E-cigarettes pique interest in Youth

The growing interest in e-cigarettes has had a profound impact on the youth population. A study in the Journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that more than 25% of youth who had never smoked in the past used e-cigarettes in 2013. According to the statistics on smoking rates among youth, this represents an increase from 79,000 youth smokers in 2011 to more than 263,000 in 2013.

What’s more staggering is that surveys of these youth indicate higher interests in trying conventional cigarettes after smoking the e-cigarettes. Because of the alarming rise in young e-cigarette users, concerns have cropped up about overall regulation of the e-cigarette market. Right now, only e-cigarettes that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

On April 25, the FDA proposed the regulation of all e-cigarettes, lumping them into the same category as other tobacco products. If the ruling goes through, the products would be subject to federal prohibition on sales to minors. Right now, sales can be made to minors unless the product is marketed as a therapeutic treatment. However, certain state and local laws do restrict sales to minors. It is not a federal mandate to do so.

While e-cigarettes have been touted as a “safe” way to smoke, their general make up, as noted in toxicology reports, show otherwise. E-cigarettes contain various cancer-causing agents such as diethylene glycol, a compound found in antifreeze and brake fluid. Diethylene glycol is also a poison as classified by the World Health Organization that can cause kidney damage, nerve dysfunction and respiratory failure. Also contained within the electronic sticks are particles of silver, iron, aluminum and silicate along with traces of tin, chromium and nickel. All of these elements have been known to cause respiratory distress and disease, according to the FDA.

As for the nicotine content, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine, but the delivery mechanism is different than traditional cigarettes because of the filtering mechanism. Regardless, the amount entering the body can be similar to regular filtered cigarettes. Furthermore, the toxicity of the smoke emitted from e-cigarettes (i.e. second-hand smoke) is still being tested.

The numerous unknowns of e-cigarettes have caused many countries in Europe to ban them. In the United States, it appears the objective is more regulation.

Research has indicated that the use of e-cigarettes will likely increase and potentially replace traditional cigarettes. The cost is 5-7 times cheaper than smoking a pack a day. Furthermore, the marketing has touted them to be safer and they are easier to use than regular cigarettes, which require a lighter or matches to get started. Time will tell if they are safer or simply another unhealthy practice.

For overall health, it is wise to not smoke at all – e-cigarettes or traditional ones. For information on smoking cessation, consult your primary care physician. You will be glad you did.

 

Works Used for this Post:

ChangeLab Solutions. (2014). Are e-cigarettes regulated by the FDA? Retrieved from http://changelabsolutions.org/tobacco-control/question/are-e-cigarettes-regulate

Cope, G. (2013). Are e-cigarettes an aid to smoking cessation? Practice Nursing, 24(9), 426-428.

Niaura, R. S., Glynn, T. J., and Abrams, D. B. (2014). Youth experimentation with e-cigarettes. Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(6), 641-642.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2014). Electronic Cigarettes. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm172906.htm

 

 

An Office Window can improve your Health

Having a window office really does make a difference in your health.

A study that came out of Germany showed how exposure to light can influence both mood and sleep in office workers. The fascinating part of this study was that they recorded evidence of two visible light factors: illuminance and irradiance of blue spectral component. In general terms, blue light come from the sun’s ultra-violet rays. While most people understand that UV rays can be harmful and cause skin disorders such as cancer, they are also valuable to human health in other ways.

Daily light exposure during office hours does truly influence the amount of sleep a person obtains every night. Blue light reaching the eye during the day positively affected the quality of sleep as well as the amount of sleep. So, if you have an office window, you are likely getting at least 45 more minutes of sleep – and quality sleep – than your counterparts with interior offices.

Sleep health is far more important than people realize. In fact, it has become so important that public health professionals added it to their priority list in 2010 when studies consistently showed sleep disorders were on the rise. At that time, poor sleep was reported in more than 25 percent of the adult population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 70 percent of adults got sufficient sleep (8 or more hours per night) during a 24-hour period.

However, what’s more important is that these sleepy people are more prone to infections, diabetes, low productivity and high risk of accidents of various types. Also, sleep disorders have been associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Light is an important element to the human body because it acts as a master clock. It tells your brain cells when it is daylight and when it is night simply by the amount of light that enters the eye. Natural light contains a higher intensity that than indoor lighting, allowing your body to be more alert and focused. That, in turns, allows your body to rest more soundly when it is darker.

Since natural sunlight and sleep are correlated, it stands to reason that we should be spending more time outdoors – especially when the sun is out. For those with an exterior window, you are lucky. The rest of us have to figure out how to get in regular daily doses of sunshine if we work inside.

The best way to maintain a healthy master clock is to get into bright sunlight during the day – around noon is best. The bright light apparently “anchors” your body’s rhythms so that you are more alert through the day and able to sleep more soundly at night. It only takes between 30 and 60 minutes to achieve the anchoring effect. The easiest way to soak in the sunlight is to get outside during your breaks – even short bouts of 15 minutes of natural light can help improve your health. Take your mid-day breaks outside and eat lunch outdoors.

Researcher Dan Pardi who works with the Behavioral Sciences Department at Stanford University discovered that if you get enough light every day, you will not only improve your mood and sleep, but your overall well-being.

There may be a quicker fix: If you’re in need of more sleep, ask your boss for a window office!

Works Used for this Article:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Sleep health. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=38

Hubalek, S., Brink, M., and Schierz, C. (2010). Office workers’ daily exposure to light and its influence on sleep quality and mood. Lighting Research & Technology, 42(1), 33-50.

Kitchel, E. (2000). The effects of blue light on ocular health. Retrieved from http://www.cclvi.org/contributions/effects1.htm

Pardi, D. (2014). How the cycles of light and darkness affect your health and wellbeing. Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/19/sleep-light-exposure.aspx