Vaping and alternative smoking methods – a new risk of toxicity in children and adolescents

The children’s use of e-cigarettes has increased as many view them as a safer alternative to smoking during the past few years. In e-cigarettes, tobacco combustion is replaced by e-liquid heating, but the heating process can lead to new decomposition compounds of questionable toxicity. In addition, children exposure to e-cigarette liquids, whether intentional or accidental, may lead to specific adverse events of various types and severity from acute nicotine poisoning to an e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI), a severe pulmonary disease with public health implications. Therefore ongoing surveillance of poisoning exposure cases involving e-cigarettes and informing and educating the receptive population, especially adolescents and young people, on the risks they are exposed to by using these alternative smoking methods acquires special importance.