If you smoke or vape nicotine, this book is for you. Vaping is the most popular and most effective aid for quitting smoking in Australia and other western countries. However, it is poorly understood. This book dispels the myths about vaping and outlines the evidence in an easy-to-read and authoritative manner with over 400 scientific references. It also provides step-by-step advice on how to make the switch from smoking tobacco, and why vaping is controversial.

Part 1 explains what vaping is and the scientific evidence that underpins it. Is it safer than smoking? What is popcorn lung? How harmful is nicotine? Is vaping an effective quitting aid? Is it legal in Australia? 

Part 2 is a practical guide to getting started with vaping. What device should you buy, how much nicotine do you need, what are mouth-to-lung vaping and ‘nicotine salts’ and how do you vape safely. 

Part 3 explores the controversies about vaping. Why is it opposed by most Australian health and medical authorities? What are the hidden reasons underpinning their objections? How should vaping be regulated in Australia and what can we do to accelerate the uptake of vaping? 

Be inspired by the fifteen case studies of former smokers. These are real stories by real people just like you and show how vaping could change your life for the better.

Foreward by Dr Alex Wodak AM.

Full table of contents

List of references

List of vaping resources

This book is a MUST for any smoker who wants to know if vaping can help them quit (I wish I’d known about it earlier).

Accurate information on vaping and nicotine is hard to find – even health professionals are not well informed. This book is a valuable resource that is long overdue and will help many smokers finally give up for good.

Senator Hollie Hughes
Chair of the Australian Senate Select Committee on Tobacco Harm Reduction’

 

Purchase your copy

Click the button below for links to online retailers in AU, US and UK

AU
Amazon.com.auThe Book DepositoryAngus & RobertsonBooktopiaFishpond
US
Barnes and NobleAmazon.com
UK
Abe BooksAmazon.ukThe Book DepositoryBlackwells

 

Paperback: AUD $39.95; UK £19.95; USD $29.95; € 25.95; CAD $36.95

E-book (Kindle or epub): AUD $12.95; USD $9.95

Streamlined ordering for Australian customers

1. Make payment by EFT: $47.95 (book $39.95 + postage $8)
ANZ Bank, Account: CP Mendelsohn
BSB: 012 281, Account: 186537657

2 Email me the your name, delivery address, mobile contact number and proof of payment

3. Book will be shipped by Australia Post the same day

Author

Dr Colin Mendelsohn is one of Australia’s leading experts on smoking and vaping.

He is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association charity (ATHRA) and is a member of the committee that develops the RACGP national smoking cessation guidelines. 

He was a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Colin works with smokers to help them quit and is actively involved in research, teaching and writing about smoking and vaping. More here

Reviews by international smoking experts

‘If you are a smoker who has tried and failed to quit, this book could be for you. Over the past decade in the UK, vaping has emerged as the most popular means to quit smoking, and one of the most effective. Vaping is controversial but can save smokers’ lives. This book deals with those controversies head on, and explains why, despite uncertainties over long term harms and other possible unwanted effects, vaping is one of the most powerful tools now available to help smokers quit. So, if you are a smoker, and especially a smoker who hasn’t tried vaping, read this book, and try it now.’

Emeritus Professor John Britton. Epidemiologist and former consultant in respiratory medicine, University of Nottingham, UK; and Former Chair, Tobacco Advisory Group, Royal College of Physicians (UK)

‘This book is a valuable resource for smokers, doctors and regulators. Smokers will get clear information on the benefits of switching to vaping and some excellent practical guidance on how to do it; doctors will learn about an important topic that is not covered in their education; and politicians and regulators will obtain some clarity about the difference between facts and ideologically motivated misinformation that has been dominating this field. The book has great potential to improve both individual and public health.’

Professor Peter Hajek. Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London

‘Dr Mendelsohn provides an excellent review of vaping and the harm reduction debate. This book provides pragmatic information for the smoker who is thinking about vaping as a way to quit, and for the vaper who would like to learn more about the current state of science on electronic cigarettes.’

Professor Neal Benowitz. Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, USA

‘Dr Colin Mendelsohn has written a brilliant book about vaping for tobacco harm reduction. He dispels myths and provides facts and useful information about vaping, including the pros and cons and how to go about it. This book is for smokers, their families and doctors wanting to help smokers quit, and will save many lives.’

Dr Joe Kosterich. General practitioner and health industry consultant; Chairman, Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association

‘Colin Mendelsohn has written a very informative book on nicotine vaping for smokers and general practitioners. He clearly explains what vaping is, the varieties of devices that can be used, how they can be legally obtained, and how smokers can use them for smoking cessation, or as lower risk ways of obtaining nicotine. He corrects common misconceptions about the comparative risks of smoking and vaping and provides an invaluable resource for GPs to advise smokers on the pros and cons of vaping versus smoking and on using vaping to quit smoking.’

Emeritus Professor Wayne Hall. Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research at the University of Queensland; Visiting Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

‘This book provides a simple and concise overview of the evidence on e-cigarettes and practical advice for smokers, and health professionals, who want to know more about the use of e-cigarettes as a route out of smoking tobacco. This is likely to be especially helpful for those who have tried and failed with conventional smoking cessation aids.’

Professor Hayden McRobbie. National Drug and Alcohol Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney

‘This book written by Dr Mendelsohn is a must-read for all smokers who want to quit. Easy to read and based on scientific information, the book spans the full 360 degrees of the world of vaping. Consumers, policymakers, health professionals will find it insightful. Many will finally understand the value of switching to e-cigarettes as a far less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco.’

Professor Riccardo Polosa. Professor of Internal Medicine and Respiratory Physician, University of Catania, Italy; Founder of the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR), University of Catania, Italy.

‘This book is essential reading for policy makers, public health practitioners and – most importantly – people who smoke cigarettes and seek to be empowered to make informed personal health decisions. Dr Mendelsohn presents the evidence for vaping in a clear and readable manner, replacing hysteria with facts and moralism with compassion.’

Adjunct Professor David T. Sweanor JD. Chair of the Advisory Board, Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics, University of Ottawa, Canada; and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

 

Other reviews

Clive Bates. Tweet by the world’s leading vaping advocate

Ashtray Blog. ECigarettedirect.co.uk. James Dunworth

Vaping360. Stop Smoking, Start Vaping Is a Guide for Potential Vapers – and Much More. Jim McDonald

Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association

Tobacco Harm Reduction.net

Tholos Foundation:

Interviews

The E-Cigarette Summit, UK 7 December 2021. Interview with Marc Gunther [link]

The Vaping Bogan

Aussie Vape Show

RegulatorWatch (Canada)

Pippa’s Live

VaporMan

Vejpkollen.se (Sweden)

Reader reviews by Reader’s Favorite book reviewers

Tammy Ruggles.  Review Rating 5 stars

Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is an encouraging, informative guide to help you decide if vaping is the right way for you to stop smoking. As an expert in the smoking cessation sector, this author gives so many facts and angles to consider that you may come away with a completely different view of smoking and vaping than you had before reading. Vaping may not be for everyone, but everyone knows smoking is addictive and unhealthy. If you’ve tried to quit smoking on your own and have failed, this book may have the answers or can help you make a better decision about vaping as a way to help you stop. The author dives deep into the differences and similarities between smoking and vaping, and how nicotine-vaping is often used as a way to quit smoking. The author asserts that this is misunderstood and creates debate.

What I like about this book is that though based on research, Dr. Mendelsohn breaks the information down into layman’s terms, giving the reader a clearer picture of how they may choose to stop smoking. Which is safer, smoking or vaping? What are the physical effects? Are there health risks associated with nicotine? And what about the price? Isn’t vaping as expensive as cigarettes? Where does big tobacco fit into the equation? The author offers data that you may never have heard before, offering different angles to consider, and I find that interesting. Maybe you have someone in your family, or a friend, who has tried to stop smoking but is having trouble. This book could be a great gift to them or at least provide them with information. Even if you don’t smoke, this well-researched book is packed with information that is just good to know and also has interesting images. The author’s credentials speak for themselves, so for an enlightening read on vaping and smoking, Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is a must-read.

Jamie Michele. Review rating 5 stars

Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is a non-fiction self-help book for smokers who are looking for a way to quit, and even those smokers out in the world who are not. Mendelsohn uses his expertise as a medical doctor and the in-depth research he has carried out for years to make a case for vaping as the best transition possible for the mind and body, and the highest potential to break the nicotine habit for good. Broken down into three distinct but interconnected parts plus multiple case studies, Mendelsohn provides a comprehensive analysis in Part One on The Evidence on Vaping and Nicotine, Part Two’s Start Vaping, and Part Three’s Controversies and Solutions.

I admit that I went into Stop Smoking Start Vaping a bit skeptical. I am not a smoker but am, like most others, aware of its dangers. I am also acutely aware of the vast vaping world out there, from Dave Chappell vaping continually through televised comedy routines to the e-cigs on the show Euphoria. I was ambivalent to it and not sold on the chance one might be healthier than the other. Dr. Colin Mendelsohn has done an exceptional job in alleviating misperceptions and backing all he presents with verifiable research and reputable scientific evidence. As an outsider looking in, I found the third part of the book most interesting, particularly on the mistaken belief that vaping is like a gateway to real smoking to young people. As a parent to young people, I shared this belief but the concise and straightforward delivery of facts by Mendelsohn has changed that. I think this is a clean and tightly written book for all who are interested in quitting, cutting down, or learning more about traditional vs e-cigarettes.

Vincent Dublado. Review rating 4 stars

A manifesto for vapers, Stop Smoking Start Vaping: The Healthy Truth About Vaping by Dr. Colin Mendelsohn is an intriguing and controversial argument that espouses vaping as a healthier alternative to smoking. For starters, the Australian-based author and medical practitioner stresses that vaping is the most popular and most effective aid for quitting smoking in Australia and western countries. In the same breath, he adds that the medical wonder of vaping is tragically misunderstood, and this is where he outlines his research-based evidence without any intimidating scientific jargon. He does make it clear that everything has risks, but compared to traditional smoking, electronic cigarettes expose you to fewer toxic chemicals. Another interesting feature of this book is that it boldly explores the controversies of vaping and the reason why medical health authorities, in general, are opposed to it.

With well-paced writing complemented by layman explanations, Dr. Colin Mendelsohn has created a practical guide to vaping along with scientific evidence that underpins it. In the spirit of transparency, he doesn’t fall short in reminding his audience that although vaping has growing evidence in helping smokers to quit, it is not a silver bullet as randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and trends in national smoking rates have their own strengths and weaknesses. As Mendelsohn writes about the ten underlying reasons why vaping is opposed, he puts into the forefront the disapproval that is largely based on unstated biases coming from third parties who are mostly never directly involved. Stop Smoking Start Vaping is a concise yet comprehensive look at a controversial industry, and it hopes to shed light on a very misunderstood practice.

Other details

346 pages in full colour
Available as a paperback and e-book (kindle and epub)
Publisher: Aurora House
Printed by Ingram Lightning Source in Australia, UK and US
ISBN: 978-1922697-12-7

 

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