alternative to tobacco smoking Archives - Amazing Health Advances

1 Million Adult Vapers in England Have Never Regularly Smoked

The AHA! Team — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:20:34 +0000

Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc. via News-Medical – This rapid increase between 2021 and 2024 was particularly among younger age groups. In a recent study published in The Lancet Public Health, researchers estimate trends in vaping among adults in the United Kingdom who have not smoked regularly. The health implications of vaping In the past, vaping or the use of e-cigarettes in England was primarily reported among current or former smokers trying to reduce or quit smoking. If vaping were only adopted by those who would otherwise smoke, the overall rate of smoking or vaping would remain constant or show signs of declining rather than increasing. The rising rate of vaping could be attributed to the widespread availability of disposable e-cigarettes in recent years, which has led to a rapid increase in vaping among regular and non-regular smokers. Although e-cigarettes may be less harmful than smoking, these devices contain toxic chemicals that the user consumes. In fact, several studies indicate that vapers are exposed to higher levels of toxicants than non-users. About the study Researchers collected data using a monthly cross-sectional survey across England, Wales, and Scotland to ensure a nationally representative sample. Approximately 2,450 individuals participated in the survey each month between 2016 and early 2024. The vaping status of adults who reported never regularly smoking was evaluated using questions about their current e-cigarette use, daily or non-daily e-cigarette use, as well as as the type of device and strength of nicotine used. Study participants also provided sociodemographic data such as gender, age, and social class, as well as lifestyle information such as alcohol consumption. Statistical models were used to calculate trends in the prevalence of smoking after adjusting for alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics. These trends were then assessed according to age, with the prevalence of vaping compared before and after the increased availability of disposable e-cigarettes. Study findings The analysis included 94,107 unique never-regular smokers, as well as younger individuals who had never smoked. Vaping among never-regular smokers was stable at approximately 0.5% until 2021. From 2021 onwards, vaping increased rapidly to 3.5% in April 2024. This increased prevalence of vaping was primarily attributed to younger adults under the age of 24, 14.4% of whom vaped, as compared to those over the age of 48, less than 1% of whom vaped. Although age differences were significant, trends were similar across social class and gender. Alcohol consumption was positively correlated with vaping prevalence, with heavy drinkers more likely to vape at a rate of 22.1%. Comparatively, only 3% of low-risk drinkers and 1.3% of non-drinkers vaped. Throughout the analysis period, non-daily vaping was less common than daily vaping, but the prevalence of daily vaping was four times greater than that of non-daily vaping. Researchers also found clear indications that disposable e-cigarettes are implicated in these trends. In the post-disposable period, users were more likely to report longer vaping durations, with a reduced prevalence of short-term use. Since disposable devices have become more common, vapers are increasingly younger, heavier drinkers, and more likely to be female. There is also a pronounced shift towards disposable e-cigarettes and devices with higher nicotine strengths. More purchases were also reported from convenience stores or supermarkets, and fewer from vape shops. Conclusions The study findings demonstrate the significant rise in vaping rates in England over the past three years, specifically among those who are not regular smokers, as well as younger adults and heavier drinkers. In 2021, one in 200 never-regular smokers reported vaping. By April 2024, this rate increased to one in 28. Disposable e-cigarettes, which appear to appeal to younger adults and women, may encourage the use of higher nicotine strengths. The health impacts of these behavioral shifts may be significant, particularly among individuals who would not typically engage in vaping, which increases their exposure to toxins they would have otherwise avoided. Addressing these issues is associated with various challenges as policymakers seek to reduce vaping among non-smokers while ensuring that e-cigarettes are available and remain attractive to smokers who would like to quit. Stricter regulations on the appearance, pricing, and marketing of these products may support these public health efforts to reduce the appeal of vaping. Journal reference: Jackson, S.E., Shahab, L., Tattan-Birch, H., & Brown, J. (2024). Vaping among adults in England who have never regularly smoked: a population-based study, 2016–24. The Lancet Public Health. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00183-X To read the original article click here.

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Some E-Cigarette Chemicals Mimic Nicotine, Possibly Bypassing Regulation

The AHA! Team — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 08:21:24 +0000

Duke Health – In what appears to be an effort to bypass public health regulations covering vaping products, some tobacco companies have begun replacing nicotine in e-cigarettes with related chemicals that have similar properties but unknown health effects, Duke Health researchers report. In a research letter appearing Aug. 7 in JAMA, study authors at Duke and Yale University also found that the quantity of these chemicals, known as nicotine analogs, are not accurately disclosed on the packaging. “Vaping products containing nicotine are subject to federal laws that prohibit sales to people under the age of 21,” said study co-author Sairam V. Jabba, D.V.M., Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Duke University School of Medicine. Nicotine analogs are currently not subject to the FDA process “Nicotine analogs are currently not subject to the FDA process and have not been studied for their health effects,” Jabba said. “Our analysis of some of these analog-containing vaping products sold in the U.S. found significant and concerning inaccuracies in the ingredients these products claim to contain and what they actually contain. Further, it’s possible manufacturers are attempting to avoid FDA tobacco regulation.” One chemical, known as 6-methyl nicotine, has been shown in rodent experiments to be far more potent than nicotine in targeting the brain’s nicotine receptors and more toxic than nicotine. Another, called nicotinamide, is marketed as targeting the same brain receptors as nicotine, despite evidence it does not bind to these receptors. The nicotine analogs were included in flavored e-cigarettes, which prior research has indicated are preferred by youths and those who vape for the first time. Jabba and colleagues, including co-senior author Sven Eric Jordt, Ph.D., analyzed an e-cigarette product sold under the brand name Spree Bar, which comes in at least nine flavors and is listed as containing 5 percent 6-methyl nicotine. Study results showed the actual amount of the chemical was about 88% less than labeled. The e-cigarettes also included an artificial sweetener that is up to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar, and an artificial coolant that mimics menthol’s effects. A second brand of e-cigarettes — marketed as Nixotine, Nixodine, Nixamide and Nic-Safe – contained a nicotine analog called nicotinamide, also at levels lower than the labels indicated, and combined with undisclosed amounts of 6-methyl nicotine. This brand did not include sweeteners or coolants. These products appear to be designed to circumvent the laws and regulations “These products appear to be designed to circumvent the laws and regulations in place to protect people — especially children — from the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco use,” Jordt said. “We do not know what these chemicals do when they are heated and inhaled. These are questions that should be answered before we allow products on the market.” In addition to Jordt and Jabba, study authors include Hanno C. Erythropel, Peter Silinski, Paul T. Anastas, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin and Julie B. Zimmerman. Yale’s Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science received funding support for the study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (U54DA036151), and the Center for Tobacco Products of the FDA. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the FDA. To read the original article click here.

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New Studies Suggest Vaping Could Cloud Your Thoughts

AHA Publisher — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 08:00:57 +0000

University of Rochester Medical Center via EurekAlert – Two new studies from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have uncovered an association between vaping and mental fog. Both adults and kids who vape were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than their non-vaping, non-smoking peers. It also appeared that kids were more likely to experience mental fog if they started vaping before the age of 14. While other studies have found an association between vaping and mental impairment in animals, the URMC team is the first to draw this connection in people. Led by Dongmei Li, Ph.D., associate professor in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at URMC, the team mined data from two major national surveys. “Our studies add to growing evidence that vaping should not be considered a safe alternative to tobacco smoking,” said study author Li. The studies, published in the journals Tobacco Induced Diseases and Plos One, analyzed over 18,000 middle and high school student responses to the National Youth Tobacco Survey and more than 886,000 responses to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System phone survey from U.S. adults. Both surveys ask similar questions about smoking and vaping habits as well as issues with memory, attention and mental function. Both studies show that people who smoke and vape – regardless of age – are most likely to report struggling with mental function. Behind that group, people who only vape or only smoke reported mental fog at similar rates, which were significantly higher than those reported by people who don’t smoke or vape. The youth study also found that students who reported starting to vape early – between eight and 13 years of age – were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than those who started vaping at 14 or older. “With the recent rise in teen vaping, this is very concerning and suggests that we need to intervene even earlier,” said Li. “Prevention programs that start in middle or high school might actually be too late.” Adolescence is a critical period for brain development, especially for higher-order mental function, which means tweens and teens may be more susceptible to nicotine-induced brain changes. While e-cigarettes lack many of the dangerous compounds found in tobacco cigarettes, they deliver the same amount or even more nicotine. While the URMC studies clearly show an association between vaping and mental function, it’s not clear which causes which. It is possible that nicotine exposure through vaping causes difficulty with mental function. But it is equally possible that people who report mental fog are simply more likely to smoke or vape – possibly to self-medicate. Li and her team say that further studies that follow kids and adults over time are needed to parse the cause and effect of vaping and mental fog. To read the original article click here.

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