Most e-cig consumers have been informed that e-cigs contain nicotine and nicotine is an addictive drug. E-cig smokers are not informed that nicotine is the leading gateway drug to other drugs including opioids and methamphetamine.
In addition, e-cigs are marketed as a viable detoxification from or way to taper off of traditional cigarettes without any supportive evidence other than frequently negative detoxification outcomes when, for example, nicotine dependence is detoxified with nicotine, opioids with methadone or opioids with buprenorphine without a comprehensive substance abuse recovery program or corresponding lifestyle change attached.
Also, e-cig consumers are not informed that they are not only heated, inhaling and absorbing nicotine, but also chemical concoctions called “flavor”, and ethylene glycol (vehicle antifreeze) like chemicals, none of which have been tested for safety regarding human consumption.
The Dangers
Substantial data indicates that when negatively charged free radicals from heated and inhaled nicotine, e-cig flavor chemicals, and ethylene glycol-like chemicals enter each cell’s energy-generator(s)—the mitochondria— they cause a type of electrochemical imbalance or electro-cellular short-circuit popularly known as oxidative stress.
Free roaming negatively charged electrons or increased cellular-electricity is popularly known as oxidative stress and contributes to:
- Negative feelings such as irritability, impatience, intolerance, anxiety and unhappiness
- Attention deficit and short attention span
- Fatigue
- Obsessive worry
- Insomnia
- Intimacy dysfunction
- Craving for sugar, flour and starch containing foods and beverages—more negatively charged free radicals consumed—in an effort to feel better
- Craving for fried, sautéed and barbequed meats and produce—more negatively charged free radicals consumed—in an effort to feel better
- Other substance abuse including legal, street and prescription drugs in an effort to feel better
- Heart disease
- Cancers
- Stroke or atrial fibrillation
- Diabetes type 2
- Alzheimer’s disease
One hypothesis previously proposed by redox biophysicists such as myself have been that e-cigs could be contributing to brain-stem-cell electrical-overload meaning that e-cigs not only are likely to contribute to neural or brain cell damage and death, e-cigs could conceivably contribute to neural stem cell—brain cell mechanics and new brain cell birthers—inability to repair damaged brain cells and/or make new ones.
Thanks to a research team at the University of California, Riverside (Zahedi, A, et al) we no longer have to postulate or hypothesize as much anymore. The researchers found evidence that e-cigs appear to be causing bioelectrical short-circuits within brain stem cells which are vital brain cell mechanics and new brain cell birthers.
Let’s see if any of these old and new findings regarding the possible consequences of e-cigs ever appear as an e-cig warning label.
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Reference:
Atena Zahedi, Rattapol Phandthong, Angela Chaili, Sara Leung, Esther Omaiye, Prue Talbot. Mitochondrial Stress Response in Neural Stem Cells Exposed to Electronic Cigarettes. Science, 2019; 16: 250 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.05.034
