E-cigarettes can damage developing brains – Neurosurgeon warns young people

A senior neurosurgeon, Dr Hadi Mohammed Abdullah, has warned young people and pregnant women against using e-cigarettes, cautioning that exposure to metals released by the devices could pose serious risks to brain development. He said although e-cigarettes do not contain all the harmful substances found in conventional cigarettes and shisha, their long-term effects remain unclear and should not be dismissed as harmless.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, November 6, during a discussion on the topic “Shisha: Status Symbol or Slow Poison”, Dr Abdullah said research had raised concerns about the presence of metals such as nickel, cadmium and lead in some e-cigarette products. He explained that exposure to these substances could be particularly dangerous for children whose brains are still developing.

“E-cigarettes are something new. Yes, it does not contain all the substances that you find in cigarettes or in shisha. But it’s something that is new, and it will take a long time for us to really understand its dangers. It’s going to take a lot of research,” he said. Dr Abdullah urged young people and parents to take the potential risks seriously, particularly in view of the influence of social media in promoting e-cigarette use.

He said some children who had undergone autopsies were found to have high levels of metals, including nickel, cadmium and lead, which he linked to materials used in e-cigarette devices. “When you have a developing brain that is exposed to lead, it is so dangerous. It damages the brain,” he warned. He also advised pregnant women to avoid exposing their unborn children to shisha, e-cigarettes and other forms of smoking.

How shisha fuels nicotine dependence Turning to the effects of shisha on the brain, Dr Abdullah explained that nicotine is absorbed through the respiratory system into the bloodstream and can reach the heart and brain within seconds. He said nicotine stimulates receptors associated with dopamine, a chemical linked to pleasure and reward, while also increasing adrenaline levels.

This produces temporary feelings of pleasure and excitement, which can encourage repeated use and eventually lead to dependence. “When you smoke shisha, because of the high nicotine levels, it is absorbed through your respiratory system and then into the bloodstream. And within a matter of a few seconds, it can reach your heart and then your brain,” he explained.

He said the stimulation of dopamine receptors creates a temporary feel-good sensation that makes users want to smoke more frequently. “Because once you stimulate your dopamine receptors, you increase the dopamine level, you feel good, the feel-good factor is there. So you want more,” he said. Dr Abdullah advised people who were becoming dependent on shisha to acknowledge its health risks and seek professional medical assistance.

Water and flavours do not make shisha safe The neurosurgeon cautioned that shisha is not a harmless recreational product, explaining that passing the smoke through water does not remove its dangerous substances. He said the water cools the smoke, making it easier for users to inhale larger quantities without experiencing some of the irritation associated with conventional cigarette smoking.

He also identified the flavours added to shisha as a factor that creates the misleading impression that the product is safe or does not contain tobacco. “The water cools down the smoke so that you are able to even inhale a lot more. And the flavours that they add to it, that is what gives that wrong impression that this is not dangerous and it is not tobacco,” he said.

He maintained that the absence of the harsh sensation associated with cigarette smoking does not mean shisha users are exposed to fewer harmful substances. “In terms of the substances he mentioned, you are actually taking more of that, and that is what causes the danger,” he added. Asthmatics warned against shisha, e-cigarettes Dr Abdullah further advised people living with asthma to avoid both shisha and e-cigarettes, warning that their use could lead to severe complications.

He said there was evidence of some asthmatic patients developing serious complications after using the products, with some requiring admission to intensive care units. “If you are asthmatic, try to stay away from shisha and even e-cigarettes because there is evidence to show that some asthmatics have ended up in intensive care units by just smoking shisha or taking even e-cigarette,” he cautioned.