiction and serves as a beacon of hope and guidance for others navigating similar paths.
