Vaping is the new hook for catching nicotine addicts

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Vaping has become a subculture of so-called "vapers" (vapers) for young people and adolescents. The authorities are already calling this a problem and intend to impose restrictions on smoking and the sale of e-cigarettes. Why is vaping dangerous?

According to Olga Sukhovskaya, head of the All-Russian "hotline" for smoking cessation, "vaping" causes no less dangerous addiction than smoking regular cigarettes. That is, fans of e-cigarettes with nicotine cartridges also develop addiction and withdrawal symptoms. This is not only an increasing desire to smoke when quitting, but also the possible appearance of aggressiveness, irritability, depression, distraction and inattention. At the same time, the danger of addiction is especially strong for young people and adolescents.

“Manufacturers add various flavors, which is especially attractive for young people who love experimentation,” said Olga Sukhovskaya. “But trying different flavors only intensifies the addiction. And if for heavy smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes this is an opportunity to give up the harmful components of tobacco smoke, then for young people and even more so adolescents this is only the beginning of the introduction to nicotine and psychoactive substances. They can then easily switch to regular cigarettes and become even more addicted.

In addition, according to an expert at the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology, in addition to nicotine, electronic smoking devices usually use antifreeze (substances that do not freeze at low temperatures) - propylene glycol or glycerin. Propylene glycol is known to be carcinogenic. It is also known that the particles of inhaled vapor are finer than the particles of cigarette smoke - that is, they are able to penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract. “The same flavors that are in electronic cigarettes, to a greater extent injure the cells of the bronchial tree,” explained Olga Sukhovskaya. - Also, the tobacco industry began to produce veporazers, in which not the solution with nicotine is heated, but the tobacco itself. Although there are no combustion products in them, which manufacturers pay special attention to, heating up to 300 degrees, undoubtedly, contributes to the inhalation of nicotine, and, therefore, the development or maintenance of addiction."

Recently, the media has frequently reported deaths among adolescents, which are associated with smoking e-cigarettes. According to the expert, such a fatal overdose is possible:

- If the electronic cigarette was with nicotine, then it is quite possible, - Olga Sukhovskaya believes. - Especially if the additives included menthol. It facilitates breathing, helps to dull the discomfort from smoking and the absence of a sore throat, and also penetrates deeper into the respiratory tract. Accordingly, you can smoke more and not notice the "bust". In foreign practice, cases of nicotine overdose when smoking electronic cigarettes have been described - people ended up in hospitals.

Meanwhile, there is still no serious research on the health effects of e-cigarettes.

- This is a relatively new fashion. The most famous and evidence-based study on the dangers of conventional cigarettes lasted 50 years, - said Olga Sukhovskaya. - It was attended by 35 thousand British doctors - smokers and nonsmokers. For half a century, specialists monitored them - participants answered questions about their health status and underwent regular medical examinations. The results were published in 2005-2006. They showed that among doctors who smoke, cardiovascular, oncological, and respiratory diseases were more common, and life expectancy was 6-8 years less than among nonsmokers. In 2014, WHO announced the need to conduct research on the health effects of e-cigarettes and report back to the next conference of the parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It is due to take place at the end of 2016 in Delhi. We hope that some preliminary results will already be announced.