E-cigarette use is on the rise in Northeast

Inhaling e-cigarette has become very popular among Northeast youths. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey, the region has registered rise in inhalation of e-cigarette.

An electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is a handheld electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking.

It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol, commonly called a ‘vapour’ which the users inhale.

Using e-cigarettes is sometimes called ‘vaping’. The liquid in e-cigarette, called e-liquid, is usually made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine, and flavourings.

According to the survey, there has been rise in awareness and use of e-cigarette in Mizoram and Manipur in the Northeast.

Around eight per cent of people in Manipur are aware of e-cigarette till December 2017 against the national awareness of three per cent, the report said.

“2.5 per cent of the eight per cent people of Manipur who’re aware of e-cigarette inhale this type of tobacco that needs no paper wrappers. In Mizoram, 4.3 per cent people are aware of e-cigarette and of them 1.8 per cent use it. In Meghalaya, 2.8 per cent people are aware of e-cigarettes and of then 2.3 per cent use it,” the report added.

The report further said that with the new generation being aware of e-cigarette ‘vaping’ it is slowly but surely becoming a habit among a section of people, especially in the Northeast.

According to experts vaping aerosols often contain addictive nicotine and harmful chemicals. While adverse short-term effects on health have been observed, little is known about long-term effects.

According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of Massachusetts (ACS CAN), e-cigarette aerosols can harm the lungs and may include carcinogens, while nicotine can harm adolescent brain development

“E-cigarette is more harmful than conventional cigarettes. However, it’s not being used in Assam. The presence of carcinogen in e-cigarettes is more or less same as that of conventional cigarette found with paper wrappers,” said a Guwahati based cancer specialist.