It is already well-known that smoking tobacco is one of the primary causes of preventable deaths and diseases, which includes cancer. The Global Burden of Disease Study about cancer expands this conversation by documenting the cases in which cancer and cancer-specific mortality were attributable to smoking. Among the 34 known risk factors, tobacco was found to be the leading contributory factor to cancer — accounting for 33.9% of cases in men and 10.7% in women.
In recent years, public knowledge and awareness of tobacco’s harmful effects on health and quality of life have led to individuals adopting behavioral changes and switching to electronic cigarettes. While originally advertised as a healthy alternative to tobacco, the latest research shows that vapes and e-cigarettes can be linked to many of the same life-threatening diseases caused by cigarette smoking.
DNA damage among cigarette smokers and vapers
Tobacco smoke composition has been extensively studied for decades, and notable findings include the identification of more than 70 carcinogens and their effects on DNA and cellular functions. Research from 2022 by Tang et al. on tobacco smoke carcinogens found that there are two types that serve as sources of DNA damage. The first are carcinogens which cause direct DNA damage, followed by procarcinogens that only become DNA-damaging agents upon metabolic activation.
The presence of both carcinogens and procarcinogens in tobacco smoke induces irreversible genetic damage by altering the genome of immune cells and reducing DNA repair proteins and activity levels. Due to inhalation of tobacco smoke, DNA damage is mostly observed in the larynx, bronchi, and lung epithelial cells.
The same pattern holds up among e-cigarette or vape users, even when they have vaped exclusively and have never smoked. This is supported by the findings of a Nicotine & Tobacco Research study about vaping and its DNA-damaging effects.
After analyzing epithelial cells from the mouths of exclusive vapers, cigarette smokers, and nonusers, a similar increase in levels of DNA damage was observed in both vapers and smokers. This damage was more than twice the amount detected in non-users.
Furthermore, the damage levels increased with the dose and frequency of smoking or vaping, which means more DNA damage occurred among long-term, heavy smokers and vapers.
In both studies, DNA damage to epithelial cells which line the lungs and the mouth poses an increased risk for developing cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Other health risks from smoking and vaping
Besides causing DNA damage and heightening the risk for chronic conditions, smoking and vaping are also linked to impairing cardiovascular health.
To illustrate, a 2022 study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that smokers, in particular, can develop heart failure at twice the rate of individuals who have never smoked. However, quitting was observed to have caused a drop in heart failure risk, highlighting how crucial it is to quit sooner to better protect heart health over time.
E-cigarettes also pose an increased risk of developing heart disease, although the mechanism of action is different since there is no tobacco content.
Rather, the findings of an NIH study on e-cigarettes’ damaging effects indicate that long-term use contributes to the impairment of blood vessel function based on three factors. Blood from those who used e-cigarettes was found to have decreased nitric oxide production, increased release of hydrogen peroxide, and more permeable blood vessel cells.
All of these findings have implications for the use of tobacco products and e-cigarettes, whether they are used independently or in combination.
Growing market for reduced-risk alternatives
With all these adverse effects in mind, it is alarming that the global prevalence rates for both smoking and vaping remain high. About 1.18 billion people worldwide smoke tobacco regularly, while vape users have been steadily increasing every year, reaching around 82 million people in 2021, according to the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction.
Since quitting traditional and electronic cigarettes with a cold turkey approach can induce withdrawal symptoms, users have tapped into nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products like gums and pouches as a reduced-risk alternative.
The nicotine pouches from VELO that feature on Prilla use nicotine sourced directly from tobacco plants but completely free of any tobacco plant products. This helps facilitate successful smoking cessation through effective nicotine delivery and discreet use. Because of their tobacco-free and smoke-free properties, these pouches are safe, clean, and convenient to use for managing nicotine cravings, even in places where cigarettes and vapes have been banned. In fact, this viability of pouches as a smokeless alternative is increasingly being recognized all over the world, with the United States and Sweden being the largest markets for this $4.69 billion industry.
Meanwhile, nicotine gums are also widely popular among smokers intending to quit. But certain brands have been promoted as tobacco-free cessation aids even when they have not been approved for use. For instance, nicotine gummies brand Kravenic has been issued FDA warnings for being marketed towards younger users and putting them at risk for side effects and nicotine addiction.
To smokers and vapers, this emphasizes the need to do research on the reduced-risk alternatives that they plan to use. This ensures that smoking and vaping-related risks are minimized, while also helping them quit smoking successfully and for the long term.
Authored by Leon Hurst
