Tobacco and Vaping Addiction Treatment in Colorado

What Is Tobacco?

Tobacco is a plant that is grown for its leaves, which are dried and fermented before being used in tobacco products. Nicotine is an ingredient in tobacco that can lead to addiction, making it difficult for people to quit. This challenge is addressed in tobacco addiction treatment programs like those offered by Achieve Whole Recovery. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff, hookah, and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapes). All forms carry health risks, and all forms that contain nicotine carry the risk of addiction.

How Nicotine Affects the Brain

There are many other potentially harmful chemicals found in tobacco or created by burning it. When a person uses tobacco, nicotine quickly enters the bloodstream and stimulates the adrenal glands, which release adrenaline. This hormone stimulates the central nervous system, raising blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate. Nicotine also activates the brain’s reward circuits, increasing dopamine levels and reinforcing addictive behaviors. Other chemicals in tobacco smoke, such as acetaldehyde, may enhance nicotine’s effects on the brain.

Nicotine reaches the brain within seconds of inhalation. The effects are brief, which is exactly what makes tobacco so hard to quit. As the pleasurable feeling fades, the urge to use again quickly follows. Repeated exposure alters the brain’s sensitivity to dopamine and leads to changes in other brain circuits involved in learning, stress, and self-control. For many tobacco users, these long-term brain changes result in addiction, which involves withdrawal symptoms when not using and difficulty adhering to the resolution to quit.

How Addictive Is Nicotine?

Nicotine is considered one of the most addictive substances in the world. Studies have found that smoking tobacco can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. The majority of smokers would like to stop, and each year about half try to quit permanently — yet only about 6 percent of smokers are able to quit in a given year. Most smokers will need to make multiple attempts before they are able to quit permanently. This is where tobacco addiction treatment, provided by Achieve Whole Recovery in Denver and Colorado Springs, plays a crucial role in assisting individuals looking to quit smoking.

What Does Tobacco Do to Your Body?

Health Risks of Smoking

Tobacco smoking addiction is associated with many serious health risks, including lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, other cancers, Type 2 Diabetes, and pneumonia. The majority of these risks are caused by chemicals other than nicotine, which is the addictive substance in tobacco. Smoking while pregnant can result in miscarriage, stillborn or premature infants, or infants with low birth weight, and may lead to learning and behavioral problems in exposed children.

Risks of Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco, snuff, and dissolvable tobacco products, is not a safe alternative to smoking. While it does not carry the same risks of lung disease, smokeless tobacco significantly increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and pancreas, as well as gum disease and tooth loss. Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancer, particularly mouth cancers.

Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke from burning tobacco products or exhaled by smokers can cause lung cancer, heart disease, coughing, phlegm, reduced lung function, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of ear infections, severe asthma, lung infections, and sudden infant death syndrome.

The Rise of Vaping and E-Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes, a modern form of nicotine intake, are marketed as safer but have unknown long-term effects. Vaping devices — also called vapes, e-hookahs, vape pens, tank systems, and mods — work by heating a liquid into an aerosol that users inhale. That liquid typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and additives such as propylene glycol and glycerol. Nicotine is a toxic substance, and overdose is possible although rare. Overdose occurs when someone takes too much of a drug and experiences severe, harmful symptoms, or death. Effective tobacco addiction treatment includes strategies to manage both the physical and psychological aspects of nicotine dependence. Nicotine poisoning usually happens in children who accidentally ingest nicotine gum or patches or swallow e-cigarette liquid. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, vomiting, fainting, headache, weakness, and changes in heart rate. If anyone suspects that a child or adult may have nicotine poisoning, they should seek immediate medical assistance.

What Is EVALI?

EVALI stands for e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury. It describes a range of serious lung illnesses linked to the use of vaping products. The FDA’s reports of serious lung illnesses linked to vaping, including deaths, underscore the importance of tobacco addiction treatments and vaping addiction recovery programs. Researchers have identified vitamin E acetate, a chemical added to some THC-containing vaping products, as a primary cause of the illness, though it may not be the only one. Common symptoms of EVALI include shortness of breath, fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, rapid heart rate, and chest pain. The FDA and CDC advise people not to use any vaping products bought on the street and warn against modifying any products purchased in stores. They also encourage people and healthcare professionals to report any adverse effects.

How to Quit Smoking and Vaping

Smoking cessation can be achieved through both behavioral treatments and medications, but combining both methods proves to be more effective. Achieve Whole Recovery’s approach to vaping and tobacco addiction treatment in Denver emphasizes a blend of medical and behavioral therapies to aid cessation. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established a national toll-free quit line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which provides information and support for those seeking to quit smoking.

Behavioral treatments teach people to recognize and manage high-risk situations, while nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) deliver a controlled dose of nicotine to ease withdrawal symptoms while quitting. FDA-approved NRT products include chewing gum, patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, and lozenges. Non-nicotine medications like bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix) target nicotine receptors in the brain to ease withdrawal symptoms and block the effects of nicotine if people start smoking again.

Start Your Recovery Today

If you are interested in vaping or tobacco addiction treatment, learn more about our medically assisted treatment (MAT) and psychiatry services today or call us at (303) 749-5150.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is vaping safer than smoking?

Vaping is often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but the long-term effects are still not fully understood. While vaping may expose users to fewer toxic chemicals than combustible tobacco, it is not without serious risk. EVALI, a potentially life-threatening lung injury, has been directly linked to vaping products. Nicotine dependency from vaping carries the same addictive potential as cigarettes, and the aerosol inhaled from e-cigarettes contains chemicals that can harm the lungs, heart, and developing brain.

What are nicotine withdrawal symptoms?

Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include cravings, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, increased appetite, headaches, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can affect anyone quitting smoking, vaping, or any other form of nicotine use.

How long does nicotine withdrawal last?

Withdrawal symptoms begin four to twenty-four hours after the last dose of nicotine and peak on the second or third day of being nicotine-free. Symptoms then fade over the following days to three to four weeks. Psychological cravings and emotional triggers can persist for months, particularly during stressful situations or in environments previously associated with use.

Can you quit smoking or vaping cold turkey?

Quitting cold turkey is possible, but it is associated with higher relapse rates than quitting with professional support or medication. Most people experience their most intense withdrawal symptoms in the first three to five days. Combining behavioral therapy with nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medications like varenicline or bupropion significantly improves the odds of long-term success.

What is the best way to quit smoking?

Research consistently shows that combining behavioral treatment with medication is more effective than either approach alone. Behavioral therapy helps people identify and manage triggers, while nicotine replacement therapies and prescription medications ease the physical side of withdrawal. At Achieve Whole Recovery, we offer both, along with individualized support to help patients build lasting habits for a smoke-free life.

What are the long-term effects of vaping?

Because vaping is a relatively recent phenomenon, research into its long-term effects is still developing. What is already known is that vaping can cause lung inflammation, increase cardiovascular risk, and lead to nicotine dependence. EVALI has demonstrated that vaping can cause severe, life-threatening lung injury even in otherwise healthy young adults. The full scope of long-term harm is likely to become clearer as research continues.

How can I help someone quit smoking or vaping?

The most helpful things you can do are offer non-judgmental encouragement, avoid smoking or vaping around them, and help them access professional support. The national quit line 1-800-QUIT-NOW is a free resource available to anyone looking to quit. At Achieve Whole Recovery, walk-in appointments are available so there is no scheduling barrier for someone who is ready to take that first step. Contact Achieve Whole Recovery today at (303) 749-5150 to learn more about our tobacco and vaping addiction treatment options in Denver and Colorado Springs.