Urinary cotinine levels of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research article examining the levels of cotinine, a major metabolite of nicotine, in the urine of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users, cigarette smokers, and passive smokers. The study aims to establish and compare the amount of cotinine in the urine of these groups to determine the level of nicotine exposure.

Key Points:

* Cotinine levels in urine were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for three groups: e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers, and passive smokers.
* The mean urinary cotinine concentration of e-cigarette users was 1755 ± 1848 ng/g creatinine and that of cigarette smokers was 1720 ± 1335 ng/g creatinine.
* A significant difference was obtained between e-cigarette users and passive smokers (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between e-cigarette users and cigarette smokers (p > 0.05).
* A correlation was found between urinary cotinine levels of e-cigarette users and nicotine amount in e-liquid (r =0.9643).
* Cigarette smokers were grouped according to how many cigarettes they smoked per day, and no significant differences were found between the cotinine levels of cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users (p > 0.05).
* The study demonstrates that e-cigarette users are exposed to nicotine as much as cigarette smokers.
* The main message of this study is that e-cigarettes can be effective in delivering nicotine into the body and e-cigarette users are exposed to nicotine as much as cigarette smokers. There appears to be an urgent need to increase awareness and for health authorities to warn the public about the addiction risks of e-cigarettes, in order to prevent an increase of this type of addiction.

The study highlights the need for increased awareness about the addictive properties of e-cigarettes and the importance of regulating their use to prevent addiction. Health authorities should take note of these findings and take appropriate measures to protect public health. The design of the study and its major points provide strong evidence that e-cigarette users are exposed to nicotine as much as cigarette smokers, which has significant implications for public health and policy.

Göney, Gülşen, İsmet Çok, Uğur Tamer, Sema Burgaz, and Tijen Şengezer. “Urinary Cotinine Levels of Electronic Cigarette (e-Cigarette) Users.” Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods 26, no. 6 (July 23, 2016): 441–45. https://doi.org/10.3109/15376516.2016.1144127.