For many years, people have linked heart disease mainly with smoking cigarettes. However, a major new expert report shows that the real danger is not just smoke, but nicotine itself.
According to a large review published in the European Heart Journal, nicotine harms the heart and blood vessels no matter how it enters the body. This includes cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco products, waterpipes, cigars, and nicotine pouches.
Nicotine is a powerful chemical that affects the body quickly. It raises blood pressure, makes the heart beat faster, and damages the lining of blood vessels. Over time, this damage increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious heart problems.
The experts behind the report make it clear that nicotine is not a harmless stimulant. It is toxic to the cardiovascular system on its own, even without the smoke, tar, or other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes.
This report is important because it looks at all nicotine products together, not just smoking. In recent years, many people have switched from cigarettes to vapes or nicotine pouches, believing they are safer. At the same time, the use of these newer products has grown very fast among teenagers and young adults.
Research shows that about three out of four young adults who vape have never smoked cigarettes before. This means nicotine products are not simply replacing smoking but are creating new addiction.
One major reason for this rise is marketing. Sweet flavors, colorful packaging, and heavy promotion on social media make nicotine products attractive to young people.
Influencers often show these products as trendy or harmless, even though the health risks are real. The report warns that this marketing has opened the door to a new generation becoming addicted to nicotine at a very young age.
The experts also point out that being around nicotine products can be harmful even if someone does not use them directly. Breathing in smoke, vapor, or aerosol from others can still damage blood vessels. This means that second-hand exposure from vapes or heated tobacco is not safe, especially for children and people with heart problems.
Another common belief is that vapes or nicotine pouches help people quit smoking. However, the report finds little evidence to support this idea. Instead, many users end up using both cigarettes and newer nicotine products at the same time. This increases overall nicotine exposure and makes addiction stronger rather than weaker.
The health costs linked to nicotine use are huge. Heart disease caused by nicotine leads to hundreds of billions of euros in health care costs and lost work productivity every year. Despite this, many nicotine products are still lightly taxed or poorly regulated in some countries. This allows companies to avoid strict rules that already apply to cigarettes.
The report comes at a key moment, as the European Commission has started to update its tobacco tax rules. For the first time, these changes include minimum taxes on e-liquids, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches. The experts believe this is an important step, but they say much more needs to be done.
The authors of the report strongly call for better protection, especially for young people. They argue that all nicotine products should be treated the same as cigarettes when it comes to rules and restrictions.
They say flavors should be banned, packaging should be plain, and advertising on social media should be stopped. They also believe nicotine prevention should be part of heart disease care, and national health plans should clearly address nicotine risks.
At the same time, the researchers are honest about the limits of current knowledge. Some newer nicotine products have not been around long enough to fully understand their long-term effects. Many people also use several nicotine products together, which makes it harder to study each one separately. This means more research is still needed.
Overall, the findings send a strong message. There is no safe way to use nicotine when it comes to heart health. Changing the form of nicotine does not remove the danger. The idea of “safer nicotine” is misleading and risky, especially for young people.
After reviewing the study, it is clear that the evidence is strong and consistent. Nicotine itself damages the heart and blood vessels, increases disease risk, and drives addiction. The study shows that current policies have not kept up with changing products, leaving major gaps in protection.
If governments do not act quickly, the long-term health impact could be severe. The report makes it clear that preventing nicotine addiction now is far easier and safer than treating heart disease later.
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