Do e-cigarettes increase the risk of depression? According to an American study yes, especially in young people. Thc-based mixtures, the active ingredient of cannabis, would also increase the risks. This is supported by new research conducted by theAmerican Heart Associationwhich linked e-cigarette nicotine and THC to increased sadness and anxiety in adolescents and teens.
What the study highlights
2,505 between 13 and 24 years of age participated in the study, who provided information on the use of vaping (the inhalation of vapour, volatilized liquid, ed.) and on their mental health.
“Young people have long been vulnerable to tobacco use, may suffer greater harm from nicotine and other drugs, and may be targeted by tobacco advertising and manufacturers,” study author Professor Joy said on Tuesday. Hart, who teaches at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
dr phil episode of man saying ‘i lay in a dark room and smoke my e cigarettes and just think about everything horrible that’s thats ever happened in my life’ video pic.twitter.com/lMXO2E5Ci7
— jalnandan (@moisturis) March 1, 2023
Of the 159 respondents who smoked THC alone, 70% reported experiencing “worries, flashbacks, panic attacks and situational anxieties” in the previous week, compared with 40% of the 562 non-smokers. The 60% of 370 nicotine smokers and 830 dual users – both of Thc and of electronic cigarettes – they also complained of feelings of anxiety. In general, more than half of smokers reported suffering from depression, finding it difficult to engage in activities they once enjoyed. More than half of these also reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year.
On the contrary, alone a quarter of non-smokers declared that they suffer from depression, and only a third of them have thought about suicide at least once. Some participants said they started vaping to calm down or feel less depressed, but the study suggests that an opposite effect actually occurred. Originally conceived to dissuade regular smokers from their dangerous (and carcinogenic) habit, e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among the younger generation – leading to an addiction similar to that of classic tobacco. Among the side effects of vaping there would be erectile dysfunction, high blood sugar, diabetes and even eating disorders – reasons that prompted the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, to propose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes.