According to a report by El Marplatense on December 25th, the Argentine National Medicines Administration (ANMAT) has forbidden the importation, distribution, sale, and promotion of e-cigarettes since 2011. However, the use of e-cigarettes is firmly established among smokers who believe it to be a healthier alternative to traditional smoking.
Health expert Fortina, in an interview with UPM on Mitre Mar del Plata radio station, details that originally, e-cigarettes were used as a supplement for smoking cessation until smokers kicked the habit. “However, people have been using e-cigarettes continuously, and of course, it is just as harmful as smoking. It can cause cardiovascular events, lung damage, high blood pressure, severe pneumonia accompanied by respiratory failure, and even death. It can also trigger oral, mouth, and throat cancers.”
Experts explain that, “There are some very important aspects in smoking cessation treatment, one of which is addiction itself, mediated by neurotransmitters, which are chemical substances in our brain that have a continuous supply-demand relationship. In this vicious cycle, it demands from you, gives you a sense of satisfaction, and then demands again. Another very important part is the behavioral aspect, such as what you hold in your hand, smoking after dinner, smoking after getting in a car. These habits related to behavior must be addressed in a different way.
According to a study, 37% of adolescents in American middle schools have tried smoking e-cigarettes and marijuana-infused e-cigarettes. This proportion has seen a significant increase among teenagers, with more severe consequences for their well-being.
