Vaping is not smoking and recording vaping status is not a requirement of the Better Help for Smokers to Quit health target. However, vaping is a health risk and it is appropriate to record in clinical records. Recording vaping is additional to recording smoking status. Patients who have stopped smoking and are currently vaping exclusively can be coded as ex-smoking. Recording a person as ex-vaping has value, especially if the person is using vaping to quit smoking and will then quit vaping. The following SNOMED CT terms and codes should be used to record vaping status. SNOMED CT is ..read more

Concerns have been expressed by school teachers and professional bodies about young people vaping and the Ministry of Health would like to reiterate its advice about vaping. Children, young people and non-smokers should not vape (use e-cigarettes) People who do not smoke should not vape Vaping products are not risk-free The long-term health effects of vaping are unknown Vaping products contain nicotine which is highly addictive. Vaping products are intended for smokers only Vaping is not risk-free but it is less harmful than smoking Vaping products should only be used by smokers wanting to sw ..read more