Lead: Secondhand Nicotine Absorption From E-Cigarette Vapor vs Tobacco Smoke in Children

Secondhand Nicotine Absorption From E-Cigarette Vapor vs Tobacco Smoke in Children  JAMA Network Open This cross-sectional study of 1,777 US children aged 3 to 11 years examined how children’s nicotine absorption, as indexed by serum cotinine level, differ among those exposed to (1) secondhand tobacco smoke only, (2) secondhand e-cigarette vapor only, or (3) neither. Compared with children exposed to secondhand smoke only, nicotine absorption was 83.6% lower in those exposed to secondhand vapor only and 96.7% lower in those exposed to neither. These findings suggest that children absorb much more nicotine from secondhand smoke than from secondhand vapor; switching from smoking to vaping indoors may substantially reduce children’s secondhand exposure to nicotine and other noxious substances, but both smoke and vapor increase children’s absorption vs no exposure.   Read this issue of the ASAM Weekly Subscribe to the ASAM Weekly Visit ASAM