Leaflet Details
| Title | Use of Electronic Cigarettes |
| Department | Harms Free Care / Maternity |
| Author(s) | Tobacco Dependency Team |
| Review Date | July 2023 |
| Next Review | July 2025 |
| Download | A4 Handout PDF / A5 Booklet PDF |
| Accessibility Options | Click on the Recite Me button to show our accessibility resources |
Patient Information
What are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes are less harmful to health than cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are also called vapes. They are designed for users to inhale nicotine through vapour rather than smoke. They work by heating a solution that typically contains nicotine, glycol and /or vegetable glycerin, and flavourings. They come in many different shapes and sizes.
E-cigarettes generally consist of a battery, a vaporizing chamber and e-cigarette liquid. The liquid can be contained in a sealed cartridge or can be added by the user into a refillable tank.
Unlike cigarettes, e-cigarettes don’t contain or burn tobacco and don’t produce tar or carbon monoxide which are known to be harmful to babies.
How safe are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes are not risk-free; however, they carry a small fraction of the risk of smoking. Based on the evidence, experts have estimated that vaping is at least 95% less harmful to health than smoking. E-cigarettes do not contain carbon monoxide, which is particularly harmful to developing babies. More research is required to confirm the effects on pregnancy. Studies are currently underway to further investigate e-cigarette use in pregnancy.
Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous during pregnancy because it deprives the baby of oxygen, slows growth and development, and increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Can I use an e-cigarette to help me quit smoking?
If you are pregnant and you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby. Nicotine replacement treatments such as patches, lozenges and gum are recommended. These are licensed medicines and can be used during pregnancy. If you find that using an e-cigarette is helpful for quitting and staying smokefree, it is better for your health and the health of your baby than continuing to smoke.
Evidence shows that e-cigarettes are effective at helping people quit smoking particularly when combined with support from a Tobacco Treatment Advisor. You give yourself the best chance to quit smoking when you get advice and support from a Tobacco Treatment Advisor. Evidence shows you are four times as likely to quit successfully with help.
You cannot smoke and use e-cigarettes. Every cigarette causes damage to both you and your baby. The only way to prevent the damage and reduce risk is to stop smoking completely.
Can I get an e-cigarette on prescription?
There are currently no e-cigarettes with a medicinal license available in the UK. You must buy them from a specialist vape shop as they can provide advice on the different options and how to use them.
Is secondhand vapour harmful to pregnant women?
There is currently no evidence of harm to bystanders from exposure to e-cigarette vapour. Exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarettes is harmful and can lead to risk of miscarriage, still birth and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
What is the ASPH Tobacco Dependency Treatment Service?
Your midwife can refer you to the in-house specialist service stop smoking service, provided at ASPH.
How to contact the Tobacco Dependency Treatment Advisors
Your midwife will send an internal referral to the Service on your behalf. They will then reach out to you by telephone and set appointments with you. Your appointments will be visible on the ASPH maternity mobile app.
Other Resources
One You Surrey
https://oneyousurrey.org.uk
Smoke free site
ASPH NHS are smoke free sites, and patients and their visitors MUST NOT smoke or vape in the hospital or its grounds. Support, including free nicotine replacement therapy, is quickly available to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
Keep motivated, monitor your health improvements, and track how much money you save with the Smoke Free app. The app has been scientifically proven to double a smoker’s’ chances of quitting and has already helped half a million people to stop smoking! Its features include daily missions and a quit coach; and you can live chat with a stop smoking advisor 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
Your Information
Opting into the ASPH Tobacco Dependency Treatment Service gives consent for Ashford & St. Peter’s Hospital to share your information with NHS England.
