On the night of April 13, Nanjing 120 received one after another requests for help from students at a school in Nanjing's Jiangning University City. A number of students were experiencing dizziness, panic and even irritability at the same time, all after smoking an e-cigarette purchased online.
That night, a total of nine students were taken to the emergency department of Run Run Hospital of Nanjing Medical University one after another. After a detailed examination, doctors in the emergency department found that these patients might have had a strong connection with inhaling some kind of e-cigarettes. The students were all discharged the next day after symptomatic treatment and did not suffer any serious health consequences.
The reporter learned from the emergency department of the Nanjing Medical University Hospital that the "accidental" e-cigarette was purchased by a student who shared it with others to try it out because it was a novelty. The hospital has reported the case to the public security authorities after the consultation.
E-cigarettes are not safe due to the complexity of the added ingredients
Shao Danbing, chief physician of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Run Run Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, told reporters that e-cigarettes, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems, are a product that delivers nicotine and/or other substances to the respiratory system via atomizer atomization of the e-cigarette liquid. Many people feel that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, but they are not.
E-cigarettes have been marketed from the outset as a "cigarette replacement" or "smoking cessation product", but they are still harmful. It is true that e-cigarettes contain less harmful substances than regular cigarettes, but they always contain nicotine, which can cause euphoria in smokers and lead to dependence and addiction.
The CDC considers e-cigarettes to contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including: nicotine, ultra-fine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, flavourings (such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease), volatile organic compounds, carcinogenic chemicals, and heavy metals such as nickel/tin and lead. Adolescents' respiratory systems are not yet fully developed and substances such as nicotine can be more harmful to the body.
Compared to cigarettes, e-cigarettes are also often flavoured with a variety of food- and non-food-derived flavours and additives, and even unspecified ingredients, posing more unpredictable risks. "The metabolic pathway of oral intake and the metabolic pathway of inhalation are two entirely different things, some additives added to food are not a problem, but it does not mean that the inhalation pathway is also not a problem, and the lungs may not be able to withstand the situation at all."
'Upper head e-cigarettes' are more alarming
Recently in China, there have also been reports of unscrupulous individuals openly selling so-called "top-end e-cigarettes" in their circle of friends and on e-commerce platforms, using terms such as "top-end", "flight" and "pleasure". "The main ingredient in these e-cigarettes is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is actually a new type of drug!
Cannabis extract Tetra Hydro Cannabinol (THC) is also a potentially addictive harmful substance in e-cigarettes. Smoking cannabis can affect the function of the central nervous system, causing patients to experience hallucinations, anxiety, depression, sudden mood changes, paranoid mania, confusion and other reactions. Long-term smoking can lead to a depressed immune system and induce psychosis and suicidal tendencies. Cannabis is a strictly controlled product under the UN drug conventions and its abuse can cause hallucinations and even threaten lives.
The e-cigarette in question was marked with the word "TETRA". However, the wording is not necessarily the same as its composition, and the specific composition of the electronic cigarette in question needs to be further identified by the relevant authorities.
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