Electronic cigarettes have become a youth fad but also a "trend" for smokers (or former smokers) of conventional cigarettes. The introduction and commercial success arise from a marketing strategy that highlights how they are less harmful (95%) than traditional ones and how they represent the best solution to smoking addiction.
What effects on health? The recent introduction does not allow adequate quantification: long-term studies will allow us to define their safety profile. Initial data already show how they are able to negatively influence the cardiovascular system with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke 5-10 years after the start of exposure.
Toxicological analyzes on e-cigarettes have highlighted high concentrations of carcinogens and toxins which can also cause alterations to the lungs and nervous system.
Another alarming fact is that many smokers who switched to e-cigarettes with the aim of quitting smoking have become dual users (e-cigarette and conventional), worsening their toxic exposure.
The age of onset of exposure to e-cigarettes is generally lower than that for tobacco: use often begins at age 13 or 14, with an increase of 7% among children and adolescents from 2016 to 2023.
