- Details
- Hits: 1764
(And worse still, Our Kids Are Getting Hooked On This Failed Harm Reduction Vehicle)
The use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation method did not significantly prevent relapse or successful termination, according to survey findings published in Tobacco Control.
“This is the first survey in which e-cigarettes were less popular as a smoking cessation aid than FDA-approved pharmaceutical aids,” John P. Pierce, PhD, a distinguished professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, said in a press release. “Not only were e-cigarettes not as popular, but they were associated with less successful quitting.”
The results further showed that e-cigarettes were associated with lower abstinence rates at 12 or more months compared with pharmaceutical aids (adjusted risk difference [aRD] = 7.3%; 95% CI, 14.4 to –0.4) or any other method (aRD = 7.7%; 95% CI, 12.2 to –3.2), according to Pierce and colleagues.
Although the finding was insignificant, the researchers also noted that respondents who switched to e-cigarettes appeared to have a higher relapse rate than those who did not switch to e-cigarettes or other tobacco products. By 2019, nearly 60% of recent former smokers who used e-cigarettes daily had resumed cigarette smoking.
Also see Vaping Info Sheet
- Details
- Hits: 1509
Vaping
can be tough on the lungs, but new research warns of another possible danger to men: It may more than double the risk for erectile dysfunction.
After tracking erectile dysfunction (ED) risk among nearly 25,000 men aged 20 and older, investigators found that even vapers with no history of heart disease or other health issues typically associated with impotence saw their risk shoot up more than twofold.
The finding suggests that while electronic cigarettes may offer some users a helpful pathway towards kicking a cigarette habit, there are potential downsides.
"Any tobacco or nicotine product is not risk-free, especially for those who are thinking of starting to use it," cautioned lead study author Dr. Omar El Shahawy. He's an assistant professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine.
For example, "there is abundant evidence that consistent exposure to high nicotine levels [in traditional tobacco products] can impair normal erectile function," El Shahawy noted. "[And] some e-cigarettes have very high nicotine concentrations, especially when using newer generation e-cigarettes that have high nicotine delivery. This made us examine the possible relationship between using e-cigarettes and erectile dysfunction."
- Details
- Hits: 1800
Ketamine and Staying Away From the ‘K-Hole’
Ketamine is a medication that doctors use as an anesthetic to induce loss of consciousness. Effects include sedation and reduced sensation of pain.
Street names of ketamine include:
- Cat tranquilizer
- Jet K
- Cat valium
- Purple
- Kit Kat
- Special La Coke
- Super K
- Special K
- Super acid
- Vitamin K
Summary: Ketamine is a general anesthetic that doctors find useful in emergency room settings when performing proceduresTrusted Source, such as reducing fractures and treating joint dislocations.
Some studies suggest the drug may have other medical uses, but more research is necessary to prove its safety and effectiveness in these areas.
It is important to distinguish between the valid medical uses and the nonmedical uses of the drug. Although people with certain heart conditions should not take ketamine, it is generally safe when a trained professional administers it in clinical settings.
In contrast, no recreational use of the drug is safe, as it can cause addiction and adverse health effects that can lead to death.
(For more Ketamine: (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Details
- Hits: 1647
VAPE-MANIA! How a disturbing new trend has emerged at Schoolies this year - and teenagers have NO idea how dangerous it really is…
- Worrying vape trend at Schoolies highlights Australia's obsession with vaping
- Vaping has exploded in popularity, particularly among young Australians, despite the health risks
- The disposable devices can be bought for as little as $20 at most convenience stores despite a national 'ban'
Disposable e-cigarettes appear marketed at young people often contain extremely harmful chemicals including nicotine (stock image of vapes not included in the study).for more https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10278349/Schoolies-trend-thats-worrying-parents-doctors.html
- Details
- Hits: 1622
(Vaping linked to dysregulation of mitochondrial genes and immune response genes)
Nov 24 2021
Since they hit the market, e-cigarettes have been touted as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes for adult smokers. When research began to suggest otherwise, many questioned whether smoking was still to blame for adverse effects, since most vapers are either "dual users" who also smoke cigarettes or have a prior history of smoking.
Now, a team of researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has demonstrated that - independent of the effects of prior smoking – using e-cigarettes is linked to adverse biological changes that can cause disease. The study, published in Scientific Reports, revealed that vapers experience a similar pattern of changes to gene regulation as smokers do, although the changes are more extensive in people who smoke.
Our study, for the first time, investigates the biological effects of vaping in adult e-cigarette users, while simultaneously accounting for their past smoking exposure. Our data indicate that vaping, much like smoking, is associated with dysregulation of mitochondrial genes and disruption of molecular pathways involved in immunity and the inflammatory response, which govern health versus disease state."
Ahmad Besaratinia, PhD, corresponding author and professor of research population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine
"We found that more than 80% of gene dysregulation in vapers correlated with the intensity and duration of current vaping," said Besaratinia. "Whereas none of the detected gene dysregulation in vapers correlated to their prior smoking intensity or duration."
Effects of vaping mirror those of smoking
In previous research, Besaratinia and his team have shown that e-cigarette users develop some of the same cancer-related molecular changes in oral tissue as cigarette smokers. They also discovered vapers had the same kind of cancer-linked chemical changes to their genome as smokers.
In this study, they found that, in both vapers and smokers, mitochondrial genes are preferential targets of gene dysregulation. They also found that vapers and smokers had significant dysregulation of immune response genes.
Besaratinia says the findings are not only novel and significant, but they are also interrelated, since growing evidence shows that mitochondria play a critical role in immunity and inflammation.
"When mitochondria become dysfunctional, they release key molecules," said Besaratinia. "The released molecules can function as signals for the immune system, triggering an immune response that leads to inflammation, which is not only important for maintaining health but also plays a critical role in the development of various diseases, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer."
"Given the popularity of e-cigarettes among young never-smokers, our findings will be of importance to the regulatory agencies," said Besaratinia. "To protect public health, these agencies are in urgent need of scientific evidence to inform the regulation of the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of e-cigarettes."