Vaping as a new threat for respiratory health: a position statement from the Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society

ABSTRACT

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products are more and more commonly used among youth worldwide. Even if such devices are proposed as a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes smoking, many studies are reporting potential detrimental health effects both in vitro and in animals and humans. Regarding the lungs and airways, acute vape exposure causes mainly inflammation, bronchial hyperreactivity and reduced response to infections. The long-term effects of active and passive vaping are still largely unknown, but the presence of toxicants and carcinogens in vape suggest caution, especially when considering the first limited reports on in creased risk of lung cancer. Second and third – hand exposure to vaping is likely to be harmful too, especially in childhood. Moreover, children and adolescents are at increased risk of addiction to nicotine, which is often present at high concentration in e-liquids and pod-mods. Notably, vape exposure may be harmful also during pregnancy, by contributing to preterm birth and low weight at birth. The Italian Pediatric Respiratory Society (SIMRI) has been involved and has proposed many different activities on smoking prevention in the last decades. In such a scenario, a group of SIMRI members proposed and obtained to create a Task Force with the goal of producing the first and up-to-date SIMRI recommendations on vaping, which are provided in this paper. To protect children and adolescents, SIMRI experts underline the need to educate paediatricians and families on this issue, to implement prevention campaigns, to ensure smoke-free and vaping-free environments and to reduce tobacco industry interference especially on social media.

IMMPACT STATEMENT
SIMRI acknowledges that vaping represents a serious threat to respiratory health in children and adolescents and proposes ten recommendations to take action.

Received: Dec 04, 2024
Accepted: Jun 18, 2024