An unprecedented survey showed that the consumption of electronic cigarettes among medical students and young doctors is three times bigger than estimated for the population of young adults. The vast majority of them ignore the health risks and do not even know that this equipment is prohibited in Brazil.
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7.528 students and residents were evaluated in Brazil, the United States and India, which are the countries with the most medical courses on the planet. The research was conducted by Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein with contributions from several universities in Brazil and around the world and was presented in Barcelona, at the “European Respiratory Socity” congress.
Who uses it most?
- Brazil, around 20% of students and recent graduates are frequent users – compared to 7% estimated among young Brazilian adults
- In the United States, 10% of users
- In India, the number does not reach 1%, as around 70% of those surveyed nicotine and half use flavored tobacco and 20% use electronic cigarettes containing cannabis derivatives
Unknown evil
Around 36% of young people think that vaping is less invasive than regular cigarettes, and are unaware of the harm of smoking electronic devices.
One of the leaders of the project developed by Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, pulmonologist Luiza Helena Degani Costa, says that “Electronic cigarettes are not at all harmless” and that “there are already several studies that indicate that they cause the same diseases as common ones, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (pulmonary emphysema). Even for passive users, there is an increased risk of developing asthma.
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“The use of electronic cigarettes also increases the risk of acute lung injury and long-term cardiovascular damage. And now, we are seeing a greater chance of tumors as well”, explains Luiza.
Lack of information
Even though it is the generation with the most access to information, the research showed that young people get more information through social networks and colleagues than through scientific articles, less than half of young doctors attended a lecture on the topic at university.
“We have a responsibility to address the issue at universities, as these young and future doctors will be responsible for caring for the population and developing public policies. But we also have to discuss the topic early in schools, as many students start using these devices before they even enter college.” According to the results, in the case of vaping, initiation occurs on average around the age of 20.
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Global reference x risk of setback
Brazil is considered a global model in fight against smoking. It was the only country that followed all the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), including education, prohibition of consumption and taxation. Thanks to these measures, the Brazilian smoking rate has plummeted by around 70% in the last three decades and is practically half that of the United States, which only fell by 30% in the same period. Here, only 11% of men and 7% of women smoke.
(With Einstein Agency)
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