Where there is smoke…is there asthma?
A recent study from the City University of New York (CUNY) found that cannabis legalization and asthma in children and teens.
The study, published in January 2024 in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that in states where marijuana is legal, teens with asthma Slightly higher than states where it is still illegal.
Currently, recreational use of marijuana is legal in 24 states.
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In this study, a research team from the New York State School of Public Health (SPH) analyzed data extracted from the National Survey of Child Health from 2011 to 2019. The study was said to consist of a “representative sample of the U.S. minor child population.” This is a press release from the university.
The sample consisted of 227,451 U.S. children aged 17 and younger, with a mean age of 8.56 years.
In states where marijuana is legal, the percentage of teens with asthma is slightly higher than in states where marijuana remains illegal. (St. Petersburg)
“The first nationally representative study of cannabis use and asthma in the United States found a consistent positive linear relationship (dose response) between frequency of cannabis use and asthma prevalence in both youth and adults.” said Renee Goodwin, a professor at SPH at the State University of New York. the study’s lead author told Fox News Digital.
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“This relationship cannot be explained by confounding smoking, and we found an even stronger relationship between blunt smoking frequency and asthma,” he added. (A blunt is a hollowed-out cigar filled with cannabis.)
Exposure to second-hand smoke has historically been an important factor in: childhood asthmathe researchers pointed out.
According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, approximately 4.5 million children under the age of 18 currently live with asthma in the United States.
Exposure to second-hand smoke has historically been an important factor in childhood asthma, the researchers noted. (St. Petersburg)
As Goodwin pointed out, “there is very little information available” about the potential respiratory health risks associated with cannabis use.
“It took decades for the public to receive information about the effects of the earthquake. smoking And exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke affects respiratory and lung health,” he noted.
Goodwin recommends considering that smoking marijuana may have health risks similar to cigarettes, especially for people with asthma.
“The availability of marijuana and other cannabis products has increased exponentially over the past three years.”
Just because there is “no public health education” about the possibility health risks Goodwin cautioned that the amount of cannabis used does not mean it is not present.
“The commercialization and promotion of cannabis use by cannabis companies, and the promotion of cannabis use for all adults by state and local governments, is the only information the public is receiving that leads people to believe that cannabis is risk-free. “It’s possible,” he said.
“It’s not based on science or data on long-term outcomes.”
“Because these products are so easily available, the long-term health effects are alarming and likely to increase in frequency and severity across the entire spectrum,” Addiction Doctor told Fox He told News Digital. (St. Petersburg)
Researchers also noted that cannabis today may pose greater risks than in past decades.
“While products commonly sold for vaping and other forms of cannabis administration have THC concentrations of 90% or more, a few decades ago ‘joints’ had a THC concentration of about 2.5%,” Goodwin said. he said.
Cannabis oil and wax are also chemically produced substances that carry their own risks, experts warned.
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“The potential short-term and long-term effects of exposure to this level of THC on the human brain, respiratory system, and other aspects of physical health “It’s never been studied,” he said.
“Consumers need to know that information about dosage, potency, health and safety risks, as well as safety and purity, is available at any retail cannabis store, and that state governments will enforce the laws each state passes. Goodwin continued. .
“Commonly sold products for e-cigarettes and other forms of cannabis administration have THC concentrations of over 90%, whereas a few decades ago ‘joints’ had a THC concentration of about 2.5%.” said the authors of the study. (St. Petersburg)
Dr. Eric Heffelfinger, a staff physician at Caron Treatment Center, an addiction center in Pennsylvania, was not involved in the study but commented on the results.
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“This study is important not only for its size, but also for its finding that people who smoke marijuana, especially blunts more than 20 days a month, have a significantly increased risk of asthma,” he told Fox News Digital. he said.
This is not surprising, the doctors noted, as previous studies have shown that nicotine is associated with asthma risk.
“We expected it to be the same with marijuana, and now we have the data to prove it,” said Heffinger, who practiced pulmonology and critical care for more than 25 years before moving to the hospital. the professor said. addiction medicine.
The study authors said there is “little information available” about the potential respiratory health risks associated with cannabis use. (St. Petersburg)
The actual increase in asthma risk could be even higher than the study suggests, as the data was collected in 2020 and likely underestimates current asthma risk, he said. pointed out.
“The availability of marijuana and other cannabis products has increased dramatically over the past three years,” he said. “The number of people suffering from asthma due to marijuana use is also expected to increase significantly.”
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This applies not only to people who use marijuana directly, but also to those who have increased exposure to marijuana secondarily, Heffinger added.
“The known health effects of marijuana and cannabis products, including increases in asthma, psychosis, psychosis and cannabis use disorder, are just the tip of the iceberg,” he warned.
Currently, recreational use of marijuana is legal in 24 states. (© Doug Hawk/The Oklahoman/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“These are genetically and chemically enhanced products, caused by delivery methods such as smoking and vaping, so there is a lot we don’t know about them. lung damage” he continued.
“These products are so easily available that there are concerns about long-term health effects, which could increase in frequency and severity across the outbreak spectrum.”
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When asked for comment by Fox News Digital, the National Cannabis Industry Association responded that it is a commercial organization and does not have medical experts readily available to discuss the new report.
For more health articles, visit: www.foxnews.com/health.
