Protect our Next calls for urgent e-cigarette regulation in South Africa

A groundbreaking new study conducted by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC) has provided evidence to show the genetic impact of vaping and smoking. Their study sample included youth aged between 21 and 27 years who were either exclusive vapers or exclusive smokers or neither used both products. This is the first genome-wide comparison between vapers and smokers and the study reveals that both groups did not only exhibit similar DNA changes linked to disease risk, including changes in a key gene that suppresses cancer, but also found some toxins in vapers which were not present in smokers. These findings have prompted Protect our Next partner organisations including the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) to call for the urgent regulation of e-cigarettes under the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, currently in Parliament. 

The study, led by Dr. Stella Tommasi, involved a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation—a chemical modification of DNA that can turn genes “on” or “off” in cheek cells. According to Prof. Glantz (Professor Emeritus at the University of California San Francisco Centre for Tobacco Control and Education), DNA methylation is vital to the normal functioning of cells but it can lead to cancer and other diseases if it goes awry.

Key findings from the study include:

• DNA Methylation Patterns: Researchers discovered 831 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in vapers and 2,863 in smokers, with 46% overlap indicating similar risks for disease development, including cancer.
• Tumour-Suppressor Gene Impact: The most significant DMR shared between vapers and smokers was located within a tumour-suppressor gene named Hypermethylated In Cancer 1 (HIC1). HIC1 is altered by methylation at a very early stage in the development of cancer, including in smoking-related cancers.
• Unique Toxic Load: More than half of the DMRs found in vapers were not detected in smokers. This shows that e-cigarettes do not just expose users to some toxins also found in cigarettes but also produce different types of toxins that are not associated with cigarettes which have significant health implications. This contradicts the belief that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes.

“Essentially, the research examines how vaping compares to smoking in healthy young individuals by looking at changes in their oral cells,” explains Lorraine Govender, National Manager Health Promotion at CANSA. “Both groups share patterns related to important genes that are involved in regulating cell functions and cancer. The new study found that DNA methylation in vapers, much like in smokers, can contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer. “

A significant finding is that in both vapers and smokers, DMR was found within a gene (HIC1) which suppresses tumours and this has been linked to various cancers including cancers linked with tobacco use. “This suggests that both vapers and smokers face future disease risks related to their DNA changes, which has important implications for public health and highlights the urgent need for stricter regulations on tobacco products and e-cigarettes.”

It is significant that more than half of the DMRs found in vapers were not detected in smokers, Govender says. “You may think you’re using a safer product, but in reality you’re adding a whole new set of harmful toxins, many of which are not even found in tobacco cigarettes. This also increases your risk of serious diseases including cancer. You may only see the results of your actions many years later, but when facing cancer and chemo, you may wish you hadn’t taken that risk,” she warned.

Dr. Catherine Egbe, Senior Specialist Scientist in the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MASTRU) at SAMRC highlights the increasing use of e-cigarettes in South Africa. Recent SAMRC national university study led by Dr Egbe reveal current prevalence of e-cigarette use among students aged 18 to 24 years to be 26.3% (28.7% among males and 24.1% among females) and of that, 12.5% of students (15.4% among males and 9.8% among females) use e-cigarettes on a daily basis.

The SAMRC study further shows significant exposure to tobacco and e-cigarette marketing among young people, particularly university students – advertising which would be controlled by the new Bill if passed into law. “Aggressive marketing tactics target young impressionable minds, with products like e-cigarettes and hookah being falsely marketed as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, without information about any health effects that may be associated with the use of these products. Egbe maintained that “for tobacco and nicotine products, exposure to less toxins does not mean exposure to less harm, as clearly shown by the USC study.”   The SAMRC study also found that students exposed to advertising are up to four times more likely to use these products, therefore increasing their possibility of developing health issues later in life” Egbe added.

Protect Our Next partner organisations urge policymakers to expedite the passage of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. “This legislation aims to regulate e-cigarettes and reduce their burgeoning uptake among South Africa’s youth, safeguarding future generations from the harmful effects of nicotine and other toxic substances,” says Egbe. “This law is now long overdue.” 

First genome-wide study reveals similar DNA changes in vapers and smokers linked to cancer risk

Protect our Next calls for urgent e-cigarette regulation in South Africa

A groundbreaking new study conducted by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC) has provided evidence to show the genetic impact of vaping and smoking. Their study sample included youth aged between 21 and 27 years who were either exclusive vapers or exclusive smokers or neither used both products. This is the first genome-wide comparison between vapers and smokers and the study reveals that both groups did not only exhibit similar DNA changes linked to disease risk, including changes in a key gene that suppresses cancer, but also found some toxins in vapers which were not present in smokers. These findings have prompted Protect our Next partner organisations including the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) to call for the urgent regulation of e-cigarettes under the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, currently in Parliament. 

The study, led by Dr. Stella Tommasi, involved a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation—a chemical modification of DNA that can turn genes “on” or “off” in cheek cells. According to Prof. Glantz (Professor Emeritus at the University of California San Francisco Centre for Tobacco Control and Education), DNA methylation is vital to the normal functioning of cells but it can lead to cancer and other diseases if it goes awry.

Key findings from the study include:

• DNA Methylation Patterns: Researchers discovered 831 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in vapers and 2,863 in smokers, with 46% overlap indicating similar risks for disease development, including cancer.
• Tumour-Suppressor Gene Impact: The most significant DMR shared between vapers and smokers was located within a tumour-suppressor gene named Hypermethylated In Cancer 1 (HIC1). HIC1 is altered by methylation at a very early stage in the development of cancer, including in smoking-related cancers.
• Unique Toxic Load: More than half of the DMRs found in vapers were not detected in smokers. This shows that e-cigarettes do not just expose users to some toxins also found in cigarettes but also produce different types of toxins that are not associated with cigarettes which have significant health implications. This contradicts the belief that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes.

“Essentially, the research examines how vaping compares to smoking in healthy young individuals by looking at changes in their oral cells,” explains Lorraine Govender, National Manager Health Promotion at CANSA. “Both groups share patterns related to important genes that are involved in regulating cell functions and cancer. The new study found that DNA methylation in vapers, much like in smokers, can contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer. “

A significant finding is that in both vapers and smokers, DMR was found within a gene (HIC1) which suppresses tumours and this has been linked to various cancers including cancers linked with tobacco use. “This suggests that both vapers and smokers face future disease risks related to their DNA changes, which has important implications for public health and highlights the urgent need for stricter regulations on tobacco products and e-cigarettes.”

It is significant that more than half of the DMRs found in vapers were not detected in smokers, Govender says. “You may think you’re using a safer product, but in reality you’re adding a whole new set of harmful toxins, many of which are not even found in tobacco cigarettes. This also increases your risk of serious diseases including cancer. You may only see the results of your actions many years later, but when facing cancer and chemo, you may wish you hadn’t taken that risk,” she warned.

Dr. Catherine Egbe, Senior Specialist Scientist in the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MASTRU) at SAMRC highlights the increasing use of e-cigarettes in South Africa. Recent SAMRC national university study led by Dr Egbe reveal current prevalence of e-cigarette use among students aged 18 to 24 years to be 26.3% (28.7% among males and 24.1% among females) and of that, 12.5% of students (15.4% among males and 9.8% among females) use e-cigarettes on a daily basis.

The SAMRC study further shows significant exposure to tobacco and e-cigarette marketing among young people, particularly university students – advertising which would be controlled by the new Bill if passed into law. “Aggressive marketing tactics target young impressionable minds, with products like e-cigarettes and hookah being falsely marketed as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, without information about any health effects that may be associated with the use of these products. Egbe maintained that “for tobacco and nicotine products, exposure to less toxins does not mean exposure to less harm, as clearly shown by the USC study.”   The SAMRC study also found that students exposed to advertising are up to four times more likely to use these products, therefore increasing their possibility of developing health issues later in life” Egbe added.

Protect Our Next partner organisations urge policymakers to expedite the passage of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. “This legislation aims to regulate e-cigarettes and reduce their burgeoning uptake among South Africa’s youth, safeguarding future generations from the harmful effects of nicotine and other toxic substances,” says Egbe. “This law is now long overdue.”