E-smokers are on the rise
An e-cigarette is a handheld device equipped with an atomizer, a battery and a solution storage area (see picture). These devices may or may not contain nicotine. It was invented in 2003 and sold around the world, entered the Malaysian market around the mid-2000s, and was widely used in the 2010s.
A 2016 study showed that there are an estimated 600,000 e-cigarette users in Malaysia. The 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey in Malaysia reported an increase to 1.1 million.
The writer is an internal medicine specialist working in the cardiology Department of Sardon Hospital
Causing severe lung damage
Vaping is produced by heating liquid, which consists of more than 60 compounds such as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and flavoring agents. Some of these ingredients, such as PG, VG and odorants, can be taken orally, but after heating and inhaling, they will be converted into toxic substances.
In addition, the Vitamin E acetate released by vaping can cause serious lung damage. Many medical reports confirm that e-cigarette use can cause "electronic cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury" (EVALI).
Common EVALI symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. Inhaling vitamin E acetate can cause acute inflammation of the lungs, serious damage, and even death.
Teenagers should be cautious about e-cigarettes
E-cigarette use by children and adolescents is particularly dangerous. In particular, nicotine is highly addictive, and the use of e-cigarettes by young people may reduce the brain development of adolescents.
According to the 2016 Malaysian Youth Tobacco and E-Cigarette Survey (TECMA) report, there are 300,000 e-smokers aged between 10 and 19. In August 2019, law enforcement authorities confiscated nearly 70,000 e-cigarette bottles containing nicotine.
The marketing of e-cigarettes, mainly through the Internet and social media channels, targets young people and promotes inaccurate health benefits and smoking cessation efficacy, which is of concern.
