Measures taken by states against tobacco use have begun to reduce tobacco use, especially in European countries. Global cigarette companies have rolled up their sleeves to replace nicotine, whose harms have been clearly revealed, with different chemicals. While it is announced that three major Chinese electronic cigarette companies are conducting research on nicotine-like chemicals that they think can replace nicotine in products such as electronic cigarettes, healthcare professionals say that it may take “years” to research the health effects of the new nicotine. News Global Web Speaking exclusively, respiratory specialist physicians explained the extent of the upcoming danger.
LABORATORY PRODUCTION
Information from e-liquid producers Hangsen International Group and Zinwi Biotech and Smoore International, which works on different cigarette alternatives, also revealed that more studies are needed to determine whether such chemicals are safe. However, it is stated that these substances are already used in e-cigarettes. One of the chemicals studied, “methyl nicotine”, is produced in the laboratory. “Methyl nicotine,” which has a chemical structure similar to nicotine, is currently used in some vaporizers in the United States. However, researchers warn that this substance has a stronger and more addictive effect than original nicotine.
PEOPLE ARE WORRIED
Even though Eve Wang, the Executive Director of the companies in question, said in an interview with Reuters last week that “we will not rush to use it”, public concerns cannot be prevented. Eve Wang says a small team is conducting research to understand how such chemicals, known as nicotine analogs, work and their effects. Yu Kang, President of Hangsen International Research Institute, and Haley Xu, Head of Global Communications at Zinwi Biotech, said that their companies are also conducting research on such chemicals.
SPREAD TO THE MARKET
However, the situation in the e-cigarette market is developing quite differently from what is described. The e-cigarette industry has already started using the substance ‘methane’, which is stated to be stronger than nicotine. It has been revealed that a new method has been developed to evade the inspection of the products in question by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Tobacco products must receive FDA approval before they can be marketed in the United States. According to the statement of the US Thoracic Congress, while nicotine was stated as “3-methyl content” in the FDA list, the industry put the substance in question, called “methanine” containing “6-methyl”, into its products.
IT KILLS WITH THE AROMA
Çukurova University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. stated that while the current harms of e-cigarettes are being investigated, companies are launching a new product every day. Dr. Pelin Duru Çetinkaya said: “There are more than 16 thousand sweeteners in e-cigarettes. Acute lung damage develops due to these. It causes asthma, COPD and cancers. Heart attack is among these diseases. While we are dealing with these diseases, a new tobacco product is produced every day.” “Their addiction to substances such as amphetamines is increasing.”
“Strawberry and pineapple, whose flavors are used in e-cigarette products, normally go to people’s digestive system. However, if you send them to the lungs, it causes pulmonary pneumonia. We don’t yet know for sure what e-cigarettes can do in the long term. Apart from lung diseases, when pregnant mothers use it, the child may have developmental disorders. “There are also many diseases that have not yet been detected.”
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