When people think of tobacco products, they usually think of cigarettes. However, there are many tobacco and nicotine products sold in B.C.
Alternative tobacco and nicotine products include:
In this article, the term “tobacco use” refers to the use of commercial products. It does not include the use of tobacco in traditional cultural practice.
No. All tobacco and nicotine products carry health risks and are highly addictive. The best thing you can do for your health is to avoid tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
Quitting is the only way to fully avoid potential health risks from tobacco and nicotine. B.C. offers several free resources and supports to help you reduce or quit any tobacco or nicotine product. These include:
For more information, talk to your health care provider, pharmacist or visit the QuitNow website.
If using an evidence-based approach to quitting such as NRT, prescription medication and counselling does not work for you, switching completely to vaping can increase your chance of staying smoke-free. Compared to cigarettes, vaping exposes you to lower amounts of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals. This does not mean that vaping is safe as it can still cause harm to your health. It is important to switch completely from smoking to vaping to reduce your health risks. You will also need a plan to quit vaping eventually, as long-term use should be avoided.
While vaping is a less harmful option than cigarettes, it still has health risks. Vaping is riskier for youth and people who have never smoked. Vaping may damage your lung function and increase your risk of heart disease and cancer. Vapes contain nicotine and are as addictive as cigarettes. There is a lot we do not know about the long-term health risks of vaping.
If you choose to vape:
Nicotine pouches are a relatively new product on the Canadian market. There is not a lot of evidence about their safety and potential risks are not yet clear. Nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco, but the nicotine they contain is highly addictive. If you do not currently smoke or use other tobacco products, you should avoid the use of nicotine pouches due to the potential for addiction.
In Canada, some brands of nicotine pouches are approved as a cessation aid for adults. As they are new products, very little evidence is available about their effectiveness as a cessation aid. If you are looking to quit smoking or vaping, you should consider forms of NRT with more evidence that they are effective (like patches or gum) or prescription medication. If you choose to use pouches to help you quit, ensure you are using a Health Canada-approved product that you have purchased at a pharmacy. Other pouches are considered “black market” and have not been approved for sale in Canada.
Smokeless tobacco products are addictive. They contain the same cancer-causing chemicals as cigarettes, as well as nicotine.
Using smokeless tobacco puts you at higher risk of:
Emissions from HTPs generally contain lower levels of harmful ingredients than smoke from cigarettes. HTPs do not burn tobacco, so they do not make carbon monoxide. However, as these products are relatively new, we do not have a lot of information on their safety. There is not much research on how effective HTPs are for quitting smoking. If you smoke and want to lower your health risks, you should consider vaping rather than HTPs. There is more information on the safety of vaping than there is for HTPs.
All combustible tobacco products contain the same cancer-causing chemicals as cigarettes. They are all highly addictive and can have additional health hazards. They are highly risky products to consume.
One cigar can contain as much tobacco as an entire package of cigarettes. Users who inhale when smoking a cigar have higher health risks, including:
Even if users do not inhale, they are still exposed to toxic chemicals in the tobacco smoke.
Bidis have higher concentrations of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide than cigarettes. They increase the risk of:
Many believe that the water vapour in a hookah means there are fewer chemicals in the smoke. However, smoking a water pipe exposes you to many of the same cancer-causing chemicals as cigarettes, at similarly high levels.
Hookah smoking leads you to inhale more smoke compared to cigarettes. The tobacco also contains more nicotine than cigarettes. The amount of nicotine in one head of unflavoured tobacco is equal to 70 cigarettes.
The charcoal used to heat the tobacco or shisha causes additional health risks. It produces high levels of carbon monoxide, metals and cancer-causing chemicals.
Some tobacco products may be labelled as natural, organic or additive-free (for example bidis). This wording is used for marketing purposes. These tobacco products are not safer than regular cigarettes. As they contain tobacco, they carry the same health risks. Tobacco products labelled as natural, organic or additive-free still have tobacco in them and are harmful to your health.
Call toll-free in B.C., 8-1-1, or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing to get personalized assistance. Speak to a navigator who can guide you to reliable health information or connect you with a health professional. Translation services are available in over 130 languages.
