Puff the magic dragon – e cigarette

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Msc

Concept :

On World No Tobacco Day, when countries are pressed into performing, the Union Ministry of Health has directed OTT platforms to run anti-tobacco health spots and warnings, notifying the amended rules under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2004.
However, e-cigarettes, or vaporisers, or vapes that contain nicotine, a tobacco extract, do not fall under the rule.

E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “vapes,” “e-hookahs,” “vape pens,” and “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).”
Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items.
Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called “vaping.”
Potential Benefits: E-cigarettes have often been suggested as a potential means to help smokers quit.

What are the harmful effects?

E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, and pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products.
In 2016, the U.S. Surgeon General had concluded that “e-cigarette use among youths and young adults is a public health concern; exposure to nicotine during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain.”
Study of 2018: It found the use of e-cigarette daily was associated with a 79% increase in heart attack risk after other variables were taken into account.
the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): According to a white paper on e-cigarettes by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), depending on the battery output voltage used, nicotine solvents can release in varying amounts potential carcinogens such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and acetone.
The liquid-vaporizing solutions also contain “toxic chemicals and metals that can cause several adverse health effects including cancers and diseases of the heart, lungs and brain”.
Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused fires and explosions, some of which have resulted in serious injuries. Most explosions happened when the e-cigarette batteries were being charged.

What is in e-cigarette aerosol?

The e-cigarette aerosol that users breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including:
Nicotine
Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs Flavouring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
Volatile organic compounds
Cancer-causing chemicals
Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead

What is Nicotine?

Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical compound present in a tobacco plant.
All tobacco products contain nicotine, including cigarettes, non-combusted cigarettes (commonly referred to as “heat-not-burn tobacco products” or “heated tobacco products”), cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookah tobacco, and most e-cigarettes.
Nicotine chemical symbol over a woman holding her head
Using any tobacco product can lead to nicotine addiction. This is because nicotine can change the way the brain works, causing cravings for more of it.