Editor:
I read with interest recent article in your esteemed paper (Time for smokers to butt out is now, or risk ventilator shortage: researcher).
According to accumulating scientific evidence, COVID-19 could be a serious threat to those who smoke e-cigarettes, combustible tobacco or marijuana. I strongly believe that the recent evidence needs to be appropriately reflected in COVID-19 prognosis and treatment efforts.
Further, this information should be widely circulated as emerging clinical guidelines, in order to assist physicians’ informed clinical decision-making efforts to treat COVID-19 effectively and efficiently.
In the light of this evidence, the public health community can get involved and promote comprehensive tobacco prevention programs, social media campaigns, public educational awareness, as well as build solid evidence-based information on all tobacco products.
It is also important that we specially focus on high-risk groups like adolescents and encourage them to quit all tobacco and other vaping products. Adolescents are more potential for nicotine and THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol vaping addiction, because of the rapid changes in their developing brains remains an unresolved concern.
According to available literature, many physicians feel uncomfortable discussing the health effects of e-cigarettes, obviously, due to limited knowledge and contradictory scientific information available on this topic and I hope that the B.C. Medical Association, B.C. Ministry of Health and B.C. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry would take this public health issue very seriously and provide the necessary leadership to cease this golden opportunity to launch a B.C.-wide educational campaign to prevent adolescent nicotine, vaping epidemic.
Aki Nilanga Bandara
