Doctors and health experts have called for a worldwide ban on e-cigarette sales, warning that vaping is causing irreversible damage to children's health. Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Madrid, cardiologists and researchers expressed 'extreme concern' over the rising use of e-cigarettes among teenagers and young people.
Professor Maja-Lisa Løchen, a senior cardiologist at the University Hospital of North Norway, said she was convinced that vaping harms developing brains and hearts. 'It increases your blood pressure, your heart rate, and we know that the arteries become more stiff,' she said. Nicotine in e-cigarettes can lead to addiction and long-term cardiovascular effects, including high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that vaping raises the risk of stroke by nearly a third (32%). Heated liquids in e-cigarettes can release carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which damage blood vessels and contribute to heart disease. Children who quit vaping may also experience nicotine withdrawal, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Professor Susanna Price, a consultant cardiologist at Royal Brompton Hospital in London, warned that vaping could replace one addictive substance with another. 'I think there is a push to suggest that vaping is safe but we don't know that,' she said. Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, urged governments to act, stating that 'no child or teenager should be picking up an e-cigarette.'
Løchen called for a global ban on e-cigarette sales, citing the known harmful effects. 'I think based on what we know now about the detrimental and harmful effects of e-cigarettes, I think there should be a ban on sales of e-cigarettes worldwide,' she said.
