Electronic Cigarette Can Not Quit Smoking
Recently, reports about electronic cigarettes dominate the screen. What is an e-cigarette? What are the dangers? Recently Health China and Health News interviewed experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for this purpose.
The CDC experts explained: "Whether from a scientific point of view or the reality of the situation, the harm of e-cigarettes to the human body can not be ignored. Electronic cigarette refers to the electronic nicotine delivery system, a product that transmits nicotine and other substances to the user's respiratory system after the electronic cigarette liquid is atomized into an aerosol by an atomizer, and nicotine (commonly known as nicotine) is the main component of the electronic cigarette liquid."
An e-cigarette is an electronic product that mimics a cigarette, which has the same look, smoke, taste and feel as a cigarette. Whether smoking or smoking e-cigarettes, the purpose is actually to obtain nicotine. Imitating smoking, maintaining the feeling of smoking, and releasing vaporized smoke are common features of most e-cigarettes.
Especially for curious and imitating teenagers, e-cigarettes have the appearance of real cigarettes, fashionable and cool shape, unidentified packaging, and a variety of attractive flavors, which is very attractive. In addition to the business "harmless, non-toxic" advocate, the temptation to play online electronic cigarette spray video, these so-called "electronic cigarette culture" in the youth and even become a popular trend.
"The most worrying thing is that young people easily try to use e-cigarettes, may let the original non-smoking young people eventually become smoking e-cigarettes, or even smoking traditional cigarettes consumers, from then on to develop the vices of smoking." So say the experts.
Whether traditional cigarettes, or vape, nicotine is its main component. Nicotine has three properties.
First, it is highly addictive. Foreign literature reports that nicotine's addictive properties have been proven to be higher than most drugs and only lower than cocaine and heroin; second, nicotine is a highly toxic chemical and has been included in China's Catalogue of Highly Toxic Chemicals (2015 edition).
In addition, nicotine is pathogenic. Repeated nicotine inhalation can cause microcirculatory ischemia, increased blood pressure and faster heartbeat; damage vascular endothelial cells, promote platelet coagulation, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease; nicotine can also directly damage vitamin C and hinder its absorption. Nicotine is carcinogenic and can be converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines in the process of its decomposition and metabolism.
Minors and adolescents are more sensitive to nicotine. Medical data show that nicotine can affect the still developing brain function, such as causing a decline in attention, learning ability, impulse control, increasing the risk of future addiction, and excessive intake may also be life-threatening.
The domestic e-cigarette market lacks regulation, and e-cigarettes are no product standards, no quality control and no safety evaluation. Some e-cigarette products contain high levels of nicotine, which can even lead to direct harm to the health.
The European Union requires that the nicotine content in e-cigarette products should not exceed 20 mg/ml. At present, the quality of domestic e-cigarette products varies, and the nicotine content of the liquid is 1.5 mg/ml to 36 mg/ml, with a wide range of fluctuations.
In addition, the nicotine concentration markings of E-liquids are vague, which may lead to nicotine overdose by consumers. Much of the domestic literature reports the problem of inconsistency between the nicotine content of various e-cigarette liquids and the labeling, with a large difference between the labeled nicotine content and the actual content, with a deviation range of -100% to 105%. This situation has been reported in the CCTV "3-15" evening "consumer warning" program in 2019.
In addition, some of the electronic cigarettes purchased online, the specification parameters in the column only the smoke concentration: high, medium, low, no four files, consumers simply can not figure out how much nicotine concentration in the electronic cigarette they bought.
There are also studies that show that the nicotine inhalation of e-cigarettes is related to the nicotine concentration of the smoking liquid, the heating system, the breathing method, and the environmental wind. Along with different people's frequency of use of e-cigarettes, different ways of use, the amount of nicotine inhalation is also different.
Some vape vendors promote e-cigarettes as a magic tool for quitting smoking, avoiding talking about the addictive nature of nicotine in them. Many people seeking excitement, pleasure, will choose a high concentration of nicotine liquid (smoke) and high-power atomizer. Some users change the smoke size by rotating the air delivery control system to choose their preferred concentration and unintentionally ingest excessive nicotine.
It is also worrisome that students who do not smoke, are curious, like to imitate, and think it is cool to smoke e-cigarettes. Teenagers do not know the main ingredients of e-cigarettes, or even that they contain nicotine, which is more likely to lead to nicotine poisoning.
In short, nicotine addiction is the basis of e-cigarette sales. Because of the highly addictive nature of nicotine and its toxicity, there is a greater safety risk of over-inhalation of nicotine in e-cigarettes. If the future of electronic cigarettes after conclusive scientific evidence can help quit smoking, electronic cigarettes should also be the same as smoking cessation drugs, the need to pass the relevant state department certification.