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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : April 23, 2015 10:17 AM IST
Electronic cigarettes are easily available and have been sold with a motive to help you quit smoking.If you have started using e cigarettes, stop now! There are many studies that claim they are equally harmful as regular cigarettes.Emphasising this fact, one more study has revealed how they can lead nicotine addiction and also pose risks to the developing brain and organs of children. (Read: Smoker's alert: E-cigarettes don't help in quitting, says study)
Dean E. Schraufnagel, MD at University of Illinois at Chicago, provides a detailed look at the composition and varieties of electronic cigarettes and what makes them so appealing to youths. He described electronic cigarettes as a potential 'gateway to addiction,' as they are often the first tobacco product a youngster tries, with nicotine dependence a common lead-in to abuse of other addictive substances. (Read:E-cigarettes could be as harmful as cigarettes)
Mary Cataletto, MD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook said that pediatricians play a critical role in the education of children and families, and are considered an important and reliable source of healthcare information.This review provides practitioners with comprehensive information about the dangers of electronic cigarettes and highlights the vulnerability of children to both the intense marketing surrounding e-cigarettes and their pharmacologic effects. (Read:Debate: E-cigarettes help quit smoking)
The review article 'Electronic Cigarettes: Vulnerability of Youth' is published in a peer-reviewed journal Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology.
Recently, another study suggested that electronic cigarettes may not be that safe after all and may damage lung cells.
According to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, E-cigarettes create free radicals which cause inflammation in the lungs and are equally toxic as tobacco. These radicals are created when the heating element in the cigarette is activated which turns the e-liquid into aerosol particles or vapors which act like cigarette smoke. This smoke contains various carcinogens and heavy metals that are so tiny that they can get lodged way into the lung tissues and cells and can also enter the blood stream.
The study also claimed that the toxic metals and oxidants from e-cigarettes raise safety concerns as well as potential pollution hazards from second-hand exposures and disposal of e-cigarette waste. The study found that dripping e-liquids or e-juices to produce vapours likely generates a larger dose of toxins to the lungs.
With inputs from ANI
Image source: Getty Images
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