August 16, 2023 – Teens who use e-cigarettes are twice as prone to report lung problems reminiscent of wheezing, shortness of breath or bronchitis as teens who don’t use these devices, in line with a brand new study.
E-cigarettes are known to contain flavors and chemical compounds that may damage the lungs. An estimated 14% of U.S. youth use them. The study involved teams from Ohio State University, the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“This study adds to emerging evidence from human and toxicological studies demonstrating that e-cigarettes cause respiratory symptoms that should be considered when regulating e-cigarettes,” the researchers concluded.
In 2019, the federal government raised the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.
The latest study was published this week within the journal thorax. Once a yr in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, participants within the study accomplished a questionnaire asking about e-cigarette and marijuana use previously 30 days and respiratory symptoms. The 2014 questionnaire was accomplished by nearly 2,100 people in 11th and 12th classes, whose average age was 17. Each yr, between 1,600 and 1,500 of the individuals who participated within the study accomplished follow-up questionnaires.
The questionnaire asked in regards to the following symptoms: wheezing, signs of bronchitis, and shortness of breath. Wheezing was defined as wheezing or whistling within the chest previously 12 months. Bronchitis was defined as coughing day by day previously 3 months, or a diagnosis of bronchitis previously 12 months, or congestion or mucus production not related to a chilly. Shortness of breath was considered a condition if someone reported experiencing shortness of breath when walking briskly on level ground or when walking up a slight hill.
The researchers found that the symptoms were related to e-cigarette use, no matter whether people within the study also reported secondhand smoke exposure, use of other tobacco products, or marijuana.
The study had several limitations, including self-reporting, no measurement of vaping volume, and data issues because not all questions were asked within the 4 annual questionnaires.