Teens who use E-Cigs more likely to start smoking, says study

Teenagers are more likely to begin smoking after trying e-cigarettes, according to new research published in the journal Tobacco Control.
 
The research shows that school pupils who had previously used an e-cigarette device were then approximately 3 times more likely to start smoking cigarettes around year later, compared with those who had never used e-cigarettes.

The use of e-cigarettes in teens is rising; increasing from 5% in 2013 to 8% in 2014. Some studies have concluded that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than smoking widespread concerns that they are simply acting as a ‘gateway’ to smoking regular tobacco-based cigarettes. This is in spite of the fact it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s in the UK.

A team of experts based at the University of Hawaii monitored 2,338 high school students, a year apart, quizzing them regarding their experiences of either smoking tobacco or ‘vaping’ with electronic devices; if they used them, and if so, how frequently.

Just under a third (31%) of the students had admitted to using e-cigarettes when they were first surveyed in 2013 at the age of 14 or 15, the study found.

After the researchers had questioned the children a year later, this percentage had risen to 38. Overall, 15% of the students had smoked at least 1 cigarette in 2013, increasing to 21% by the following year.

However, it was discovered that whoever had used e-cigarettes in 2013 were actually thrice as likely to times more likely to have smoked tobacco the following year. This finding was still true, even after researchers accounted for factors such as students’ home environment and parental education, according to the authors.

The researchers also found that those that had reported to having the larger frequency of vaping in the first year were likely to regularly smoke later on, which could mean that many students who tried smoking in the study were just experimenting.

The authors of the study wrote: “We followed a sample of high school students over a one-year interval and found that among initial non-smokers, those who used e-cigarettes were more likely to initiate cigarette smoking.

“This suggests that e-cigarette use in adolescence has behavioural costs.

“These findings should be considered for policy discussions about the availability of e-cigarettes to adolescents.”

Those involved in creating the analysis state the study is merely statistical, and no definitive reasons can be pinpointed as to why some of the children had begun to smoke.

The study had also not taken into account other factors, such as parents’ smoking habits or attitudes to smoking.

E-cigarettes are used by around 1.3 million people in the UK, intended to resemble a traditional cigarette. Liquid nicotine is converted into a mist, or vapour, that the user inhales – simulating the process of smoking. As the devices emit a smoke-like water vapour, this has led to the term ‘vaping’ being commonly referred to for their use.

Smoking rates have dropped, but there are huge concerns that the e-cigarettes could be helping to encourage youngsters to begin smoking who previously never had, critics arguing they are a gateway to nicotine addiction and there needs to be further research into the impact on our health.

Exploding e-cigarettes putting lives at risk

The safety of electronic cigarettes has been plunged into further doubt after an electronic cigarette user almost had his legs blown off due to one of the devices ‘exploding like a grenade’.

Medics that initially treated 48-year-old David Aspinall from Wigan, thought he had been the unfortunate victim of a gun attack when they first saw his gruesome, serve injuries.

Mr Aspinall’s life was almost destroyed by the exploding e-cigarette as his home quickly set ablaze and he then had to spend 9 days in hospital recovering from the traumatic ordeal.

He was in the middle of using the device when it overheated and exploded, resulting in shards of metal ripping into his limbs and his home being set on fire.

Speaking to The Sun, Mr Aspinall, who now faces up to three years of skin grafts to recover, said: “It glowed and burned in my hand. I dropped it and it exploded. There was lots of blood, a huge hole in one leg and a gash in the other. It could have blown my head off. The surgeon said it was like someone had used a gun.”

Even though ex-decorator Mr Aspinall had suffering shocking injuries and lost a litre of blood in the process, he managed to reach his neighbour, who likened the scene to that in a horror film.

Mr Aspinall has now reverted to conventional cigarettes, arguing – maybe questionably – that they are the safer option: He added: “I’m back on ciggies. It’s safest”, and is now proceeding to sue the maker of the Mutant Clone e-cigarette for compensation. The shop who sold him the device has blamed faulty batteries for the disaster.

This is not the first time an electronic cigarette has exploded however, and questions will now be raised about the safety of them.

. In August of this year, David Thomson, 62, died at home in Wallasey, Merseyside, after an e-cigarette he had left to charge then exploded and ignited oxygen equipment in the same room.

. In April of this year, pensioner Jen Booth was on a ward at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, when an e-cigarette ignited her oxygen supply and engulfed her in flames. The 65-year-old suffered serious burns.

. In the same month Jen Booth suffered burns, a woman in Barking, East London required hospital treatment due to smoke inhalation and shock after her flat was set alight – all because of an e-cigarette being used with an incompatible charger.

. Also in April, CCTV managed to capture the moment an e-cigarette exploded into flames at the Buck Inn Hotel in Richmond, South-West London. Pub worker Laura Baty, 18, was fortunate to escape severe injury.

It is perhaps for these reasons for many are calling for much tighter regulations on the sale of e-cigarettes. With Stoptober still having almost a fortnight to run, it could be wise for smokers to try and quit smoking for good with smoking cessation treatment, such as Pfizer’s Champix. This can mimic the effect of nicotine on the body, reduce the urge to smoke, and even lessen the enjoyment of cigarettes if you do give-in to willpower and smoke whilst on the treatment. It is available today from Medical Specialists® Pharmacy from the drastically lowered price of as little as £27.48* per pack
(*based on a private prescription price).

Cancer patients could be more nicotine dependent with e-cigarettes

A new study into e-cigarettes has put further fuel onto the fire about just how useful a tool they are in helping smokers successfully quit smoking, after researchers found cancer patients who used c-cigs to try and stop smoking actually ended up more addicted to nicotine.

The findings have been published online by the journal Cancer, and will undoubtedly spark further doubts regarding the devices  that have come under scrutiny from the World Health Organisation in recent years, who want tighter regulations on them and a banning of them being used indoors.

The new study was conducted by researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City, who assessed 1,074 cancer patients who were smokers and that had signed up to stop smoking schemes at cancer centre’s between 2012 and 2013.

The researchers discovered a three-fold rise in e-cigarette use from 2012 to 2013 – increasing from 10.6% to 38.5%.

When the patients’ enrolled into the smoking programme, the researchers determined that those also using e-cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine compared to those not using them, had tried to quit smoking on more occasions, and had a higher risk of developing cancer of the lungs, head, or neck.

During a follow-up assessment, it was found that seven-day abstinence rates were comparable with both e-cigarette users and non-users. Researchers found rates of 44.4% for e-cigarette users and 43.1% for non-users. By the time the study came to a conclusion, those using e-cigarettes were just as likely as non-users to be smoking regular cigarettes.

Dr Jamie Ostroff, lead researcher said: “Consistent with recent observations of increased e-cigarette use in the general population, our findings illustrate that e-cigarette use among tobacco-dependent cancer patients has increased within the past two years.”

She admitted further studies would be needed due to limitations with this one, saying: “Controlled research is needed to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of e-cigarettes as a potential cessation approach for cancer patients. In the meantime, oncologists should advise all smokers to quit smoking traditional combustible cigarettes, encourage use of FDA-approved cessation medications, refer patients for smoking cessation counselling, and provide education about the potential risks and lack of known benefits of long-term e-cigarette use.”

One such smoking cessation treatment is Pfizer’s highly popular Champix, of which Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have been inundated with requests for recently in the run up to Stoptober on 1 October.

Stoptober is an annual campaign run by Public Health England, which challenges all smokers to abstain for 28 days. The idea for 28 days of no smoking is that it is believed smokers are 5 times more likely to stop smoking if they can last the duration of the challenge. Keep checking the Medical Specialists® website for more information about Stoptober in the run up to it, including more to get involved and support available for smokers looking to quit.

Under-18s to be banned from buying e-cigarettes

The government has announced it is pressing ahead with plans to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18.

E-cigarettes are used by around 1.3 million people in the UK, intended to resemble a traditional cigarette. Liquid nicotine is converted into a mist, or vapour, that the user inhales – simulating the process of smoking. As the devices emit a smoke-like water vapour, this has led to the term ‘vaping’ being commonly referred to for their use.

Smoking rates have dropped, but there are huge concerns that the e-cigarettes could be helping to encourage youngsters to begin smoking who previously never had, critics arguing they are a gateway to nicotine addiction and there needs to be further research into the impact on our health.

“We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk- free,” England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies commented in a statement.

She continued: “E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings, varies between products – meaning they could be extremely damaging to young people’s health.”

The fact remains though that they have become so popular that some are under the belief the market for e-cigarettes could grow bigger than that for traditional cigarettes. Last year mark consultant Euromonitor estimated the global market for e-cigarettes to be worth over $2 billion (£1.2 billion).

The banning of the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s will be introduced as early as next week as an amendment to the Children and Families Bill. In a further crackdown on smoking, ministers are also formulating plans to stop adults purchasing regular cigarettes for under-18s.

Any adults found guilty of disobeying this particular law may be hit with a £50 fixed penalty notice or could be fined up to an amount of £2,500.

The laws follow Department of Health statistics showing 41% of 15-year-olds who smoke admit to acquiring their cigarettes from others instead of trying to purchase them from a shop.

Furthermore, an incredible 95% of 11 – 15-year-olds who smoke say someone else has bought cigarettes for them from a shop in the previous year.

Public Health Minister and Conservative MP Jane Ellison said: “Two thirds of smokers say they smoked regularly before they were 18, showing that this is an addiction largely taken up in childhood. We must do all we can to help children lead a healthy life. That’s why this measure is designed to help protect children from the dangers of being bought cigarettes by irresponsible adults – something that I hope concerned parents and responsible retailers will welcome.”

It seems completely quitting smoking altogether and not just reverting to e-cigarettes would be the safest option for smokers. Fortunately, Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix, which mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.

E-cigarettes described as life-savers – but how safe are they?

Scientists say that if all the smokers around the world converted to using e-cigarettes instead of smoking regular tobacco cigarettes, millions of deaths could be avoided.

According to public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), smoking is responsible for the deaths of around 100,000 each year just in the UK alone. Globally, 600,000 lives are lost due to secondhand smoke exposure alone.

ASH also say that an estimated 80% of deaths from lung cancer can be attributed to smoking, in addition to 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema, and around 17% of deaths from heart disease can be put down to smoking.

The pros and cons of e-cigarettes were the source of discussion on Tuesday as 250 scientists, experts, policymakers and industry figures all convened for the E-Cigarette Summit at the Royal Society in London.

In the UK there are currently about 700,000 people using e-cigarettes. There are those who combine ‘vaping’, as it is usually referred to, with regular tobacco-based cigarettes, whereas others quit smoking regular cigarettes and simply use e-cigarettes.

A battery-operated e-cigarette works by vaporising a liquid solution containing nicotine. Regular cigarettes are comprised of thousands of toxic chemicals that are linked to a wide number of health problems such as many types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Despite still containing nicotine – albeit a much lesser amount – e-cigarettes are considered substantially safer than regular cigarettes.
“Cigarettes are killing 5.4-million people per year in the world,” said health psychology professor and Cancer Research UK director of tobacco studies Robert West as he spoke to delegates.

Professor West said millions of lives could be saved each year if smokers switched to e-cigarettes and added: “The big question, and why we’re here, is whether that goal can be realized and how best to do it…and what kind of cultural, regulatory environment can be put in place to make sure that’s achieved. I think it can be achieved but that’s a hope, a promise, not a reality.”

He also commented how e-cigarettes were involved in nearly a third of all attempts to quit smoking. They are between 95% and 99% safer than regular cigarettes, yet some countries still insist on banning them. Whether or not regulation involving medicinal rules should be introduced was a hot topic for debate among the delegates, of which some voiced concerns about e-cigarettes becoming a gateway for people who have not previously smoked.

Added to the fears about e-cigarettes, is just how safe they are without necessary regulations in place. Some poorly-manufactured e-cigarettes have been reported to overheat and even combust.

ASH CE Deborah Arnott acknowledged the benefits of them for public health, but stressed there is still a certain lack of understanding about their long-term effects. She also said that perhaps worryingly, tobacco companies are buying out the major e-cigarette manufacturers.

She commented: “ASH thinks that e-cigarettes have significant potential. They are a lot less harmful than smoking. Clearly smokers find them attractive, primarily as a way of quitting and moving away from smoking, which they know will kill them. I think the jury’s out and these products need regulating because there’s a real concern that their safety and effectiveness is not guaranteed without regulation.”

Arnott added: “The tobacco companies are moving in. For them it’s potentially a ‘Kodak moment’ because if everyone moved to e-cigarettes, they’d lose their market, so they’ve got to be in there. A lot of the bigger e-cigarette companies have already been bought up. If there are carcinogens in there, you won’t see an immediate effect but 10, 15, 20 years down the line, people will be dying from that. The development of e-cigarettes is definitely running ahead of the science.”

E-cigarettes found to contain dangerous chemicals

Electronic cigarettes are not the harmless devices their manufacturers would have you believe and are “potentially carcinogenic” according to a French consumer advocacy group, who say that some are even as harmful as normal tobacco.

The report, published by monthly magazine 60 Millions Consommateurs (60 Million Consumers), details the findings of the National Consumers’ Institute who utilised a new and intelligent method to analyse 10 separate reusable and disposable e-cigarette models.

Their analysis follows the French government unveiling plans back in May this year to prohibit electronic cigarettes from public places in France, which may cause some degree of upset to the estimated one million smokers of the devices in the country.

According to the National Consumers’ Institute, the tests showed that three out of 10 e-cigarettes contained a similar quantity of formaldehyde as regular cigarettes, in addition to other hazardous chemicals such as acrolein, chrome, nickel and propylene glycol – which can cause various respiratory and immune deficiency problems.

Thomas Laurenceau, editor of the National Consumer Insitute magazine, wrote: “We detected a significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules in the vapour of these cigarettes which have thus far gone undetected. In three models out of ten the levels of the carcinogenic compound formaldehyde come close to those of a conventional cigarette. The highly toxic molecule acrolein was also detected in the vapours of e-cigarettes, sometimes at levels even higher than in traditional cigarettes.”

However, the report was also scathing in its assessment of certain models not having safety caps as the nicotine levels within the liquid of an electronic cigarette may prove lethal if ingested by children.
Mr Laurenceau continued: “It’s not a reason to ban them, but a good reason to control them.”

Just five months ago during an interview with a radio station, French health expert Professor Bertrand Dauzenberg spoke of his belief that e-cigarettes were counter-productive and having the opposite affect that they were meant for, commenting: “These electronic cigarettes could also lead children to start smoking and sale should be banned to minors. However for heavy smokers, I believe these will reduce the health risks, but the best way to quit smoking is the patch or chewing gum.”

The furore in France follows similar apprehensions regarding the safety of e-cigarettes in the UK, following the announcement in June that from 2016 The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will regulate e-cigarettes as medicines when new European-wide tobacco laws are due to be introduced.

This means electronic cigarette manufacturers will face much stricter regulations than previously, being forced to adhere to strict safety standards or risk a ban on the sale of their products. Part of the concern is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive and can lead to heart problems.

Perhaps quitting smoking, and not just reverting to e-cigarettes, is the recommended path to take for smokers. It is clear that many e-cigarettes and all regular cigarettes can cause a varying degree of health problems. Fortunately, Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix, which mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.

Crackdown on e-cigarettes: Stricter regulations announced

In three years’ time The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will begin to regulate e-cigarettes as medicines when new European-wide tobacco laws are due to be introduced.

The MHRA have confirmed from 2016, cigarette manufacturers will face much stricter regulations than previously, being forced to adhere to strict safety standards or risk their products being banned.
E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive and may even cause heart problems.

However, there are no harmful chemicals that are contained in regular tobacco cigarettes such as carbon dioxide and tar. The decision, announced yesterday by the MHRA, will cover all products currently on the market that contain nicotine.

Along with smoking cessation medication such as Pfizer’s Champix, e-cigarettes have increased in popularity over recent years and there are an estimated 1.3million users just in the UK alone. The battery-powered devices are designed to resemble a real cigarette, but do not require any match or flame to be smoked.

Liquid nicotine is converted into a mist, or vapour, that the user inhales – simulating the process of smoking. As the devices emit a smoke-like water vapour, this has led to the term ‘vaping’ being commonly referred to for their use.

E-cigarettes that are deemed fit for purpose and pass the new safety standards will then be available to obtain on prescription from the NHS as an aid for stopping smoking.

From 2016, smokers eager to quit will still be able to get their e-cigarettes over the counter in supermarkets and newsagents, however manufacturers will now have to apply for a licence beforehand and will be prohibited at advertising any products judged to be targeted at under-16s.
Currently there are chocolate and bubble-gum-flavoured products being sold, but by 2016 it is unlikely these would be licensed. Some argue those particular flavoured-products are merely a ‘gateway to smoking’ for youngsters, and risk helping them to smart smoking when otherwise they wouldn’t.

The debate regarding the pros and cons of e-cigarettes is one that will not go away anytime soon. Previously, health experts have voiced their opinions that millions of lives could be saved if smokers switched to e-cigarettes.

However, unlike regular cigarettes due to the smoking ban, the electronic devices are permitted to be smoked in public places such as bars, restaurants and public transport. There are those who believe this is ‘normalising’ something which is now generally viewed as unacceptable.

Speaking yesterday after the news was announced of the proposed regulations, Jeremy Mean, group manager of vigilance and risk management of medicines at the MHRA, said: “Reducing the harms of smoking to smokers and those around them is a key government health priority. Our research has shown that existing electronic cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products on the market are not good enough to meet this public health priority. Some NCPs (nicotine-containing products) are already licensed and the government’s decision to work towards medicines licensing for all these products is designed to deliver quality products that will support smokers to cut down and to quit. The decision announced today provides a framework that will enable good quality products to be widely available. It’s not about banning products that some people find useful, it’s about making sure that smokers have an effective alternative that they can rely on to meet their needs.”

Whether people can completely rely on e-cigarettes though remains to be seen. In the past experts have stated that users of the products cannot be guarantee of the purity of the nicotine contained inside them and MHRA research has discovered that amounts of nicotine can be ‘considerably different’ from the level printed on the label, casting doubt on exactly how useful the products are to those who are trying to cut down or stop smoking, a MHRA spokesman said.

The previously mentioned smoking cessation medication Champix is a drug which contains no nicotine and works by stimulating the nicotine receptors in the brain, thereby reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms you may experience when stopping smoking. In addition, Champix can also reduce the enjoyment of cigarettes if you do smoke when on the treatment. Champix is available today from Medically Specialists Pharmacy from as little as just £75.00 per pack, a small price to protect your long-term health.

Are electronic cigarettes safe?

Lately,  more and more people are turning to electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) to help with smoking cessation. In fact in the UK around 650,000 smokers are thought to be using the inhalers, which look like pens or cigarettes, to help kick the habit.

That number is expected to top 1 million this year with the industry worth £150m in the UK and $520m in theUS. Clearly this is an industry on the rise, but are E-cigarettes truly safe as they claim and has enough research been conducted to confirm this?

One of the main concerns is over the lack of regulation. At present the devices, which are all imported fromChina, do not have to undergo any safety checks before being put on sale in the high street.

Health Ministers Simon Burns expressed his concern about the E- cigarettes when he said: “The available data suggests that there can be great variability in the content of electronic cigarettes, both in the amount of nicotine present and also in relation to other potentially toxic substances.”
“Some electronic cigarettes have been tested by local authority trading standards departments and have been found to pose a potential danger to consumers.”

In fact certain brands have been found to contain high levels of poisonous chemicals including tobacco specific nitrosamines, a substance given off by nicotine which has been shown to cause cancer in rats, Diethylene glycol, a poisonous chemical which is fatal in exceptionally high doses and then there is the fact that the actual nicotine itself has been found in very high levels in some brands.
With all this evidence in mind the Government’s Drugs Watchdog, the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), will make a decision next spring on whether to introduce stricter checks.

Tellingly a New York State Assembly has voted overwhelmingly 125-0 to ban E-cigarettes and they have already been banned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico and New Zealand. In other countries such as Finland, Malaysia and Singapore, they are under restriction and such rulings are pending in other countries.

Despite all of this, the Government’s Drugs Watchdog the (MHRA) does not want to ban electronic cigarettes completely as it could lead people to go back to ordinary cigarettes. This is a view echoed by Deborah Arnott, spokesman for the charity Action on smoking and health: “We certainly wouldn’t want smokers to think it’s better to go back to using cigarettes rather than E-cigarettes. We just want to see them properly regulated, presently they are made in China but they are not properly regulated on how much nicotine they contain or on their safety quality.”

E-cigarettes are part of a long line of drugs used to help people kick the habit. Before E-cigarettes there was nicotine gum and patches which had limited success but more recently in 2007 a new drug was released called Champix, a drug which contains no nicotine and works by stimulating the nicotine receptors in the brain and thus relieves the craving and withdrawal symptoms you can get when you stop smoking.