Japan Holds E-Cigarette Seminar to Discuss Whether Vaping Is Harmful to Health

Recently, heated tobacco products have gained significant attention in Japan, with a rapidly increasing number of users. These products are characterized by the absence of visible smoke during use, but specialists studying the health hazards of smoking have pointed out that electronic cigarettes contain carcinogenic nicotine, which is not much different from regular cigarettes. According to the Jiji Press, at the end of March, approximately 130 medical-related professional societies formed the "Japan Medical Association Alliance" and held a public seminar on the health hazards of heated tobacco products, sounding the alarm on electronic cigarette use. The seminar, titled "Heated Tobacco Products and Health: Current Usage and Scientific Assessment Issues," was attended by over 300 medical professionals. Chiharu Toyama, a director of the Japan Medical Association Alliance and an honorary professor at the University of Tokyo, pointed out that harmful components in smoke produced by burning cigarettes have been scientifically proven to pose health risks. He also introduced the seminar's purpose, stating that it is crucial to understand usage patterns and address the harmful aspects of heated tobacco products. Recommended reading: Are electronic cigarettes harmful? What are the dangers of electronic cigarettes? 　　New type of secondhand smoke

　　Electronic cigarette manufacturers argue that the benefits of heated tobacco products include lower health risks and the absence of secondhand smoke, claiming that "harmful components are reduced by 90% compared to traditional cigarettes" and "there is no smoke, so it won't pollute the room." However, Hiroshi Yamato, a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Industrial Health, pointed out that even extremely small amounts of harmful substances like nicotine can impact health. Yamato further emphasized that the quantity of harmful substances does not correlate proportionally with health risks, and the suspended particles (smoke) in heated tobacco products also contain harmful substances like nicotine. He also mentioned that the precautions noted by manufacturers of heated tobacco products indicate that the adverse health effects of these products are not necessarily lower than those of other products. Yamato also pointed out that the human respiratory system has a characteristic that expels some inhaled air before it reaches the lungs. He visualized the exhalation of electronic cigarette users using special lasers, emphasizing that some of the suspended particles containing nicotine that are inhaled and then exhaled can even spread two to three meters away. Heated tobacco products may also pose health risks to those nearby, potentially creating a "new type of secondhand smoke" issue.

　　Attention to health hazards

　　Kunihiro Seyama, an associate professor of respiratory and allergic diseases at Juntendo University, stated that smoking cigarettes or pipes and exposure to secondhand smoke have been proven to have causal relationships with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He then pointed out that surveys conducted on electronic cigarette users in Europe and the United States, where electronic cigarettes have been widely adopted, indicate that electronic cigarettes also carry similar disease risks. He noted that laboratory mice exposed to the suspended particles from electronic cigarettes exhibited changes similar to those seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, it was found that they triggered unique immune responses in humans that differ from those caused by combustible tobacco, which requires attention. Among users of heated tobacco products, cases of "acute eosinophilic pneumonia," commonly seen in traditional cigarette smokers, have also been reported. Therefore, Seyama urged attention to the health hazards posed by heated tobacco products and secondhand smoke.

　　Weak awareness of "smoking"

　　Experts pointed out that one reason for the popularity of heated tobacco products is that some users do not recognize that they are "smoking." Takahiro Tayasu, deputy director of the Osaka International Cancer Center, reported on part of an online survey conducted in 2015 regarding the usage of heated tobacco products. This survey involved over 1,000 electronic cigarette and heated tobacco product users, revealing that 25% of respondents had answered "at least once" to having smoked in restaurants and workplaces where smoking is prohibited, and 15% answered "frequently." Regarding this survey, Tayasu explained that the results indicate that some people mistakenly believe they can use heated tobacco products in non-smoking areas. Additionally, the survey also inquired about the effects of secondhand smoke on health, asking about 10,000 people who reported having someone smoking heated tobacco products nearby. Among them, 1,413 reported experiencing health issues such as "sore throat" and "feeling unwell." Tayasu believes that smokers may not have a clear awareness of "smoking" while using heated tobacco products, and he emphasized the importance of being vigilant about the health risks posed to those around them, which may even exceed those of traditional cigarette smoking.

　　Terminology used in this article

　　(1) Heated tobacco products: These products do not burn tobacco leaves but directly heat e-liquids containing tobacco components, allowing users to inhale suspended particles containing nicotine to satisfy their smoking needs. Currently, in Japan, they are classified as "tobacco products" under the Tobacco Business Act, and as of April 2018, three companies in Japan have sold products with different heating methods.

　　(2) Electronic cigarettes: These products involve inhaling vapor formed by heating nicotine-containing e-liquid. In countries and regions outside Japan, nicotine-containing e-liquid products are considered a form of tobacco. In Japan, the law prohibits the manufacture and sale of nicotine-containing e-liquids, but they can be obtained through personal importation. It is believed that some Japanese people are using them.