May 31st will usher in the 33rd World No Tobacco Day. This year's promotion theme is "Protect young people away from traditional tobacco products and electronic cigarettes." The "Outline of the "Healthy China 2030" Plan" puts forward the goal of tobacco control "by 2030, the smoking rate of people over 15 years old should be reduced to 20%". The results of the 2018 China Adult Tobacco Survey showed that the current smoking rate of people over 15 years old in my country is 26.6%; 22.2% of daily smokers start smoking daily before the age of 18. To achieve the goal of reducing the overall smoking rate, it is the key to prevent young people who have not yet smoked from starting to smoke.
At present, although the idea that smoking is harmful to health has basically been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, e-cigarettes have taken advantage of their deficiencies and used the functions of "clearing the lungs", "quit smoking" and "not addictive" for packaging and hype, claiming that e-cigarettes do not contain tar and suspension. Harmful ingredients such as particles can help to quit smoking, but is this really the case?
E-cigarettes are not a good medicine to quit smoking
E-cigarettes are non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes. They were once regarded as alternatives to traditional cigarettes, but in fact they not only cannot help quit smoking, they may also make it more likely to become addicted to nicotine. Research from the World Health Organization has shown that the aerosol of e-cigarettes contains toxic substances such as nicotine and produces small and ultrafine particles. Nicotine itself is addictive and can cause cardiovascular disease. Even a small amount of intake will inhibit fetal brain development and damage children’s brains. In addition, if the e-cigarette device is heated too fast, it will cause a A highly toxic substance called acrolein is not only the main factor that damages the retina, but it can also cause cancer. In addition, e-cigarettes also face the problem of second-hand smoke. Nicotine, particles, propylene glycol, glycerin and other toxic substances can enter the external environment through the spontaneous flow of e-cigarette smoke (smoke discharged from the human body), although the content is lower than that of traditional tobacco. However, people's misunderstanding of e-cigarette products will increase non-smokers' exposure to nicotine and certain toxic substances.
In July 2019, the World Health Organization issued the "Global Tobacco Epidemic Report 2019", which clearly pointed out: E-cigarettes have limited evidence as a method of smoking cessation, and related studies are less certain, unable to draw conclusions, and increasingly Many evidences indicate that in certain scenarios, young e-cigarette users are more likely to start using traditional cigarettes in the future.
The proliferation of e-cigarettes, step by step targeting young people
Data from the 2018 China Adult Tobacco Survey shows that the majority of people who use e-cigarettes are young people, and the use rate of e-cigarettes among people aged 15-24 is 1.5%. It is worth noting that the proportion of people who have heard of e-cigarettes, used e-cigarettes before, and now use them have all increased compared with 2015.
Some e-cigarette manufacturers attract young people by offering various flavors of smoke oil, such as tobacco flavor, fruit flavor, bubble gum flavor, chocolate flavor, and cream flavor. Many teenagers are misled by advertising and believe that e-cigarettes are "entertainment and recreational products". They not only buy early adopters, but also recommend them to friends. So this trendy way of "smoking" has gradually become popular among young people.
But in fact, the chemical components of e-cigarettes are very complex. The current research on e-cigarette components is insufficient, and market supervision is relatively lagging. Some e-cigarettes are "three no products" without product standards, quality supervision, and safety evaluation. It has laid a huge hidden danger for the health of consumers. However, driven by interests, there are still many illegal operators selling e-cigarettes online. Recently, there are news reports that consumers have used e-cigarettes with synthetic cannabinoids (a psychoactive substance, which is classified as a drug in my country). And the situation of medical treatment.
Dealing with e-cigarettes, the country is taking action
In August 2018, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice prohibiting the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors. In November 2019, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and the State Administration for Market Administration issued the "Notice on Further Protecting Minors from Electronic Cigarettes", requiring various market entities not to sell electronic cigarettes to minors; urging the production and Selling companies or individuals close e-cigarette Internet sales websites or clients in a timely manner, e-commerce platforms promptly close e-cigarette shops and remove e-cigarette products in a timely manner, e-cigarette production and sales companies or individuals withdraw e-cigarette advertisements posted on the Internet, etc.
Post time: Dec-30-2020