Using electronic cigarettes and laughing gas will shorten the life expectancy of young people.

Many young people who smoke e-cigarettes and laughing gas have no symptoms on the outside and look like normal people, but when examined with psychological tests, they show signs of depression, personality disorders, even schizophrenia; or have lung ventilation disorders and obstruction like the elderly.

This is the sharing of Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital at the Workshop "Providing information on strengthening the implementation of the National Assembly's Resolution on regulations banning electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products" organized by the Press Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the afternoon of December 1.

According to Dr. Nguyen, in the past few years, the Poison Control Center has received hundreds of emergency patients due to e-cigarette poisoning, including cases of acute poisoning that are life-threatening.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen shares about a case of stroke after using an electronic cigarette in the emergency room at Bach Mai Hospital.

Since the National Assembly issued a resolution banning e-cigarettes, fewer patients have been hospitalized for poisoning from this new type of cigarette, but recent hospitalizations have been severe and very severe.

A typical case is a 17-year-old patient who has been using e-cigarettes since he was 13. At the age of 14, this student switched to smoking cigarettes. When admitted to the hospital, examination showed that the patient's lung function was impaired, obstructed, and impaired like an elderly person, severely damaged by prolonged exposure to nicotine and toxic substances in e-cigarettes.

Another case is a 26-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital on October 12 with tremors, confusion, and disorientation. Tests on the e-cigarette solution the patient used showed it contained synthetic marijuana, a highly toxic substance that causes rapid psychosis.

Notably, on October 7, a 15-year-old patient in Hung Yen was admitted to the emergency room due to severe e-cigarette poisoning. Doctors discovered that the patient had white matter brain damage - a rare and very dangerous injury.

Psychological tests recorded many indicators at alarming levels such as personality disorders, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. The patient's e-cigarette sample detected MDMB-4en-Pinaca and ADB-4en-Pinaca, which are new synthetic drugs belonging to the group of strong psychoactive substances.

Mr. Dang Khac Loi spoke at the conference.

Dr. Nguyen said that many patients on the outside have no obvious symptoms, just like normal people, but when evaluated by psychological tests, they show signs of depression, personality disorders, and even schizophrenia. This is a new, serious consequence that is increasingly common among young people who use electronic cigarettes.

In addition, Dr. Nguyen also warned that recently the Poison Control Center has received many people with poisoning, cervical spinal cord injury, hemiplegia... due to using laughing gas. "The danger is that laughing gas is a bridge for people to use drugs. It is necessary to ban investment, production, trading, transportation, storage and use of laughing gas for entertainment purposes. It is necessary to immediately ban the circulation of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and new cigarettes in Vietnam. These types of businesses need to be included in the list of prohibited investment and business sectors in the amended Investment Law," Dr. Nguyen suggested.

Dr. Nguyen emphasized that laughing gas should not be used for entertainment. According to him, the trend of young people using laughing gas, electronic cigarettes, and stimulants, which are considered to relieve stress and entertain, is causing many people to shorten their own lives. "Do not abuse and use it, it is very dangerous," said Dr. Nguyen.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Dang Khac Loi, Deputy Director of the Press Department, said that on November 30, 2024, at the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15, which stipulates: "The National Assembly unanimously prohibits the production, trading, import, harboring, transporting, and use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, gases, and addictive substances that are harmful to human health from 2025, ensuring public health, social order and safety... This is a strong, timely, and extremely necessary decision to protect public health, especially the young generation.

“We are facing a big challenge when e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are “disguised” under many new, eye-catching, and attractive technological forms, spreading through social networks at a very high speed with a lot of false information such as “less harmful”, “technology products”, “trends for young people”. In that context, the press needs to continue to play a pioneering role, contributing to protecting public health and building a healthy and safe living environment for young people”, Mr. Dang Khac Loi emphasized.

The WHO Representative in Vietnam recommended that the trading of new tobacco products should be included in the list of prohibited investment and business sectors in the amended Investment Law.

At the workshop, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Vietnam - Dr. Angela Pratt said that since the National Assembly voted to pass the ban a year ago, Vietnam has been recognized by the international community for its pioneering role in banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. This is a decision of great significance to public health, especially in protecting the health and future of the younger generation.

To ensure that the National Assembly's ban continues to be effectively implemented, WHO recommends including the trading of new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, in the list of prohibited investment and business sectors in the amended Investment Law; and not allowing any exceptions, including allowing the production of new tobacco products for export.

WHO also believes that allowing the production of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products for export undermines the health and social protection rationale of the ban, while creating inconsistencies in the legal system, creating opportunities for smuggling and leakage of goods into the domestic market, and placing a heavy burden on law enforcement and control.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/y-te/su-dung-thuoc-la-dien-tu-bong-cuoi-se-rut-ngan-tuoi-tho-cua-gioi-tre-i789788/