We’ve all heard it - e-cigarettes are the "cool" and "safer" way to enjoy a smoke, but are they really as harmless as they seem? Before taking another puff, let's dive into what e-cigarettes are all about and whether they truly deserve their "healthier alternative” label.
Electronic Smoking Devices are a feature at university campuses in South Africa, with students vaping and smoking.
The Faculty of Dentistry recently held its annual Research Day to showcase the work being conducted by undergraduate and postgraduate students. A group of UWC students presented a research paper at the research day that provided insights into the university's vaping and smoking culture. The presentation paid special attention to the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of UWC students on e-cigarettes.
Given the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes among students, this study aimed to explore the motivation behind this practice and trend.
This study found that despite the 100 participants being correctly informed of the harmful effects of using and even modifying their e-cigarettes, participants still chose to use the device. Additionally the students lacked the knowledge of the link between systemic health and oral health. E-cigarettes have detrimental effects on general health. There is a direct link to systemic, respiratory, and cardiovascular effects. In addition, the oral cavity is at risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease as well as reduced antioxidant capacity of saliva.
A random sample of 100 students, comprising 50 from the UWC Main Campus in Bellville and 50 from the Faculty of Dentistry, were selected for this research. In their conclusion, the authors noted that: “While the use of e-cigarettes may only provide short-term relief of symptoms and could potentially exacerbate anxiety and dependence in the long run, most participants utilised vaping as a coping mechanism for life challenges, stress, and anxiety relief, believing it to alleviate their symptoms.”
The findings also emphasised the importance of creating awareness campaigns within universities to educate students about the potentially harmful effects of e-cigarettes. This offered a valuable opportunity for higher education Institutions to actively address and mitigate this prevalent health concern.
One of the stand-out findings of the research done was that 24% of participants modified their e-cigarette devices despite being aware of the harmful effects of doing so.
To watch the full Dentistry Research Day 2024 event - click here
- Out of the 100 participants, 24% had reported to have a daily frequency use of e-cigarettes of more than 10 times a day.
- 17% had reported to be using it five or less times a day and 14% had reported to be using it between six and 10 times a day.
- 17% had reported to be using e-cigarettes for less than a year, 17% had reported to be using it for two years and 17% had reported to be using it for three years or more.
- 45% of non-vapors and 36% of vapors acknowledge the addictive potential of e-cigarettes.
- 37% of participants stated that vaping relieved their symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, which was in contrast to a study conducted that reported a majority disagreeing with this notion.
- This study uncovered a notable prevalence of e-cigarette use in university students, with 48% reporting usage, despite the majority believing that e-cigarettes are addictive and they were aware of the risks associated with the use.
The theme of this year's Dentistry Research Day was Healthy Bodies, Healthy Mouths.
The winners of the undergraduate and postgraduate research competitions were announced and awarded prizes on UWC Dentistry Day.
In the undergraduate competition, the winning team’s project was titled "Assessing the waiting lists of a tertiary oral health center in the Western Cape”, followed by "Oral health behaviours of undergraduate dental students at the University of the Western Cape" in second place, and "Learning challenges and opportunities experienced by students at the UWC dental faculty during COVID and returning to face-to-face education post-COVID" in third place.
In the postgraduate competition, Dr Dada Similola's research on "Characterisation of salivary exosomes as a diagnostic biomarker for oral squamous cell carcinoma" was declared the winner.
