Dear Associate Professor, Dr. Le Khac Bao, currently, in what forms and manifestations are electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products penetrating the young generation of Vietnam?
- The use of new cigarettes and heated tobacco products is increasing significantly among young people. According to statistics, among 13-17 year olds, the rate of new generation cigarette smoking has increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023 (3 times higher). Similarly, the rate of new generation cigarette smoking among 13-15 year olds has increased from 3.5% in 2000 to 8% in 2023.
Along with the increase in the rate of smoking new-generation cigarettes is the appearance and increase of the accompanying harms. In 2023 alone, the number of hospitalizations due to the use of new-generation cigarettes was 1,224 cases. The increase in both the rate of use and the harms shows that this is a real threat. Therefore, the National Assembly , based on clear grounds and arguments, passed Resolution 173/2024 on the ban on the production, trading, import, storage, transportation and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025, to prevent the spread of electronic cigarettes among young people and the community.
The tobacco industry advertises that using e-cigarettes will help you quit smoking traditional cigarettes, which is a misleading message. They have two methods to keep customers using e-cigarettes: psychological addiction and drug addiction.
In terms of pharmacological properties, nicotine in e-cigarettes is a highly addictive and toxic substance. Depending on how it is used, nicotine can be addictive or detoxifying. Instead of sticking and chewing nicotine to reduce addiction, young people inhale nicotine, at which point nicotine will be absorbed directly into the lungs' blood vessels, creating a feeling of excitement in the brain. When it is not available, it will create a craving for nicotine and seek out e-cigarettes. And when there is no e-cigarette, the smoker will seek out cigarettes to smoke, to compensate for the lack of nicotine. E-cigarettes are the "gateway" to traditional cigarette addiction, causing "double" addiction.
What is the mechanism behind the rapid dependence of young people on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, Professor?
- The fast addictive mechanism of e-cigarettes is to make the nervous system familiar with a stimulant called nicotine. This substance makes the brain more active, feeling excited, refreshed, feeling happy... When there is no e-cigarette, the smoker will feel confused and restless. Nicotine in e-cigarettes is like a 'pincer', with it, it is exciting, without it, it is uncomfortable. Therefore, people continue to smoke to achieve a feeling of refreshment. The time of addiction to e-cigarettes is very fast, only 1-2 weeks and the user will be dependent, without it, they will not be able to bear it. Nicotine is a strong addictive substance, no less than heroin.
Besides the dependence, smoking e-cigarettes also poses alarming health risks. There are thousands of different flavors in e-cigarettes. The flavorings in this product, when heated and inhaled, become toxic. They can create carcinogens such as nitrosamines, aldehydes, acrolein...
If we say that e-cigarettes are not harmful or less harmful than traditional cigarettes, then that is absolutely not the case. They still cause cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease... Their harmful effects on health often do not appear immediately, but take 10-20 years, causing users to lose their vigilance.
Many people think that smoking reduces stress and increases concentration. What do you think about this point of view?
- Nicotine in cigarettes has a short-term stimulating effect on the nervous system, increasing concentration and attention. This is undeniable. However, in the long term, cigarettes damage nerve cells, affect red blood cells, causing insufficient blood to be pumped to the brain, and over time, intelligence will decline. The price to pay for smoking is not immediate but will come after a long time.
So, are people around affected when inhaling smoke from e-cigarettes, Professor?
- The tobacco industry claims that e-cigarettes do not produce smoke, which is completely untrue. Traditional cigarettes have a bad smell when burned, and people around them will often stay away. However, e-cigarettes are more dangerous because they have a fragrant smell, so people around them tend to easily inhale it. The smoke from e-cigarettes is no less toxic than that from regular cigarettes.
In Vietnam, through the synthesis of reports from nearly 700 medical examination and treatment facilities, it is shown that in 2023 alone, there were 1,224 hospitalizations due to the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The symptoms of hospitalized patients were mainly due to allergies, poisoning, and acute lung injury due to the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
A new study by the School of Public Health supported by the Tobacco Control Foundation and Vital Strategies, a global public health organization, has just been published showing that: During the period of October-December 2023, the study on 3,801 students from grades 6 to 12 in 11 provinces and cities in Vietnam showed that 96.2% and 37.8% of students were aware of the existence of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Of these, 14% had tried e-cigarettes and 7% were currently using them in the past 30 days. The rate for heated tobacco products was 1.8% had used them and 1.0% were currently using them.
Experts say that the level of use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products among young people in Vietnam is high, especially when compared with indicators of traditional cigarette use.
It is worrying that the situation of mixing drugs into e-cigarettes is becoming increasingly complicated, causing many serious consequences for society. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security , in 2023, there were 86 cases with 155 people being prosecuted for putting drugs into e-cigarettes. In the first 3 months of 2024 alone, 73 people were prosecuted for this behavior.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/thuoc-la-dien-tu-gong-kim-dang-siet-chat-gioi-tre-post549683.html
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