Oncologist Zaridze: the fight against vaping has led to an increase in the incidence of lung cancer

It seems that in the fight against smoking we have slightly gone too far. This was stated by experts during a meeting of the State Duma expert council on the development of competition in the markets of nicotine-containing products. Famous oncologist, doctor of medical sciences, professor, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences David Zaridze spoke about the amazing trend. According to him, the fight against vaping has led to an increase in the prevalence of traditional tobacco smoking. This, in turn, has led to an increase in the incidence of lung cancer and the resulting mortality among the population.

“For the first time in many years, the incidence of lung cancer among women has increased in our country. This indicates that the prevalence of smoking among women is growing, it cannot be otherwise. This is evidenced by the statistics of VTsIOM: since 2016, the indicator among women has increased from 17% to 21%. This means that for the last five years, while we were fighting vapes, and not smoking cigarettes, we got such a deplorable result,” said David Zaridze.

The expert also added that nicotine is the safest component of tobacco smoke. The most dangerous are combustion products and carcinogenic resins, which are practically absent in electronic tobacco heating systems, which is confirmed by the data of the All-Russian Research Institute of Tobacco and Shag, as well as foreign studies. “It is clear that such systems cause much less harm to health. When they say that we still know little about these products, this is not true. We know enough. Yes, they certainly cause pathological changes, especially dangerous for children and adolescents, pregnant women. But they can be useful for smokers who are switching entirely from smoking to consuming e-cigarettes,” Zaridze said.

In addition, the oncologist spoke about the regular unconfirmed cases of deaths of teenagers from smoking vapes. According to Zaridze, media articles on this topic can hardly be taken seriously. For licensed products, there is serious and verified data – such devices do not contain concentrations of substances that can instantly lead to death. “The case of a boy in Barnaul who allegedly died from electronic cigarettes has been refuted. It has been proven that this is not the case. From singed vodka, from smoking, millions of people die at the same time! If something is banned, then first of all it is necessary to ban cigarettes. But for the last five years, or even more, the Duma has been fighting vaping, and not smoking traditional cigarettes, which has led to the stagnation of the fight against smoking in Russia, with corresponding negative consequences, ”concluded the oncologist.

Experts, meanwhile, say that a form of substance abuse called sniffing (inhaling gas from lighters or spray cans, including deodorants) is often the cause of death in Russian teenagers today. Especially if a lighter, a can of gas, deodorant are found near the body. Sniffing causes airway paralysis, pulmonary and cerebral edema, and cardiac arrest. There is no specific lethal dose: children can die from suffocation on the first use.

The risk group is children and adolescents 9–17 years old. Lighters and gas cartridges for their refueling today can be bought at every step. There is no age limit for sale. Education about the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs is provided in schools, but little attention is paid to the problem of substance abuse. The composition of the cans includes propane, butane and isobutane, which are not classified as drugs and the group of special toxicity. That’s the problem with their availability.

When inhaled, the gas immediately enters the bloodstream, bypassing all protective barriers – the liver and gastrointestinal tract. The body simply does not have a chance to protect itself from oxygen starvation, which provokes gas, displacing oxygen. Hypoxia of the brain occurs, which leads to hallucinations, strange and acute sensations, and a change in consciousness.

So, according to data from open sources, from 2016 to 2022, more than a thousand children died from intoxication. “It is clear that young people are dying not from smoking e-cigarettes, but from inhaling the vapors of more toxic substances. Of course, it is necessary to comprehensively combat adolescent addiction and substance abuse, but not by prohibitions, but by constructive methods. It is necessary to carry out competent educational work among young people. The ban on vapes can lead to even greater development of the black market, which will sell low-quality and explosive goods,” said Dmitry Vladimirov, director of the Union of Non-Medical Inhalation Industry Enterprises.

Industry experts believe that the irresponsible and negligent attitude of parents towards their offspring is also the cause of dangerous hobbies for teenagers. It is important to control the illegal circulation of various products in schools and apply serious penalties for schoolchildren who engage in this activity and their parents.

“Parents should show an increased interest in the life of their children, especially at a transitional age, pay attention to their well-being, be interested in hobbies and hobbies, talk, and most importantly, talk about the dangers of using drugs, alcohol and smoking, what it can lead to. When competent and systematic work is carried out with adolescents at all levels, from the family to state institutions, we will achieve that we will eradicate the problem of child substance abuse,” says psychologist Alexander Lysenko.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28994 dated March 22, 2023

Newspaper headline:
Is vaping better than smoking?