Background: The federal government of Germany is planning to liberalize the recreational cannabis market for adults. We aimed to collect key baseline data on frequency of use, routes of administration, and co-use of cannabis and inhaled nicotine or tobacco products in the population.
Methods: Based on data from a national survey of 9644 people aged >14 years, we analyzed self-reported use of cannabis in the past 12 months and preferred route of administration (single choice: smoked with tobacco; smoked without tobacco; inhaled without tobacco; consumed with food; consumed in another form).
Results: The prevalence of past-year cannabis use was 4.6% (95% CI [4,2; 5,1%]), with higher rates among 14-24- (11.4%) and 25-39-year-olds (8.2%) as well as among co-users of inhaled nicotine or tobacco products, particularly waterpipe users (27.0%). Smoking cannabis with or without tobacco was the preferred route of administration, reported by 92.4% (95% CI [89,6; 94,6%]). It was most frequently reported by 14-24-year-olds and by co-users of inhaled nicotine or tobacco products.
Conclusion: Smoking remains the predominant form of using cannabis-especially among younger users, who are at greatest risk of cannabis-related consequences. The true prevalence of cannabis use may have been underestimated in our study, however, as not all participants answered the questions on cannabis. Nevertheless, preventive and harm reduction efforts are needed to reduce the harm from using cannabis. Continuous monitoring is required to evaluate the effects of the forthcoming law changes in Germany.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0237 | DOI Listing |
Tobacco use is the leading cause of death globally and in the U.S. After decades of decline, driven by decreases in combusted tobacco use, nicotine product use has increased due to Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), also known as e-cigarettes or vapes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFree Radic Biol Med
January 2025
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA.
Inhaling aerosols from electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes (e-cigs), may pose health risks beyond those caused by nicotine intake. Exposure to e-cig aerosols can lead to the release of exosomes and metabolites into the bloodstream, potentially affecting mitochondrial physiology across the body, leading to chronic inflammatory diseases. In this study we assessed the effects of e-cig use by young healthy human subjects on the circulating exosome profile and markers of cell stress, and also defined the effects of e-cig user plasma on mitochondrial function in endothelial cells (EA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNicotine Tob Res
November 2024
Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Introduction: The increasing prevalence of electronic nicotine delivery systems and alcohol drinking has led to increases in nicotine and alcohol co-use. However, the impact of ENDs on brain activity and binge drinking behavior is not fully understood.
Aims And Methods: We subjected female and male C57BL/6J mice to a voluntary drinking and electronic nicotine vapor exposure paradigm.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1690, USA.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) fundamentally differ from tobacco cigarettes in their generation of liquid-based aerosols. Investigating how e-cig aerosols behave when inhaled into the dynamic environment of the lung is important for understanding vaping-related exposure and toxicity. A ventilated artificial lung model was developed to replicate the ventilatory and environmental features of the human lung and study their impact on the characteristics of inhaled e-cig aerosols from simulated vaping scenarios.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
E-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) is strongly associated with vitamin E acetate and often occurs with concomitant tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use. To uncover pathways associated with EVALI, we examined cytokines, transcriptomic signatures, and lipidomic profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from THC-EVALI patients. At a single center, we prospectively enrolled mechanically ventilated patients with EVALI from THC-containing products (N = 4) and patients with non-vaping acute lung injury and airway controls (N = 5).
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