College researcher explains dangers of e-cigarettes

Senior Research Scientist Marielle Brinkman was interviewed by Discovery Education, CVS Health Foundation and CATCH Global Foundation as part of the Be Vape Free education initiative, which aims to prevent the use of e-cigarettes among elementary, middle and high school-aged children.

In the segment, Brinkman explains the toxicity of nicotine, which is also used as an insecticide, and discusses her research testing the toxins in e-cigarette smoke. Once inhaled, this smoke has been shown to transform into harsh chemicals like formaldehyde and acid aldehyde, as well as nickel, chromium and lead.

“All of these things are lung irritants that cause inflammation in the lungs,” Brinkman said. “They have the potential to cause cancer. They have the potential to cause learning deficits.”

Research also suggests that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes.   

“Bottom line — treat that e-cigarette like it’s a ticking bomb,” Brinkman said. “There are some really dire consequences to using nicotine. You end up sort of spending your lifetime chasing feeling better. Really if you’d never used nicotine in the first place, you wouldn’t feel that bad.”

The segment also includes interviews with Dr. Christy Sadreameli of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Victor DeNoble, a former scientist for tobacco giant Phillip Morris.