World No Tobacco Day 2023: How vaping can increase the risk of depression and anxiety in teenagers – explains expert

World No Tobacco Day aims to raise public awareness of the health hazards of tobacco use, including smoking and oral tobacco products. It emphasizes the value of quitting and calls on authorities, groups and individuals to take action to prevent tobacco use.

The theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), to be observed on May 31, 2023, is “We need food, not tobacco”. WHO will join forces with public health advocates around the world to celebrate WNTD.

In an exclusive conversation with Zee English, Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD & Consultant – Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital talks about the side effects of vaping especially for young adults.

Medical professionals as well as the general public around the world have expressed concern over the popularity of e-cigarettes, vaping and related products in recent years.

“Vaping and cannabis smoking have gained widespread popularity in recent years, especially among young adults. Although the two practices are not entirely the same, their effects on the body can be similar,” says Dr. Satyanarayana.

What are e-cigarettes?

The process by which an e-cigarette, sometimes referred to as a vape pen or e-cig, works involves heating a liquid solution that typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other compounds. .

What is Vaping?

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol produced by an electronic cigarette or other similar device.

Is Vaping Less Harmful Than Cigarettes?

While vaping is often considered less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes, it still carries a number of risks. E-cigarette aerosol contains nicotine, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals such as lead, tin, and various cancer-causing chemicals.

Because e-cigarettes contain e-liquid (with a heating mechanism) instead of tobacco combustion, manufacturers claim that using an e-cigarette has less harmful respiratory effects than smoking tobacco. According to reports, the heating process may result in the production of new breakdown chemicals of suspected toxicity.

Effects of Vaping on Physical Health

Dr. Satyanarayana says, “Vaping can lead to EVALI, which stands for e-cigarette, vaping use-associated lung injury. According to health officials, the primary cause of EVALI is vitamin E acetate (one of the E component). -cigarettes).

Dr. Mysore further comments, “In addition to vitamin E acetate, a number of other substances and product sources in vaping ingredients are being investigated as possible causes.”

Some symptoms include shortness of breath, fever and chills, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, rapid heart rate, and chest pain. Treatment varies from medical management to hospitalization in severe cases.

According to a Spanish study, a comparison of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes shows that both lead to a state of inflammation and an increase in oxidative stress in the body. Its direct cause is various respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive and immunological problems – COPD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, lung cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and infertility. Flavor use in e-cigarettes is associated with marked toxic effects on pulmonary fibroblasts.

The World Health Organization suggests that e-cigarettes cannot be considered a viable alternative to quitting smoking due to a lack of evidence. Currently, both the FDA and the CDC are actively investigating cases of severe respiratory symptoms associated with excessive use of vaping.

The American Lung Association says that smoking marijuana damages a person’s lungs. It causes chronic bronchitis and marijuana smoke has been proven to injure the cell linings of the major airways, which may explain why smoking marijuana leads to chronic cough, phlegm production, wheezing and symptoms including acute bronchitis.

In young to middle-aged adults who are heavy marijuana smokers, there are cases of emphysema (giant air bubbles) in both the lungs and between the lungs and the chest wall, as well as in the lungs.

Effects of Vaping on the Brain in Young Adults

“Nicotine acts as a depressant while tetrahydrocannabinol or THC acts as a partial agonist at the cannabinoid receptor. Smoking tetrahydrocannabinol or THC can cause irritation and inflammation in the lungs, as well as have adverse effects on mental health.” . . Pleasant marijuana experiences are far from universal,” Dr. Satyanarayan.

Some people experience anxiety, fear, panic, or disbelief instead of relaxation and joy. Repeated exposure to nicotine can reduce the brain’s reward pathways by altering the release of dopamine – a neurotransmitter that acts as a messenger between nerve cells.

This can have negative effects on the brain, especially in young people whose brains are still developing. These effects include impaired cognitive function, memory problems and learning difficulties, as well as mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, in people who smoke regularly.

Much of the ongoing research focused on these aspects has conclusive evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes are in no way safer than traditional cigarettes.

Furthermore, dual vaping (nicotine and THC) has potentially additive harmful effects on mental and physical health. Considering the physical and mental effects of vaping and e-cigarettes, it can be concluded that there is an urgent need to educate the youth about the negative effects of these products and ask the governing authorities to systematically ban these addiction agents. request to install.