The dangers of electronic cigarettes: interview with Professor Alcimar Nunes Pinheiro

O professor Alcimar Nunes Pinheiro, titular da cadeira de pneumologia na UFMA e presidente da Fundação Josué Montello, foi o convidado do ‘Café com Notícias’ desta terça-feira (24) na TV Assembleia. Em uma entrevista envolvente, ele abordou a polêmica em torno dos cigarros eletrônicos, que surgiram como uma alternativa saudável ao cigarro tradicional, mas hoje têm seu uso proibido pela Anvisa.

According to the professor, e-cigarettes were created with attractions such as flavor and aroma to appeal to young people, but they contain tobacco, which makes them just as harmful as traditional cigarettes. He pointed out that, due to the short time e-cigarettes have been used, it is not yet possible to assess their long-term effects, but it is possible to infer that they will cause the same harm.

Alcimar Nunes Pinheiro also pointed out that, despite having emerged as an alternative for those who wanted to quit smoking, e-cigarettes turned out to be a decoy, as many of them contain nicotine, an addictive substance, and tobacco. He warned that the concentration of nicotine in e-cigarettes can be even higher than in traditional cigarettes, which makes it even quicker to become addicted.

In addition, the professor spoke about the drop in smoking rates over the last 15 years and the risks for passive smokers, pointing out that passive smoking is a reality, especially in closed and air-conditioned environments, where people can be exposed to smoke from electronic or traditional cigarettes.

O ‘Café com Notícias’, apresentado pela jornalista Elda Borges, vai ao ar de segunda a sexta-feira, às 9h, na TV Assembleia. Para conferir a entrevista na íntegra, basta acessar o link disponibilizado.