Research

Electronic cigarettes deliver as much nicotine as tobacco cigarettes
According to an article published in the European Respiratory Journal, users of electronic cigarettes take in similar amounts of nicotine, compared to those who use tobacco cigarettes. Researchers measured levels of cotinine (a biomarker for nicotine) in participants who used electronic cigarettes and compared them to levels previously measured in smokers. Unlike previous studies, the researchers measured nicotine intake from e-cigarette use in real-life conditions, rather than in laboratory conditions. The results show that observed levels of cotinine in tobacco smokers were similar to cotinine levels in electronic cigarette users. Read more here and read the study abstract by clicking here.

NIH study examines nicotine as a gateway drug
A new mouse study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that tobacco may be a gateway drug that makes the brain more susceptible to addiction to cocaine and other illicit drugs. Researchers found that mice exposed to nicotine and then cocaine were more likely to show characteristics of addiction compared to mice that were exposed to cocaine before nicotine. Researchers also found that nicotine causes changes in expression of genes that are linked to addiction. If the findings in mice apply to humans, then smoking prevention efforts will prevent negative health consequences from smoking as well as from other illicit drugs. Read more here, read a press release from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids here, and read the study abstract published in Science Translational Medicine here.

top

Back to Table of Contents