Date:2020-4-7 15:00:51 Clicks:881 【Font Size:
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A recent study showed that e-cigarette use can change the community of bacteria in the mouth and raise the risk of oral inflammation and infection, indicating again that no smoking product is risk-free to health.
The mouth contains a lot of bacteria that colonize the respiratory and digestive tracts. Altering the community of oral bacteria may lead to tooth decay, gum disease and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers. Researchers from the United States revealed that e-cigarette use can impact oral and immune health by examining the oral cavity and saliva samples of e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers and never users of both products. Gum disease or infection was much more common in cigarette smokers (72.5%) and e-cigarette users (42.5%) than in never users (28.2%). Increased Porphyromonas bacteria and Veillonella bacteria in the saliva samples of e-cigarette users indicated worsened oral health in relation to e-cigarette use. The researchers also found that e-cigarette aerosol exposure may increase inflammatory response and make cells more vulnerable to bacterial infection.
Hong Kong should enact a total ban on e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn tobacco products and other alternative smoking products to protect public health. COSH is organizing the “Support to enact a total ban on e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products” signatory campaign to urge the Government to enact a total ban on alternative smoking products and to formulate a timeline on smoking ban to achieve a smoke-free Hong Kong. Please support the signatory campaign by signing at the website (www.smokefree.hk/support). COSH also urges the public to beware of the misleading claims by the tobacco companies, and firmly say NO to all smoking products.