Experts in heart and vascular diseases warn that nicotine poses a direct threat to the heart, regardless of the way it is consumed, affirming that there is no nicotine-containing product that can be considered safe.
This warning was issued in a report published in the European Journal of Heart Diseases, which compiled the results of all published studies about the effects of nicotine on the heart and blood vessels, marking the first report to discuss the harms of all nicotine products, not just traditional smoking.
The report highlighted the rapid increase in the use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, especially among teenagers and young adults, noting that about three-quarters of young electronic cigarette users had never smoked before, intensifying concerns that these products may serve as a new gateway to nicotine addiction.
The authors of the report confirmed that this spread is driven by appealing flavors, intensive marketing through social media and influencers, in addition to regulatory gaps that allow these products to proliferate without sufficient restrictions.
The heart experts involved in the report agreed that nicotine is a strong toxic substance for the cardiovascular system, causing high blood pressure, damaging blood vessels, and increasing the risk of heart disease, whether consumed through traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, hookah, heated tobacco, or oral nicotine pouches.
The report emphasized that second-hand exposure to cigarette smoke, as well as emissions from electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco, also causes damage to blood vessels, affirming that there is no "safe" way to use nicotine.
Despite the clarity of current evidence, the researchers indicated that the long-term effects of modern tobacco products are still not fully known, necessitating further studies, especially in light of the widespread use of multiple nicotine products at the same time, complicating the assessment of each product's impact individually.
The report also denied claims promoting electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches as effective means to quit smoking, considering them more often as gateways to it, or leading to their use alongside traditional cigarettes.
The authors of the report called for a comprehensive set of measures to limit the spread of nicotine, including banning flavors in all its products, imposing taxes proportionate to the nicotine content, adopting standardized packaging, and enforcing strict laws to prevent smoking and the use of vaporizers in both indoor and open spaces, in addition to tightening online sales monitoring and banning advertisements on social media.
They also recommended incorporating nicotine prevention within cardiovascular healthcare and developing national plans for heart disease prevention that treat nicotine as a major risk factor.
