According to the latest research from a team of experts at the University of Hawaii, menthol in e-cigarettes may be detrimental to respiratory health. This discovery comes at a time when e-cigarette use among Hawaii's youth is on the rise.
Yi Zuo, a mechanical engineering professor and pediatric adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has developed a groundbreaking method for studying the health effects of e-cigarette aerosols. This breakthrough research was published in June 2022 in The American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, which showed that menthol in e-cigarettes leads to biophysical suppression of pulmonary surfactant.
Research conducted by Zuo has found that flavorings, particularly menthol, used in electronic cigarettes can damage the lung surfactant, also known as pulmonary surfactant, which is essential for maintaining normal respiratory mechanics. Therefore, Zuo's study suggests that menthol in e-cigarette aerosols may have adverse effects on users' respiratory health.
According to Zuo, "E-cigarettes were initially marketed as a healthier and safer alternative to traditional smoking when they first appeared in the mid-2000s." "However, increasingly more research evidence, particularly long-term (over 10 years) toxicology data that has emerged in recent years, suggests that e-cigarettes are not as safe as initially promised.
According to a youth behavior risk survey conducted by the Mānoa College of Education, the use of electronic cigarettes among young people in Hawaii is on the rise. Between 2015 and 2019, the report found that the percentage of survey respondents who reported using e-cigarettes at least one day in the 30 days prior to the survey increased from 25.1% to 30.6%. The percentage of respondents who reported using e-cigarettes for more than 20 days in the 30 days prior to the survey also increased from 3.6% in 2015 to 10.4% in 2019.
The flavors are the main attraction for e-cigarette users, especially young people. As of 2018, there were over 15,000 different e-cigarette flavors available on the market. Although most of the flavorings used in e-cigarettes are food-grade additives, their impact on respiratory safety and health is largely unknown.
Menthol is a substance found in mint and other mint-related plants. It provides a cooling and soothing sensation and is used to alleviate mild pain and irritation. It is added as a flavoring agent in products such as cough syrups, beverages, chewing gum, and candies. However, these products are not aerosolized or inhaled during use. In contrast, electronic cigarette companies add menthol to their products to make them more appealing and seemingly less harmful when used.
Zuo hopes that this research will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of electronic cigarettes on health, particularly for young people, and will lead to improved regulation of electronic cigarette products. The study was a collaboration between Zuo's laboratory and professors Ellinor Haglund and Rui Sun from the Chemistry Department at UH Mānoa. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation Award and George F.
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