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A new study directly comparing new smoking devices to vaping and traditional cigarettes shows that all three are toxic to human lung cells.
The study published in ERJ Open Research [1] suggests that the new device, which heats solid tobacco instead of an e-liquid, is no less toxic to cells than ordinary cigarette smoke.
According to researchers, the study adds that these new electronic devices for nicotine delivery may not be a safer substitute for smoking.
The study was led by Dr. Pawan Sharma, a researcher at the Sydney University of Technology and the Woolbad Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia.
"Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, and with the introduction of electronic cigarettes over the past decade, the trend of nicotine absorption is not going to slow down in the near future. At present, smoking will cause more than eight million deaths a year by 2030 worldwide.
"The latest addition to this emerging trend is the planned and vigorous introduction of heated tobacco devices, commonly referred to as new generation products or burn-free heating products." We know very little about the effects of these new devices. So we designed this research to compare it with cigarette and vaping. "
The researchers tested the effects of the three sources of nicotine on two types of cells taken from the human airways: epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells. In healthy lungs, epithelial cells provide the first line of defense against foreign particles entering the airways, while smooth muscle cells maintain the structure of the airways. However, smoking can cause breathing difficulties mainly by hindering the normal functioning of these cells.
Dr. Sharma and his team exposed the cells to different concentrations of cigarette smoke, electronic cigarette vapors and heated tobacco vapors, and determined whether it damaged the cells and whether it affected the normal functions of these cells. this.
The researchers found that cigarette smoke and heated tobacco vapors were highly toxic to cells at lower and higher concentrations, while vapors from electronic cigarettes showed toxicity primarily at higher concentrations. The researchers say these concentrations represent the levels of nicotine found in chronic smokers.
Dr. Sukhwinder Sohal, a researcher at the University of Tasmania in Launceston, Australia, and lead author of the study, said, "We have observed different levels of cellular toxicity with all forms of exposure in human lung cells. Clearly, newer products are by no means less toxic to cells than conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes. "
Dr. Sharma added, "Our results suggest that all three are toxic to the cells of our lungs and that these new heated tobacco devices are as harmful as smoking traditional cigarettes.
"It took us nearly five decades to understand the harmful effects of cigarette smoke and we do not yet know the long-term impact of the use of electronic cigarettes." These devices that heat solid tobacco are relatively new and will take decades to fully understand their effects on human health.
"What we do know is that the damage done to these two types of lung cells can destroy lung tissue, resulting in life-threatening diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and pneumonia, and can increase the risk of developing asthma.These devices are a safer option. "
Dr. Sharma hopes his findings will stimulate more research on heated tobacco devices. He plans to continue this work by studying the effects of nicotine devices on more sophisticated models of lung tissue and in mice.
Professor Charlotta Pisinger is Chairman of the Tobacco Control Committee of the European Society of Pneumology and did not participate in the research. She said: "These new heated tobacco devices are marketed as producing 95% lower levels of toxic compounds because the tobacco is heated and not burned, but the first independent studies have shown that the combustion takes place and that Toxic and carcinogenic compounds were released, A review of data from the tobacco industry regarding these devices showed that in the rat, there were signs of inflammation of the lungs and nothing indicated an improvement in Inflammation of the lungs and work in smokers who switch to heated tobacco.
"The introduction and vigorous marketing of new devices are very tempting for smokers who want to quit smoking and mistakenly believe that they can switch to another safe tobacco product." This also opens up another path to attract young people to addiction to nicotine, a study adds to the evidence that these new devices are not the safe substitute for cigarettes, they are promoted. "
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