E-cigarettes: Doing More Harm Than Good?
E-cigarettes have been a trendy phenomenon over the last decade, as it was first introduced to the American market in 2007. Overtime, it has adapted many other names such as “vapes” or “mods”, and it can have various different appealing semblances such as a USB or a pen. Although they are intended to help smokers quit smoking, some of these devices still contain nicotine, along with other chemicals and flavorings, and have been attracting a much more unintentional audience: non-smoking adolescents and young adults. Despite their popularity, there are still many unclear risks and benefits as a result of e-cigarette usage: the FDA has not even approved it as an aid to quit smoking. As a result, the beneficial purpose of e-cigarettes — to help people wean off of cigarette addiction — may be outweighed by its disadvantage of causing non-cigarette smoking individuals, especially youth, to develop eventual cigarette addiction.
A new research study conducted by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center sought to find the long-term consequences of e-cigarettes by compiling data from censuses, surveys, and other published literature. The data provided the probabilities that e-cigarette smokers would transition to cigarette smoking as well as the probability for a cigarette smoker to develop abstinence just by the use of e-cigarettes. Then, the researchers created a simulation model to find net benefit or net harm: they compared a theoretical number of current smokers that would cease smoking through the use of e-cigarettes to a number representing those who never smoked but could eventually become cigarette smokers. The net benefit was then quantified by totaling a theoretical number of years of life gained by current cigarette smokers who quit smoking and comparing it to a theoretical total of years of life lost from non-smokers who would pick up the habit of smoking from e-cigarettes. In the end, it predicted that 2070 individuals that are currently cigarette smokers would quit with the use of e-cigarettes and remain abstinent. However, it predicted that 168,000 adolescents would pick up the habit, eventually becoming daily cigarette smokers. Based on the age and probability subgroups, the results predicted that a total of 1.6 million years of life could be lost from persons becoming addicted smokers through using e-cigarettes.
A new research study conducted by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center sought to find the long-term consequences of e-cigarettes by compiling data from censuses, surveys, and other published literature. The data provided the probabilities that e-cigarette smokers would transition to cigarette smoking as well as the probability for a cigarette smoker to develop abstinence just by the use of e-cigarettes. Then, the researchers created a simulation model to find net benefit or net harm: they compared a theoretical number of current smokers that would cease smoking through the use of e-cigarettes to a number representing those who never smoked but could eventually become cigarette smokers. The net benefit was then quantified by totaling a theoretical number of years of life gained by current cigarette smokers who quit smoking and comparing it to a theoretical total of years of life lost from non-smokers who would pick up the habit of smoking from e-cigarettes. In the end, it predicted that 2070 individuals that are currently cigarette smokers would quit with the use of e-cigarettes and remain abstinent. However, it predicted that 168,000 adolescents would pick up the habit, eventually becoming daily cigarette smokers. Based on the age and probability subgroups, the results predicted that a total of 1.6 million years of life could be lost from persons becoming addicted smokers through using e-cigarettes.
Image Source: Ary6
There is no doubt that there truly are many efforts to reduce cigarette smoking throughout the nation, but these effects might be reversed due to the current trend with e-cigarette usage. The results of the study urge the public to question the potential benefits and harms e-cigarettes may have on the lives of smokers and non-smokers. There needs to be awareness and understanding of the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes so that this aid can work at its best capacity in improving public health. Despite the non-threatening appearance of e-cigarettes in comparison to that of traditional cigarettes, these e-cigarettes could bring out more harm than good and further exacerbate the current cigarette smoking epidemic.
Featured Image Source: "E-Cigarette/Electronic Cigarette/E-Cigs/E-Liquid/Vaping/Cloud Chasing/Vapor/Vaper/Vapour" by Vaping360 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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