Quitting cigarettes can be hard. It requires discipline, patience, and perseverance to quit smoking . However, if you are pregnant and finding it hard to stay off cigarettes, are you considering smoking e-cigarettes? The common myth is that e-cigarettes are less harmful than usual cigarettes. However, as a pregnant woman, you should stay off any kind of cigarette.

 

What are e-cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are electronic devices that deliver nicotine. E-cigarettes usually contain a battery, a heating device, and a cartridge to hold the liquid. The liquid usually contains nicotine and flavors. The battery-powered device heats the liquid inside the cartridge and the user inhales it from the aerosol.

 

Are e-cigarettes Safe During Pregnancy?

 

The aerosol of an e-cigarette has fewer amounts of nicotine and other substances. However, even a little amount of nicotine is not safe during pregnancy. Nicotine can cause serious damage to the growth and development of the baby. It affects the brain and lungs of the growing baby. Besides, some of the flavoring agents in e-cigarettes can be dangerous for the baby.

Vaping or smoking e-cigarettes during pregnancy has serious consequences such as:

• Lung malformation in the fetus
• It damages the heart, brain, and lungs
• The weakly developed immune system in the baby
• Severe fetal distress
• Miscarriage and low birth weight

 

Can e-cigarettes Help Me Quit Smoking During Pregnancy?

 

There is not enough evidence to show that vaping can help you quit smoking. Many people who vape also smoke regular cigarettes. Vaping will probably not help you quit smoking; rather, it increases the risk of your baby being exposed to nicotine.

 

Is Vaping Illegal in India?

In India, vaping is completely illegal since 2019. It has been banned. Vaping was banned in India through the  Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Act, 2019 . The objective of the Act is to prohibit the manufacture, production, export, import, storage, distribution, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes. However, even before the act came into force, many state governments had already imposed a ban on e-cigarettes.