It is true that E-cigs can increase the risk of flu and pneumonia, but the risk is lower compared to tobacco cigarettes. That is the fact that the title (of an article) didn’t give away in the heading; you need to read through to grab the truth. There is nothing wrong about the ‘journalistic intentions,’ but when the world is in a heated debate over the safety of e-cigarettes, the intention can easily be misconstrued.
The world is eager to know the effects of e-cigarettes on human health, particularly on the lungs and the heart that are the easiest targets for anything inhaled, such as tobacco cigarettes and e-cigs. The findings support the conclusion that e-cigs can make human lungs more vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections. Yet, the risk has been determined to be lower compared to risks of traditional cigarettes.
The Study
The study was conducted to determine if e-cigarettes, the touted best device to quit smoking, does not detrimentally affect the lungs; specifically if it does not impair the body’s resistances against flu and pneumonia.
The research team headed by Prof. Shyam Biswal from Maryland’s John Hopkins University exposed mice to e-cig vapors twice a day for two weeks to a level thought to mimic what an average vaper would inhale. After two weeks, certain test animals were exposed to influenza virus, while others were administered with streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
The Results
The test animals developed various signs and symptoms of flu and pneumonia compared to the control group (not exposed to e-cig vapors).
The study also showed that e-cigarettes produce free-radicals, but it is only about 1 percent of what was found in traditional cigarettes (PLOS ONE Journal).
The Implications
The results indicate that the exposure to e-cigarettes is the factor responsible for the test animals’ subsequent development of vulnerability to the pulmonary diseases. Further, the findings suggest that the chemicals in the vapors from the e-cigarettes can compromise the health of the lungs in particular, and the immune system in general. These can leave the mice more susceptible to pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
It is in this light that Professor Biswal suggested that studies be undertaken on people, particularly smokers and ex-smokers. Aside from flu and pneumonia, another common pulmonary disorder among potential e-cig users is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The Relevance of the Study
The debate over the impact of e-cigs on human health remains unabated. Scientific and medical studies are seen as great arbitrators providing unbiased basis for lawmakers and authority health organizations worldwide. While the results of this study in particular suggest e-cigarette’s potential to increase pulmonary risks to flu and pneumonia, the effects were less compared to the health hazards offered by tobacco cigarettes.
Unraveling the Truth
For people desperately seeking help to quit smoking, anything that offers less risk than tobacco cigarettes is deemed better. The words of Prof. John Britton, UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies director, “…the most important point was that harm to the lungs was less from e-cigarettes than from tobacco” is comforting.
He said, “The lung is an exquisitely delicate organ and therefore nobody with any common sense would believe that inhaling heated vapour many times a day would be harmless,” he said. “What matters here is not a comparison of the effects of e-cigarette vapour compared with nothing, but the effects compared with those of tobacco smoke.”
At this time when the growth of e-cigarettes means a corresponding decrease in tobacco sales, forces are working to hide truths. The public deserves the truth; this is one truth that they must know and understand without mincing words.