RescueRanger
Moderator
- Sep 20, 2008
- 24,992
- 52,659
- Country of Origin
- Country of Residence
Opinion | Health & Society - RescueRanger
In August this year I was visiting Lahore where one of my cousins is a principal for a private fee paying school in the city. During the conversation she brought up the subject of the alarming use of vapes by her teenage students outside of the school campus. She then showed me photos of hundreds of disposable vapes in all colors and flavors that had been confiscated from students during searches at school.
One of the problems she described was that even highly functioning, highly intelligent and otherwise excellent students were being introduced to vaping both inside and outside the school by other students and many compelled to give in to peer pressure without knowing the full risks of using e-cigarettes and vaping products which are marketed in Pakistan as "safer" than cigarettes despite being a product containing nicotine which is a highly addictive substance.
According to research carried out into the habits of smokers in Pakistan, vaping prevalence is high in South Asia, where a significant number of people use tobacco and smokeless tobacco. According to data from Pakistan, 6.2% of the population uses vaping/e-cigarettes, while 15.9 million (12.4%) use smokeless tobacco.[1]
There are countless reports in Pakistan of vape users reporting oral cuts, popcorn lung and breathing difficulties along with gum disease and rapid tooth decay. One such report was aired on VOA Pakistan in 2019:
Reports of Vaping Health Risks on Rise in Pakistan
Experts in the country say as long as nicotine present, e-cigarettes are a health hazard
www.voanews.com
In a cross sectional study conducted in 2017, 441 young Pakistani individuals, aged 13 to 19 years were interviewed, to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding e-cigarettes. The majority of participants knew what e-cigarettes were (n=277, 68.7%) but did not know about their contents (n=225, 55.8%) and had learned about them from either friends or the internet (n=245, 60.%). Almost half of them (n=190, 47.2%) believed that the reason for e-cigarette use was either peer pressure or to quit smoking conventional cigarettes. An overwhelming majority also stated that; it was either easy or very easy to obtain e-cigarettes (n=277, 68.7%).[2]
While less research is being done in Pakistan, the American Lung Association expresses grave concerns over the health implications of these products[3], particularly on lung health. The inhalation of harmful chemicals such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, which are found in the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes, can lead to irreversible lung damage and diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, not to mention their role in cardiovascular diseases.
In a further study which examined the correlation between vaping and mental health across Pakistan, Educador, India and USA in the Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives in 2022 showed that suicide attempts were significantly higher among e-cigarette users compared to non-users. E-cigarette use was associated with depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Suicide attempts were significantly higher among e-cigarette users compared to non-users.[4]
Despite these documented dangers, the e-cigarette industry in Pakistan is largely unregulated. There are no specific laws to control the sale, advertisement, and use of these devices. This lack of regulation means that consumers and vulnerable groups are unprotected from potentially harmful products and underage individuals can easily access them, unaware of the long-term health risks.
Moreover, studies indicate that ingredients commonly found in e-liquids, such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, exhibit toxicity to cells. The complexity of e-liquids and the cocktail of chemicals inhaled during vaping is a ticking time bomb for public health. Furthermore, the risk extends beyond the user. Second-hand emissions from e-cigarettes contain a myriad of toxic substances including nicotine, ultrafine particles, and heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead, posing health risks to bystanders.
International health authorities like the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have raised alarms about these second-hand emissions. Yet, in Pakistan, the absence of a regulatory framework means that these warnings go largely unheeded.
Pakistan grapples with various health challenges, and the silent rise of e-cigarettes and vaping should not be ignored. Policymakers must take cognizance of the international evidence on the dangers of these products and establish a robust regulatory environment. Only through effective regulation, public awareness, and health education can Pakistan hope to protect its citizens from the stealthy growth of this modern health hazard.
A parent friendly guide on vaping and how to discuss the issue of vaping with teenage children can be download free of cost from Drug Free USA, available here:
Effects of Vaping on Teens
Effects of Vaping on Teens | Some have been led to believe that vaping is completely safe, but there are significant risks to be aware of
drugfree.org
References:
1. Gul F, Khan AA, Kazmi SNH, Abbas K, Basit J. Vaping, an emerging public health concern in South Asia: a short communication. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2023 Mar 27;85(5):2270-2272. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000297. PMID: 37229059; PMCID: PMC10205234.
2. Shaikh A, Ansari HT, Ahmad Z, Shaikh MY, Khalid I, Jahangir M, Majeed A, Shakeel N, Ahmed A, Memon RS, Tariq E, Irfan R, Madni D. Knowledge and Attitude of Teenagers Towards Electronic Cigarettes in Karachi, Pakistan. Cureus. 2017 Jul 13;9(7):e1468. doi: 10.7759/cureus.1468. PMID: 28936380; PMCID: PMC5597062.
3. https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung
4. Javed, Sana; Usmani, Sadia; Sarfraz, Zouina; Sarfraz, Azza; Hanif, Aunsa; Firoz, Amena; Baig, Rusab; Sharath, Medha; Walia, Namrata; Chérrez-Ojeda, Ivan; and Ahmed, Saeed(2022)"A Scoping Review of Vaping, E-Cigarettes and Mental Health Impact: Depression and Suicidality,"Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives: Vol. 12:Iss.3, Article 6. DOI: 10.55729/2000-9666.1053 Available at:https://scholarlycommons.gbmc.org/jchimp/vol12/iss3/6
