Electronic Cigarettes and the Vape Pod

 

Regulatory efforts for electronic cigarettes have largely focused on determining the best combination of nicotine and e-liquid concentration. These regulated products differ from traditional cigarettes in several ways. The Pagano study, for example, showed that cig-a-like devices retained significant residual nicotine after product life. However, modern pen-style and pod-style devices can deliver all the nicotine from the reservoir. To understand the relationship between the nicotine concentration and coil lifetime, the authors looked at the websites of companies involved in the e-cigarette industry and tobacco-company affiliates.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acted to curb the sale of pod-based e-cigarettes to underage youths and restricting advertisements on social media. Further regulations could help prevent youths from using pod-based e-cigarettes by limiting their attractive flavors. Although tobacco and menthol flavors are most appealing to most smokers, the FDA's action against these products can have a positive impact on public health.

Youth surveys indicate that e-cigarette use is a problem in public places. However, there are some promising developments to make smoking less popular among young people. The recent rapid growth of JUUL has been accompanied by aggressive marketing on social media sites that young people frequent, such as YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. In order to curb youth smoking, it is essential to understand the reasons behind this new product. There are no studies that prove that pod-based e-cigarettes are safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes.

The current landscape of tobacco products is rapidly changing. While cross-sectional survey data have been published, these studies have been limited in scope. The limited sample size represents the 'leading edge' of the epidemic, as these individuals are early adopters and influencers of their peers. The study sample was mostly male, from a single geographical area, and comprised of polytobacco users - not pod e-cigarette users specifically.

Youth use of e-cigarettes has declined since the beginning of the year 2020, according to CDC research. This decline may be attributed to the fact that kids were kept home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpreting data can be difficult, as young people change their preferences frequently. However, the latest CDC report indicates that disposable e-cigarettes have increased among middle and high school students by 400% since 2019. This trend is particularly significant for the e-cigarette industry as sales dwindled during the coronavirus pandemic.

The FDA and the CDC have documented more than 2,000 cases of respiratory illness attributed to use of e-cigarettes. Symptoms of respiratory toxicity include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough, and anorexia. Some patients die of respiratory toxicity. The FDA report does not specifically state whether e-cigarettes can cause these symptoms in children, but it is still worth noting. While the findings have been promising, there is still much to learn about the effects of e-cigarettes.