E-cigarettes are a gateway to many addictive substances.

Dr. Le Thi Thu Ha, Head of the Department of Substance Use and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Mental Health said: Electronic cigarettes mainly contain nicotine and some other substances.

The chamber contains fluids (glycerin, propylene, carriers), flavorings, carriers, and in some cases, synthetic drugs.

E-cigarettes cause direct harm to users through inhalation of vapor. Nicotine can cause psychological dependence. Glycerine can cause pneumonia.

Electronic cigarettes are the gateway to many addictive substances. — Electronic cigarettes are a path to addiction to many drugs (illustrative photo - photo source internet).

Different conductors, depending on the brand, mainly include nitrosamine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, which are substances that can cause cancer.

In addition, there may be other substances that are not yet approved or regulated, so the mixer can often add them incorrectly to the buffer chamber containing the liquid.

"This is the main cause of poisoning or abuse of other drugs: cannabis essential oil...", said Dr. Le Thi Thu Ha.

Doctors say that the effects of e-cigarettes not only affect mental health but also damage the inner lining of blood vessels, causing plaque buildup in the arteries, causing diseases such as arterial occlusion, coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.

The components that make up the liquid mixture of e-cigarettes, when heated, turn into toxic substances that can penetrate the blood and cause inflammation of blood vessels, accelerating the oxidation process.

In addition, toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes, when entering the lungs, will hinder oxygen circulation, increase inflammation, cause blood vessel leakage, and more seriously, cause fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Long-term and continuous use of e-cigarettes can cause symptoms such as prolonged cough with phlegm, chest pain, shortness of breath during exercise, prolonged low-grade fever, coughing up blood, night sweats, and weight loss. These symptoms are likely to be signs of pneumonia and respiratory failure.

Regarding e-cigarettes, during the treatment of patients, Dr. Vu Van Hoai, Department of Substance Use and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Mental Health (Bach Mai Hospital) said: "There are students who are only 13 years old and have been using e-cigarettes for 2 years and also admitted to using marijuana.

Many young people think that e-cigarettes are harmless, not addictive and do not affect health like cigarettes, causing the number of users to increase, causing harm to the community.

Doctor Le Thi Thu Ha also informed that through talking about the harmful effects of tobacco at schools, the doctor learned that many children smoked e-cigarettes from the age of 13-14 to keep up with friends.

At this age, the brain is not yet fully developed, making it difficult to control emotions, leading to brain damage that makes it difficult for smokers to refuse other addictive substances.

Abuse or addiction to e-cigarettes is a gateway to other addictive substances. Therefore, parents need to pay more attention and closely monitor their children.

Dr. Ha emphasized: “Young people should absolutely not be allowed to use e-cigarettes. Therefore, families should pay attention and prevent their children from using e-cigarettes.

If the child is restless, uncomfortable, or has unusual behavior, they should be taken to a medical facility for examination and consultation," Dr. Ha recommends.

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