A casual online search for electronic cigarettes in Kenya brings up tens of vendors parading their services on the internet, most even promising home deliveries. This is a clear pointer to the extent to which nicotine use has transformed over the years adopting new trends in the changing social dynamics.
One would have naturally expected that with the Covid-19 pandemic, nicotine or cigarette use would have diminished significantly. On the contrary, it seems to have experienced exponential growth now that users are being asked to remain indoors to avoid rapid spreading of the Coronavirus.
The ban of shisha use in Kenya in 2017 opened doors to the proliferation of vapes, which go by different urban names and references depending on the zone of adaptation, including e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes, tank systems, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.
The vapes go for a local price of Sh5,000 and they come with a beverage and tobacco liquid. The e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a vapour that the smoker inhales. There’s no fire, no ash and no smoky smell.
Packaged as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes are being taken up by those wishing to kick the tar and carcinogenic substances-laden tobacco cigarettes. They are believed to be less toxic and have a liquid solution that contains nicotine. The liquid is heated in the delivery system to produce vapour, hence the ‘vaping’ culture.
Reality check; no matter how it’s delivered, nicotine is addictive and harmful. Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, including ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, flavorants such as diacetyl—a chemical linked to serious lung disease—volatile organic compounds and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead.
Some of these online stores give a brief guideline and recommendations on the amount of vape juice to take in, depending on the number of cigarettes one consumes. The nicotine content in the vape pens varies from zero to extra high or 24-36mg per millilitre. In Kenya, there is no clear policy to regulate or guide the use, sale and consumption of e-cigarettes, making them an alternative for tobacco users wishing to continue the habit without having to deal with smoke and tar.
Advertising, marketing and promotion of e-cigarettes has grown rapidly, through channels that rely heavily on the internet and social media. Much of the marketing around these products gives rise to concern about deceptive health claims, deceptive claims on cessation efficacy and targeting towards youth.
Compared to regular cigarettes, whose health effects have been studied broadly over many years, studies on the impacts of e-cigarettes are still limited, as it’s only recently that the products gained popularity.
However, a 2015 study by chemistry professors David Peyton, Robert Strongin, James Pankow and others revealed that e-cigarette vapour can contain new forms of formaldehyde at levels five to 15 times higher than the formaldehyde in regular cigarettes.
Another study by WHO shows that close exposure to vaping among people who have recently quit smoking might trigger them to relapse. Exposure to the e-cigarette cue but not the tobacco cigarette cue significantly increases their desire to smoke.
The study also shows that second-hand aerosols from e-cigs pose an increased risk for the health of all bystanders, especially those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
WHO recommends to Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that they consider prohibiting by law the use of e-cigs in indoor spaces or at least where smoking is not permitted.
Many people find second-hand aerosols from vaping to be a nuisance since they include strong flavours and leave strong smells.
Manager, Corporate Communications at Nacada
