The Long-Term Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes (Vaping) Remain Largely Unknown.
E-cigarettes damage DNA like traditional cigarettes.
Recently, Ahmad Besaratinia, a Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, who is the author of the study, stated: “We found that the longer individuals use e-cigarettes, the more DNA damage occurs in oral cells.”
The research team tested 72 healthy adults, divided into three groups: those who had never smoked, traditional cigarette smokers, and a group that vapes or has a history of smoking.
The results showed that vapers had significantly higher DNA damage, approximately 2.2 to 2.6 times more than non-smokers. Specifically, those using flavored e-liquids with sugar had the highest levels of DNA impact, followed by mint-flavored and fruit-flavored e-liquids.
Currently, the research team plans to retest these findings in a larger participant group and investigate the biological effects of DNA damage.
E-cigarettes are one of the popular products among youth worldwide, including in Vietnam.
According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by the World Health Organization, in 2022, the survey among students aged 13 to 15 in Vietnam indicated that the rate of e-cigarette usage was 7.8%, with 3.5% currently using it, an increase of 2.7% compared to 2014.
This study was published in the journal Nicotine Tobacco Research on February 14.
