Experiments carried out on mice show that vaping red fruit flavors weakens the immune defenses of the lungs, which could increase the risk of respiratory infections.
Experts are unanimous: vaping is infinitely less harmful than smoking. But they also agree that electronic cigarettes are not harmless, even if their long-term effects are still unknown. A study carried out by a team from the prestigious McGill University in Canada has revived this moving subject. The results show that two red fruit flavored liquids – a very popular flavor among young people across the Atlantic – could have a negative impact on the bronchi.
For several days, the scientists exposed mice to electronic cigarette vapors, at a rate of two inhalations per minute for an hour each day. A rhythm supposed to mimic the consumption habits of young Americans. Following this, they found that the immune defenses of the lungs were affected by red fruit vapors. More specifically, it was the macrophages – those cells responsible for eliminating intruders from the outside air – that proved to be ineffective. This was not the case in mice exposed to vapor without electronic cigarette flavor, specify the authors of the study published in the journal of the American Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
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Disturbed immune system
To go further, the researchers then exposed the mice to Pseudomonas aeruginosaan opportunistic bacteria responsible for potentially very serious infections. Result: the mice having inhaled red fruit vapor had more difficulty fighting the infection and their group recorded more deaths than that of the mice exposed to an e-liquid without flavor. “People exposed to vapor from e-cigarettes may take longer to clear infections, which may require antibiotics”underline the authors of the study.
“These red fruit aromas disrupt the lung defense system of mice. Contrary to what the manufacturers say, all these aromas are not harmless.estimates Professor Yves Martinet, pulmonologist and president of the National Committee against Smoking. “In the coming years, we should expect to discover the consequences of vaping on respiratory and cardiac functions”warns the doctor. However, these data obtained in mice are not currently verified in humans: there is no study indicating that there are more serious lung infections among vapers than in the rest of the population. the population.
Do not discourage vapers who have stopped smoking
For Professor Daniel Thomas, vice-president of the alliance against tobacco and spokesperson for the Société francophone de tabacologie, “this study is not an alert in itself” and must not “discourage vapers who have stopped smoking tobacco”. “This is a very serious study, carried out by a high-level team. But on the one hand, data obtained in mice are not always transferable to humans »underlines the cardiologist. “On the other hand, vaping remains much less dangerous than continuing to smoke”he insists, recalling that “the goal is to stop vaping as soon as possible”. “And of course, you should definitely not start vaping if you are not a smoker, I am thinking in particular of adolescents”adds the doctor.
According to him, it is also not necessary “ignore the possible risks of electronic cigarettes”. “There have already been studies implicating cinnamon and mint flavorshe recalls. The flavors used for vaping are not supposed to be inhaled, but we are seriously lacking data on the health effects of these products, we must continue to study them.
Since 2016, the use of electronic cigarettes has been increasing in France. Over the same period, smoking experienced an unprecedented decline, going from 29.4% to 24.0% of the population. According to the latest data from Public Health France, just over 5% of the adult population vapes daily, or more than 2.2 million people.
