E-cigarette use for just 30 days can cause serious breathing problems

Electronic cigarette use after just 30 days can lead to shortness of breath as well as bronchitis symptoms, according to a new study by researchers from the Center for Tobacco Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

The study confirms existing evidence that e-cigarette use is associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms. Based on the findings of the study, researchers suggest that drug regulators should work to minimize the negative health impact of e-cigarette use on young people.

E-cigarettes have hooked a new generation on nicotine in less than a decade as well as threatening years of progress in reducing youth tobacco use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarette usage is now substantially higher among youths and young adults than it is among adults overall in the US.

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“An important point for consumers is just that e-cigarettes are not risk-free,” said Alayna Tackett, a pediatric psychologist and researcher at the Center for Tobacco Research, quoted by CNBC. “We absolutely want to eliminate the initiation and use of e-cigarettes among young people. I think that’s a critical public health goal.”

She noted that while the study examines only teens and young adults, in the demographic of all adults, people “often switch from using cigarettes to using e-cigarettes with likely fewer risks.”

Researchers followed more than 2,000 young people with an average age of 17.3 years from the Southern California Children’s Health Study. In 2014, they asked the participants to complete an online survey about their respiratory symptoms and e-cigarette, traditional cigarette and cannabis use. Around 23% of participants reported a history of asthma at the time of the initial survey. Researchers collected follow-up data from the majority of those participants during three additional survey waves, in 2015, 2017 and 2018, reported CNBC.

Participants were specifically asked if they had ever used each of the three products and the number of days they had used a product in the past 30-day period. Those who had never tried a product were classified as “never users.” Those who had used a product on at least one of the past 30 days were classified as “past 30-day” users.

The researchers found that past 30-day e-cigarette users were at an 81% higher risk of experiencing a symptom called wheeze, than “never users,” after accounting for survey wave, age, sex, race and parental education. Past 30-day users were also at a 78% increased risk of experiencing shortness of breath and a 50% higher risk of experiencing symptoms of bronchitis, the researchers found.

Authorities in the US are warning parents and teachers to be on the lookout for drugs that don’t always look like drugs. For example, there are vapes disguised as school supplies — highlighters in particular, as well as other stationery items like USB drives, ballpoint pens and even phones, according to reports. Some highlighter vapes available in kid-friendly flavors like mango, strawberry banana and blueberry ice.