Researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that adult female mice were more likely to develop an addiction to inhaling nicotine vapor. However, withdrawal symptoms are weaker than in young rats and males. results published Neuropsychopharmacology (NPP).
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, are positioned as a safer alternative to traditional smoking. But e-cigarettes have recently increased in popularity among teenagers, an age group for which they are not targeted. There is an opinion that it is easier for young people to quit vaping than adults who have a long history of nicotine addiction. Scientists tried to find out whether this was true.
Juvenile and adult male and female rats were exposed daily for two weeks to nicotine vapor similar to that consumed by humans via e-cigarettes. Scientists recorded rodents’ brain activity as they inhaled the vapors and after they began experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
It turns out that adult female mice are more likely to develop addiction to nicotine vapor. However, the withdrawal syndrome was not as intense as in young rats and males. Scientists explained that nicotine affects the brain differently depending on the sex and age of the animal. Most likely the same patterns apply to humans. The study authors believe that understanding these characteristics is important not only for addressing the health risks associated with vaping, but also for developing effective strategies to protect vulnerable populations (especially youth) from the potential harms of e-cigarette use.
Previously a pulmonologist named The most dangerous form of smoking.