Catherine Papathanasiou, tobacco specialist: the vape is her ally

How has the e-cigarette changed the game for cessation professionals? Catherine Papathanasiou, tobacco specialist in Belgium, and convinced by the vape, explains to us how she integrates it into her toolbox.

The vape, ally of the tobacco specialist

Catherine Papathanasiou has been a tobacco specialist since 2015. Her job, getting smokers out of tobacco, means that her job makes sense, but that she clearly did not choose the easy way. “I’m a nurse, initially, then I took a degree in tobacco.”

The tobacco specialist is one of those whom the vape has convinced “I systematically offer it to my patients in consultation. I start by asking them what they think about it, what they would consider. I assess whether the vape is suitable according to the profile, expectations, circumstances, …. If the patient has already tried it and tells me it doesn’t work, I try to find out why. Did he try with or without nicotine? Was the dosage right? Etc, … There are a lot of fears about the vape, but given what we regularly read about it in the media, there is enough to scare people “.

Biased information that bristles the practitioner “What particularly annoys me is the comparison between smoking and vaping. So much so that people sometimes think vaping is more dangerous than smoking! Similarly, on nicotine, the information is very bad, many patients and doctors think that it is dangerous and/or carcinogenic”.

Catherine Papathanasiou wants to be reassuring “I spend a lot of time explaining received ideas and it’s a shame. Admittedly, the electronic cigarette is not insignificant, but with regard to tobacco, which kills one in two smokers, it must be remembered, the benefit/risk balance is incomparably in favor of the vape”. To focus on the essentials during her consultations, once the fears have dissipated, for patients who seek to know more, Catherine has sources “I send them in particular to the Vaping Post”.

Patients who choose to vape are referred to shops “I don’t work with a particular shop. But I’m careful about word of mouth. Some shops take the time and explain. Others just sell products.”

The vape is not the only weapon in Catherine’s arsenal. “What she has induced is sometimes a change of approach, with dual therapy, a slow form associated with a fast form, an electronic cigarette, for example, in addition to patches. I also used Champix with some patients, I know that the product is sometimes quite criticized, but it has demonstrated its usefulness in a number of cases. At this time it is no longer available.”

In Belgium, the vape suffered the wrath of the Minister of Health Maggie de Block, since replaced. “It seems to have calmed down a bit. The latest Opinion of the Health Council concerning the electronic cigarette is certainly not perfect but better and rather encouraging. ” underlines Catherine Papathanasiou, “but there is still a lot of reluctance. In some doctors, for example, I had the case recently with a surgeon, and even if he was in my opinion very badly informed, his opinion has more weight than mine in front of a worried patient “.

Another audience very receptive to anti-vaping campaigns “pregnant women, it’s complicated”.

And yet, the opinion of the professional is very clear “I am a mother myself and I prefer that young people do not consume anything, but it is illusory, especially in adolescence. So, if you have to choose between the 2 from a health and risk reduction point of view… This tool can allow young smokers to wean themselves off tobacco with adequate supervision and support. ! “.

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