A NEW expert consensus report by international researchers has concluded that nicotine is toxic for the heart and blood vessels, regardless of whether it is consumed via a vape, pouch, shisha or cigarette.
The team looked at every existing study investigating harms of all nicotine products, representing the first attempt to consider the drug's effects beyond just smoking.
Among the key findings were that nicotine is a potent cardiovascular toxin that causes damage to the heart and blood vessels and high blood pressure, regardless of the delivery system, with no nicotine-containing product being a safe option in terms of heart health.
The researchers also determined that passive exposure to smoke, vape and heated tobacco emissions causes vascular harm.
A dramatic rise in the use of vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches was reported, particularly among adolescents and young adults, and three-quarters of young adult vapers had never smoked before
The team cautioned that vapes and pouches are not effective cessation tools, but rather an entry point to smoking and often lead to use alongside cigarettes.
Urgent action is needed to curb the growing number of adolescents and young people becoming addicted to nicotine, the authors said, with a ban on flavours and social media and influencer advertising, and effective taxation and regulation across all nicotine products.
"This paper is a wake-up call for regulators," said co-author Professor Thomas Luscher from Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, London, UK.
"The shift from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and flavoured pouches is not effective harm reduction; it is rather a transformation of addiction strategies," he continued.
"The science is clear: the cardiovascular toxicity of nicotine is evidence-based by now.
"The duty now lies with legislators to protect the public, especially children, from a new epidemic of addiction and disease," Professor Luscher concluded.
Read the report HERE. KB
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