In 1965, according to the CDC, 42% of American adults were considered regular cigarette smokers. Today, with the help of scientific publication and a large governmental push to expose the negative effects of smoking, that number is at 16%. In just over 50 years, this decline is a huge accomplishment and many lives are saved because of it. That being said, there is a current trend rising in the world of nicotine: electronic or E-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are battery operated devices that deliver nicotine (and often flavoring) to an individual without producing tobacco smoke and instead a water vapor is released. With this method of smoking, the risk of second-hand smoke is eliminated, but there are huge concerns still about whether or not this pure nicotine can still have negative health effects for the person who ingests it.
In the brain, nicotine binds to receptors called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors or nAchRs. Multiple exposures to nicotine causes up-regulation of these receptors which increases their affinity for the drug and addiction is the result. Several studies have be done to investigate possible negative effects of this interaction between repetitive nicotine exposure and these nAChRs so explore possible neuronal damage that nicotine addicts may be experiencing.
One area of the brain affected is the ventral tegmental area (VTA) which is largely responsible for dopamine, a neurotransmitter that corresponds to pleasure and reward, release. When nAChRs are activated by nicotine, dopamine is released in the VTA and studies have found that continuous stimulation of these receptors from nicotine has the ability to desensitize this response. Clinically, this could result in a decreased ability to experience pleasure from this area of the brain.
With nicotine use, there is also the concern of cross-sensitization between it and alcohol. Like nicotine, nAChR’s are the receptors that alcohol interacts with. The concern with cross-sensitization and these drugs is that being addicted to one drug may make you more likely to be addicted to the other. Studies on this phenomenon have mixed findings, but it is confirmed that lab animals addicted to nicotine consume more alcohol when provided it compared to animals who are not addicted to the drug. Because these drugs act on the same receptors, cross-sensitization is an important aspect to consider as one studies how drug addiction works.
In conclusion, though E-cigarettes eliminate the worry of second hand smoke and the tobacco-related toxins that cigarettes have, people are still left wondering: Can the nicotine from E-cigarettes still be damaging for a person? Also, current testing of the cartridges for E-cigarettes if showing that many of them release vapors containing carcinogens and other toxins. Long story short, I believe that there are two reasons that people who are addicted to nicotine should be hesitant about E-cigarettes.
- It still in unclear how long-term exposure to nicotine can damage the brain or predispose the brain to new addictions and
- It is still unknown what the exact chemicals in E-cigarettes are and how those chemicals can damage the body.
The fight against cigarette smoking is a battle well fought by the government and health professionals alike, but it’s important to continue to use our expanding scientific knowledge to protect the public from new threats to our health that are being developed every day.
