American Journal of Preventive Medicine study concludes nicotine is harmful to adolescent brain development, concern with e-cigarette use
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A new article was published online this week by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine titled, “Nicotine and the Developing Human: A Neglected Element in the Electronic Cigarette Debate.”
According to the article, careful consideration of the potential adverse health effects from nicotine itself is often absent from public health debates on electronic smoking devices. Human and animal data support that nicotine exposure during periods of developmental vulnerability (fetal through adolescent stages) has multiple adverse health consequences, including impaired fetal brain and lung development, and altered development of cerebral cortex and hippocampus in adolescents. The paper further describes measures that could protect pregnant women, fetuses, children and teens from the damage caused by nicotine exposure.