Electronic cigarettes can cause DNA damage

It leads to chronic inflammation in lung cells, DNA damage, and lung cancer.

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Electronic cigarettes can cause DNA damage

Pointing out that the aerosol in e-cigarettes, which turns into primary carcinogenic compounds due to high heat, penetrates to the deepest air sacs when inhaled into the lungs, Assistant Professor Mustafa Kemal Gül said, “This leads to chronic inflammation in lung cells, DNA damage, and lung cancer. Unfortunately, some e-cigarettes also contain substances such as cannabis and marijuana.”

VM Medical Park Samsun Hospital Medical Oncology Specialist Assistant Professor Mustafa Kemal Gül provided information about the harms of electronic cigarettes, which were developed as an option among smoking cessation methods such as nicotine gums and patches.

EVEN YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DO NOT NORMALLY SMOKE ARE BECOMING ADDICTED

Stating that the use of e-cigarettes, which has spread rapidly especially among young people since 2017, has led to the emergence of a new form of nicotine addiction by causing even young people who do not smoke traditional cigarettes to become addicted, Assistant Professor Gül said, “The attractive and alluring designs of e-cigarettes have recently begun to be produced in ways that give an image of status and high class. This has greatly increased the demand for e-cigarettes. The demand for e-cigarettes continues to increase exponentially, especially among high school and university students.”

Emphasizing that the aerosol content of e-cigarettes, which emerged in 2003, turns into more than 500 carcinogenic compounds through a heating-vaporizing incandescent metal coil, Assistant Professor Gül stated that these compounds include 2.5-micron particles, nitrosamines, aldehydes, acrolein, benzene, menthol, vitamin E acetate, heavy metals, arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, and cadmium.

IT CAUSES CHRONIC INFLAMMATION IN THE LUNGS

Emphasizing that the aerosol, which turns into primary carcinogenic compounds due to high heat, penetrates to the deepest air sacs when inhaled into the lungs, Assistant Professor Gül said, “This leads to chronic inflammation in lung cells, DNA damage, and lung cancer. Between 2018 and 2019, more than 2,800 cases of sudden lung injury related to e-cigarette use were reported, and 67 deaths were recorded.”

Stating that the rate of lung cancer and other cancer cases related to e-cigarette use cannot be fully calculated yet because the exposure is still in its early stages, Assistant Professor Gül said, “However, as a result of exposure lasting 10-20 years, e-cigarette use is expected to lead to a significant increase in health problems such as lung cancer. For this reason, our society needs to be regularly informed about e-cigarette use. The public's level of awareness should be raised by conveying the harms of e-cigarettes on platforms such as television programs, news, and social media, and constant awareness should be created that e-cigarettes are a harmful, carcinogenic, and addictive habit just like smoking.”

News Source: İHA