US health authorities launch a new alert against electronic cigarettes, and publish a report highlighting the dangers of this substitute product.
The Chief Medical Officer of the United States (General Surgeon) asked 150 experts to prepare a report on the toxicity of electronic cigarettes. More and more used by adolescents and young adults, the e-cigarette would represent for these scientists a danger to public health.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claim that more and more young people are adopting electronic cigarettes. In fact, 16% of high school students used these substitute products in 2015, against 13.4% in 2014.
“The consumption of electronic cigarettes has exploded in recent years, increasing 900% among high school students from 2011 to 2015,” says Dr. Vivek Murthy, Chief Medical Officer, and co-author of the study, in a preface of the report.
Vaping produces passive smoking that is harmful to health
The findings of this report state that nicotine, promotes strong dependence regardless of age, and causes long-lasting and toxic effects on the developing adolescent brain. Even though electronic cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes which are richer in tar, the scientists in charge of the investigation also observed that the aerosols released by vaping can passively expose those around them to potentially dangerous chemicals.
For scientists, vaping leads totobacco addiction, and they claim that young users are unaware of the dangers of these products to their health and that of others.
“All Americans should know that electronic cigarettes are dangerous for adolescents and young adults,” concludes the researcher. “Any use of tobacco, including electronic cigarettes, is a danger to health, especially for young people”, adds this health official considering that “this report provides parents and teachers with the facts on how these products can be harmful for the health of young people “.
This study confirms the conclusions of a study published in the medical journal Journal of Cellular Physiology in November 2016.
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