Romanians are vaping their health, and the most exposed to danger are children from an increasingly younger age. Electronic cigarettes could be at least as dangerous as classic ones, say specialist doctors, who are sounding the alarm. But we also have a glimmer of hope: the law prohibiting the sale of these devices to minors under the age of 18.
In Romania, as everywhere else, electronic cigarettes are extremely popular among young people. “Unfortunately, as dangerous as they are, they are also tempting. And I am referring here especially to teenagers and young people. Even with 10, 11 year olds who use these vaping devices like toysBeatrice Mahler, manager of the Marius Nasta Pneumology Institute, told “Adevărul”. “They are attractive devices, and in the age of technology we are in, young people want to have and use such devices“, says the doctor.
E-cigarettes contain nicotine and are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes “Cigarettes in general are a drug. What is very serious is the fact that children of ever younger ages have unlimited access to them. Because they can be found everywhere, in almost any store, because they are accessible in terms of price, the little ones buy them, try them and can't stop eating them. Flavors are extremely appreciated, but nicotine also has its say here because it creates addiction. But, be careful! From vaping to using high-risk drugs is just one step“, draws the attention of the pulmonologist.
Vaping makes young people feel special, it gives them that feeling of being big, of doing whatever they want. On the other hand, forbidden things are always tempting. There are also those who want to belong to a group, want to integrate and do what the herd does. “At the beginning of the school year, I initiated a campaign to raise awareness of the risk to which these children are exposed in educational institutions in Bucharest and Ilfov, and I was amazed to find that they do not associate cigarettes with drugs and addiction. And when it comes to numbers…we are even worse. Almost 80% of the 6th and 8th grade students I interacted with said they had already tried smoking because they were offered a cigarette. This easy access to drugs is an alarming situation. Cigarette is a drug“, draws the doctor's attention.
The long-term negative effects of e-cigarettes are not yet known. The reason? The consumption is relative at the beginning. But, experts say, the short-term effects are already visible. Diseases generated by the use of electronic cigarettes are currently defined with the term EVALI, which, translated, means lung disease related to the use of electronic cigarettes. The symptoms of the disease can be: shortness of breath, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, chest pain, palpitations, fever, chills. More serious cases have also been described, requiring assistance in intensive care services, and unfortunately, some have resulted in intubation or even death. “Practically, the lung turns white, similar to the one we saw in the images during the Covid period. It is an acute allergic reaction to an external stimulus, and in severe cases it can even lead to respiratory failure“, says Dr. Beatrice Mahler. The doctor encountered such cases especially among children. “I have had children in the hospital with such problems, with pneumonia of this kind. The diagnosis was made by exclusion. After eliminating viral and bacterial infections, we are left with chemical causes“.
Sale of cigarettes to minors, prohibited
At the end of February, the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body, adopted a draft law that prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to children under 18 years of age. Furthermore, products containing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, refill bottles for electronic cigarettes can no longer be sold through vending machines. It is also prohibited to sell through devices such as easybox. The project provides for sanctions of up to 100,000 lei, depending on the gravity of the act.
Furthermore, students will no longer be allowed to smoke in school, regardless of the type of cigarettes used. As for how the violation of the law could be punished, these measures will no longer be applied by the management of the educational units but will come from the ministry itself.
“It is a more than welcome law. It is for the good and health of the children. And it would be good if the teachers stopped smoking too. Not even in the school yard. Regardless of whether we are talking about electronic or classic cigarettes”, Cezar Irimia, president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, told “Adevărul”. Smoking, he also says, “it should be banned everywhere, including spaces dedicated to health and education, i.e. medical facilities, schools, high schools, universities. We have organized several campaigns in schools over time. But we ran into reluctance. I talked to the students, I explained to them the risks they are exposed to when they smoke, I even showed them images with an emotional impact to convince the children that cigarettes mean disease. Do you know what the reaction was? Many laughed. And a ninth grader told me that as long as his family allows him to smoke, as long as they smoke together, who am I to tell him to stop?”
The president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients believes that electronic cigarettes should be banned in all closed public spaces. “We are pushing for a ban on vaping in enclosed public spaces, just as smoking classic cigarettes is banned. We do not want those participating in an action in a confined space to inhale the chemicals from these devices. Smoking must be totally banned, regardless of whether we are talking about classic or electronic cigarettes”.
Electronic cigarettes, guilty of lung cancer
Electronic cigarettes, so popular especially among young people and teenagers, can trigger cancer in at least as high a proportion as classic cigarettes. If the latter contain tar, with some of the most harmful effects on the lungs, vaping devices are dangerous because of the other chemicals they contain. These are the worrying conclusions of a study carried out by specialists from University College London.
British scientists analyzed cheek cell samples from e-cigarette users and compared them with those from traditional cigarette smokers. The study, which is based on data collected from 4,000 people, analyzed cell samples taken from traditional smokers as well as smokers who do not use tobacco regularly. The bottom line? The cells in the mouth, which are exposed to tobacco smoke and vapors, have changed substantially over time. The changes were also seen in the lung tissue of smokers who developed cancer.
In Romania, out of almost 13,000 patients diagnosed with broncho-pulmonary cancer, 11,000 lose their battle with the disease. “Practically 90% of cases of the disease are doomed to failure as a treatment because patients lose the fight against the disease“, Cezar Irimia also said.
