Experiments on mice exposed to nicotine and electric shocks have shown that animals became more sensitive to stress than their counterparts, who escaped a similar fate. In fact, American scientists conducted experiments for the benefit of humans, warning, especially teenagers, about the dangers of smoking vapes.
Seattle - Farewell to cotton candy, fruit blend and crème brulee flavors! Soon, in the United States, all of those provocative scents that are likely to spur the consumption of electronic cigarettes - vapes - among teenagers will go out of style. Companies that make vape liquids will now be required to comply with FDA requirements released last month: from now on, vaping liquids must only have the taste of tobacco or menthol - other flavors are prohibited.
But e-cigarettes also contain another, equally attractive and addictive substance - nicotine. And scientists set about studying its long-term effects on the developing brain.
On Friday, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which is published in the journal Science, Marina Picciotto, a neuroscientist at Yale University, spoke about some of the results of her research, which had previously been conducted mainly in animals. Since vaping has gained in popularity mainly over the past ten years, Picciotto says, "We have no idea how long-term use of vaping liquids or nicotine in e-cigarettes will affect our health." But clues are already emerging.
Adult smokers are well aware that nicotine is highly addictive. Some vape liquid cans contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. According to Picciotto, nicotine further enhances the attachment to an object or phenomenon. For adolescents, the love of smoking electronic cigarettes can be determined by the aroma of vapes - thanks to these associations, nicotine becomes even more pleasant and desirable for a person. “Nicotine enhances the joy of smelling or other stimuli that give pleasure,” Picciotto says. In other words, for a teenager, these stimuli can be music or sexual experiences - all of which strengthen the connection between nicotine and pleasure.
To date, Picciotto has investigated the effects of long-term nicotine exposure on brain development in mice. This work showed that young individuals exposed to nicotine underwent structural changes in their brain cells, as a result of which their brains also changed the way they transmit information. Mice exposed to nicotine were found to be more sensitive to stress and responded to very mild stimuli that other mice did not bother. For example, mice that received a weak electric shock to one of the limbs showed a response, while individuals not familiar with nicotine did not react to it after a weak electric shock. In a study conducted on human volunteers, Picciotto observed something similar: children who were exposed to nicotine in the womb,were more likely to exhibit an excessive emotional response to stress.
According to Picciotto, the findings suggest that adolescents who have been exposed to nicotine may experience structural changes in the brain that negatively affect the behavior of these young people in later life. However, Picciotto said more research is needed to understand the complex relationships between behavioral problems that people face in adulthood and nicotine exposure.
However, nicotine is not the only harmful ingredient found in vape liquids. Most of the 64 e-cigarette-smoking deaths and nearly 3,000 vaping-related hospitalizations recorded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are likely due to custom-made and illicitly distributed vape liquids in which Vitamin E is used. It is made up of fats, and according to Picciotto, fats are known to cause inflammation in the lungs. Subsequently, lung diseases develop, which leads to hospitalization of vape fans. But even commercial liquids contain ingredients such as polyethylene glycol, which Picciotto says shouldn't go to the lungs. “The question of the composition of vape liquids is very important,” says the neuroscientist.
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Picciotto believes that e-cigarette companies are required to provide information on the packaging of the ingredients and their percentage. “The food packages that are sold in supermarkets provide information on all the ingredients,” says Picchiotto. - Why don't we inform you about the substances that make up the vape liquids?
Marina Picciotto also advocates for public health campaigns. Their goal is to disseminate information among the population about the risks associated with smoking electronic cigarettes, including the harmful effects of nicotine addiction on adolescents. True, according to Picciotto, the transition to electronic cigarettes can be beneficial for adult smokers. At the same time, fans of e-cigarettes - especially teenagers - should not think that "they are breathing only harmless vapor."
Sarah Allen