Smoking and Vaping

 Smoking and Vaping

The smoke from the tobacco in conventional cigarettes and the vapor produced by electronic cigarettes both contain thousands of chemicals, of which many are hazardous to our health.

The link between smoking and disease, particularly lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, is well understood. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

E-cigarettes initially resembled traditional cigarettes and were introduced as a smoking cessation tool for people who smoked cigarettes made with tobacco. Their appearance and use has changed over the past two decades. Under an umbrella term of “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),” products referred to here as e-cigarettes may also be called vapes, vaporizers, vape pens, hookah pens, e-cigs, e-cigars, and e-pipes.

The 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that more than 2 million middle and high school kids used e-cigarettes, and most used a flavored product. There is public health concern about the popularity of e-cigarette products, especially the flavored variety with kids.

Cigarettes

Over the decades, NIEHS researchers have identified many ways that cigarette smoke negatively affects health. Some findings follow.

Asthma. Cigarette smoke contains formaldehyde, lead, tar, nicotine, and other chemicals, many of which act as irritants and worsen symptoms in people with asthma and allergies. Studies have found that smoking decreases the effectiveness of inhalers used to treat asthma. 1

Autoimmune diseases are caused by the body’s immune system attacking healthy cells. Studies have shown cigarette smoke to be a risk factor in the development of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects joints. 2

Male fertility. NIEHS-funded researchers discovered cigarette smoking is linked to sperm abnormalities that may limit men’s fertility. They found smokers had lower sperm volume and total sperm count. 3

Maternal smoking and children. Studies have shown that there is no safe level or safe trimester for maternal smoking during pregnancy. 4 Maternal smoking has also been associated with childhood obesity and preterm birth. 5

E-Cigarettes

A Short History of E-Cigarettes  :

related to COVID-19. 11 A study of college students showed that dual use of nicotine products — e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes together — increased COVID-19-related risks. 12

Toxic metal exposure, from tobacco smoke and elsewhere, may also be considered a potential risk factor for COVID-19 severity. 13

Smoking status and intensity of smoking were associated with hospitalizations and ICU admission in patients with COVID-19. 14 Smokers with COVID-19 are more likely to require ventilation, have a major cardiovascular event, or to die, regardless of their sociodemographic or medical history. 15 Men who smoke are more likely to die from COVID-19 than women. 16