Electronic cigarettes, a product harmful to health

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 12 (ACN) The use of new emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes is attracting young people and adolescents, a concern in health matters due to the damage they cause.

Also known as vapers, this battery-operated technology produces aerosol by heating a liquid containing nicotine, flavorings and other chemical substances, consumed in the form of vapor.

They appear in different formats, popular cigarettes or pipes, USB flash drives, pens or other everyday items, attractive to this sector of the population.

Dr. Yanet Guerra, from the Health and Disease Promotion Unit (Prosalud), explained to the Cuban News Agency that the aerosol of electronic cigarettes is not harmless, since exposure to nicotine, present in most of these devices, can have long-lasting harmful effects on brain development.

When starting to use them in adolescence or youth, there is a double chance of smoking cigarettes later in adulthood, and it is also a gateway to other addictions with more harmful tobacco products, she said.

The specialist emphasized on the flavorings of electronic cigarettes, which become an additional factor for the increase in consumption, due to their diversity of flavors, aromas and liquids, which are more appealing to young people.

Although its long-term effects are still being studied, numerous researches agree that its use can cause lung and heart diseases and cancer. They also contain vegetable glycerin and/or propylene glycol, toxic substances to produce fog and cause lung and respiratory tract irritation after concentrated exposure, she said.

In Cuba, prevention actions are being carried out to protect children and adolescents from the health threat posed by the use of this product through educational activities in schools and communities.