Nicotine Exposure Lower for Children Exposed to Secondhand Vapor
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, July 12, 2024 -- Nicotine absorption is much lower in children who are exposed to secondhand vapor versus secondhand smoke, but it is still higher than among those exposed to neither, according to a study published online July 11 in JAMA Network Open.
Harry Tattan-Birch, Ph.D., from University College London, and colleagues compared nicotine absorption among children who are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke only, those exposed to secondhand vapor only, and those exposed to neither using data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households from 2017 to 2020. Data were included from 1,777 children aged 3 to 11 years with serum cotinine levels incompatible with current firsthand nicotine use (<15 μg/L).
The researchers found that children only exposed to secondhand smoke had the highest nicotine absorption, as indexed by serum cotinine level (0.494 μg/L), while those exposed only to secondhand vapor had an 83.6 percent lower nicotine absorption (0.081 μg/L). The geometric mean cotinine level was 0.016 μg/L among children with no reported secondhand exposure, which was 96.7 percent lower than for those with exposure to secondhand smoke. After adjustment for covariates, the results were similar.
"We found that nicotine absorption is much lower in children who are exposed to secondhand e-cigarette vapor versus secondhand tobacco smoke, but still approximately five times higher than in those exposed to neither," the authors write. "This suggests that switching from smoking to vaping indoors may substantially reduce but not eliminate children’s secondhand exposure to nicotine and other noxious substances."
Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Artificial Sweetener Neotame Found in Most E-Cigarettes
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 -- The artificial sweetener neotame is ubiquitous in popular disposable e-cigarettes, according to a research letter published online June 2 in...
Text-Only, Health-Harm E-Cigarette Warnings Increase Beliefs in Addictiveness
THURSDAY, June 5, 2025 -- Text-only, health-harm warnings on electronic cigarettes are associated with increased beliefs about the harm and addictiveness of e-cigarettes...
Prevalence of Disability Up Over Twofold for Current Smokers
FRIDAY, May 30, 2025 -- The prevalence of disability among adults who currently smoke cigarettes is more than twofold higher than that seen for never smokers, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.