The White House recently announced plans to ban flavored e-cigarettes - with the exception of tobacco-flavored products - as more and more high and middle school students use these products.
A few days later, the Indian Cabinet approved an emergency order banning the manufacture, import and sale of e-cigarettes.
So far, more than 20 countries, especially in South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, have banned the sale of e-cigarette products. Some countries have also banned the possession of these products. Thailand has the strictest laws, while countries like Australia, Canada and Norway have imposed many restrictions.
Research suggests that e-cigarettes can help smokers sell regular cigarettes, which benefits their long-term health. But young people who have never smoked traditional cigarettes are using e-cigarettes that are available in over 1,500 flavors, including chewing gum and cotton candy. In a survey of US adolescents aged 12 to 17, 81% of e-cigarette consumers stated that the first product they ever used was flavored and that they use e-cigarettes because they are "flavored." available, which I like ".
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Control (CDC), more than 3.6 million US children use e-cigarettes, with an increase of 78% (from 11.7% to 20.8%). US high school students report on the use of e-cigarettes 2017 to 2018. And in the UK, 1.6% of 11- to 18-year-olds use e-cigarettes more than once a week, compared to 0, 5% in 2015.
Due to the addictive nature of nicotine, there is a risk that young e-cigarette consumers will switch to traditional cigarettes. In fact, some doctors refer to e-cigarettes as "entry-level drug".
Harmful enzymes
E-cigarettes create an aerosol by heating a complex solution of chemicals that contains oils, flavors, and nicotine. The fine particles released in the steam are similar in size and concentration to the tobacco smoke and can reach deep into the lungs. Some of these chemicals are toxic to cells, but what makes researching their safety difficult is that each product is very different and the final composition of the chemicals depends on the temperature at which the steamer heats them.
Researchers have found that vapors irritate and inflame the respiratory tract, leading to the formation of a greater amount of mucus and an increase in tissue-degrading enzymes called proteases. High levels of proteases can destroy sensitive lung tissue and impair the functioning of our lungs. The resulting lung damage is irreversible and can eventually lead to severe lung disease, including emphysema that is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For those who already have chronic lung disease such as COPD or asthma, it has been associated with increased severity of symptoms.
Another study found that proteases are stimulated by e-cigarette vapor. The vapor was made from various brands of e-cigarettes and then used to treat isolated white blood cells in the laboratory. It was found that the levels of the enzymes were similar or higher than when the cells were exposed to an extract made from cigarette smoke. The increase in enzyme levels was also found in nicotine-free e-cigarette products, suggesting that other components in e-cigarette vapor are responsible.
A recent study in the US published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine examined the impact of chronic use of e-cigarettes on markers for lung injury in the respiratory tract of vapers. Proteases associated with tissue damage were elevated in both smokers and vapers compared to nonsmokers.
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Hard to research
The problem with investigating the potential harm of e-cigarettes is that there is so much choice of products, appliances and flavors that it is impossible to achieve "standardized exposure".
According to a report by the US Surgeon General, 97% of young vapers have used a flavored product in the last 30 days. It is reported that individual e-cigarette products have six flavors, with the sweetest flavors having a significantly higher number of compounds.
Tests on 166 e-cigarette products showed that one in five (21%) contains flavorings (benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, vanillin) that may be toxic to the respiratory tract. Several other toxic chemicals were also found and measurable levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), an important group of carcinogens in tobacco products, were found in 70% of the tested products. The effect of inhaling these complex chemical mixtures is very difficult to determine.
Recent reports of deaths in the US in connection with vaping fans raise further security concerns. The CDC has reported an increasing number of cases (530 in 38 states) of a mysterious "lipoid" pneumonia (presence of fat in the lungs), most of which have occurred in young males who mute and those with eight deaths in Have been linked. It is noteworthy, however, that some who developed lipoid pneumonia admitted to digesting THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), although others have insisted that they only used nicotine products for their e-cigarettes.
A substance called vitamin E acetate has been identified in all samples tested by New York State health authorities, but there is not enough evidence to say if this is the cause of the disease. So far, no cases of lipoid pneumonia have been reported outside the US.
Evidence to date suggests that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking tobacco. This, along with the worrying tendency of young, former non-smokers being drawn to steaming, arouses the fear of another generation suffering from chronic lung disease. In fact, a recent study in The Lancet estimates that COPD in 2040 will be the only major cause of death among the top 10 causes of death that will continue to increase. It remains to be seen, however, how much steaming is required.
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