E-Cigarettes Containing Alcohol More Addictive?

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A recently published study reveals that some brands of e-cigarettes contain enough alcohol to impair motor skills. Researchers from the School of Medicine in Yale University are concerned that the presence of alcohol makes the e-cig more addictive.

A total of 16 individuals were selected to participate in the study and asked to use different e-cig liquids: one containing 0.4 percent alcohol and another which had 23.5 percent alcohol. CNBC says the study was conducted over a period of two days, each day reserved for a single type of vaping liquid.

After using the e-cigarettes, the participants' motor skills were tested by placing metal pins into a series of holes. A report published by Yale News indicated that the participants who smoked e-cigarettes containing a higher concentration of alcohol did worse in the tests.

Lead researcher Mehmet Sofuoglu stated that individuals who drank alcohol were often aware when they were becoming intoxicated. With inhaling e-cigarettes, however, ABC 10 News says the participants did not feel that they were getting drunk.

The results of the study have gotten health professionals worried. For one, the CNBC report says vaping made it easier for the body to process the alcohol.

Even if the amount of alcohol in the urine is not enough to be detected using conventional testing methods, decision-making becomes more difficult. Driving and other similar tasks can become dangerous.

As e-cigarettes are not regulated, ABC 10 News reports indicate that identifying and determining which brands contain alcohol is impossible.

According to CNBC, out of 31 e-liquids included in the study, more than a third contained insignificant amounts of alcohol. On the other hand, Virgin Vapor's organic French vanilla contained 23.5 percent alcohol.

Researchers say the presence of alcohol itself in the e-cigarettes itself should be a cause for concern. In a report published by the Daily Mail UK, the authors of the study say alcohol makes it more difficult to stop vaping.

In a statement to Yale News, lead researcher Mehmet Sofuoglu expressed his concern saying, "Given the widespread and unregulated use of e-cigarettes, especially by youth and other vulnerable populations, further studies are needed to evaluate both the acute safety and long-term health risks of using alcohol-containing e-cigarettes."

Kids and teenagers are the most at risk.

A press release published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 70 percent of students in middle and high school have seen commercials promoting e-cigarettes. The lack of constraints in marketing has led to a dramatic increase of e-cigarettes amongst the youth.