Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 8 april 2019

Smoking pot vs. tobacco: What science says about lighting up

NEW YORK (AP) — As more research on the health ef-
states make it legal to fects over time, and they
smoke marijuana, some worry about its potency
government officials, re- when vaped.
searchers and others worry The American Lung Asso-
what that might mean for ciation is concerned that
one of the country's biggest vaping will ultimately prove
public health successes : damaging to lung health
curbing cigarette smoking. and is alarmed about a
Though there are notable surge in underage e-ciga-
differences in health re- rette use. And adding legal
search findings on tobac- marijuana to the picture
co and marijuana, the jux- "only makes it a more com-
taposition strikes some as plicated issue," says Erika
jarring after generations of Sward, an assistant vice
Americans have gotten the president.
message that smoking en- Others, though, think poli-
dangers their health. cymakers should view vap-
"We're trying to stop people ing as a relatively safe way
from smoking all kinds of to use pot.
things. Why do you want to "I would say the risks are
legalize marijuana?" a New going to be less with that
York City councilman, Re- In this Friday, March 29, 2019 photo, a man smokes a joint at a Spleef NYC canna-cocktail party form of consumption," says
publican Peter Koo, asked in New York. Rebecca Haffajee, a Uni-
at a recent city hearing Associated Press versity of Michigan health
about the state's potential policy professor who co-
legalization of so-called tobacco use. And while a major cause of heart dis- the use of the other, and wrote a 2017 piece calling
recreational pot use. smoking cannabis may ease, the report concluded vice versa, which can esca- for recreational marijuana
Marijuana advocates say be less dangerous than it's unclear whether mari- late a path to addiction," programs to allow only
there's no comparison be- tobacco to lung health, juana use is associated with says Dr. Sterling McPherson, nonsmokable forms of the
tween joints and tobacco pot doesn't get an entirely heart attacks or strokes. a University of Washington drug.
cigarettes. A sweeping clean slate. But there's strong evidence medical professor studying Meanwhile, some local
federal assessment of mari- Some health officials and linking long-term cannabis marijuana and tobacco governments have ad-
juana research found the anti-smoking activists also smoking to worse coughs use among teens. justed public smoking bans
lung-health risks of smoking worry about inserting legal and more frequent bouts The National Academies to cover both vaping and
weed appear "relatively marijuana into the growing of chronic bronchitis, ac- report found pot use likely pot. The Los Angeles Coun-
small" and "far lower than world of vaping, given un- cording to the report from increases the risk of depen- ty Board of Supervisors
those of smoking tobacco," certainties about the smok- the National Academies of dence on other substanc- tweaked its prohibition just
the top cause of prevent- ing alternative's long-term Sciences, Engineering and es, including tobacco. last month.
able death in the U.S. effects. Medicine. To some public health of- ___
Unlike for cigarettes, there's Here's a look at the issues, The report also looked at ficials, it makes sense to le- TWO VIEWS
evidence of certain health science and perspectives: other effects, finding a mix galize marijuana and put As a former cigarette smok-
benefits from marijuana, SMOKING POT VS. TOBAC- of possible risks, upsides and some guardrails around it. er, New Yorker Gary Smith
such as easing chronic CO unknowns. For example, "For tobacco, we know that is dismayed that his home
pain. And marijuana can While cigarette smoking is the report said marijuana it's inherently dangerous state might OK smoking
be used without smoking the top risk factor for lung can ease chemotherapy- and that there is no safe pot.
it. Most states now have le- cancer, some of scientific related nausea and adults' amount of tobacco to use," He knows research hasn't
gal medical pot programs; evidence suggests there's chronic pain but also found says New York City Health tied smoking marijuana to
10 states and the District of no link between marijuana evidence the drug is linked Department drug policy lung cancer, which killed
Columbia have approved smoking and lung cancer. to developing schizophre- analyst Rebecca Giglio. three cigarette smokers in
recreational use. That's according to a 2017 nia and getting in traffic Whereas with marijuana, his family and struck him
"They're different products, federal report that round- crashes. "we see this as an oppor- 20 years after he quit; he's
and they need to be treat- ed up nearly two decades In recent weeks, studies tunity to address the harms been treated. But he fears
ed differently," says Mason of studies on marijuana, have echoed concerns of criminalization while also the respiratory risks of mari-
Tvert, a spokesman for the research that's been lim- about high-potency pot regulating cannabis." juana smoking aren't fully
pro-legalization Marijuana ited by the federal gov- and psychosis and docu- But health department known.
Policy Project. ernment's classification of mented a rise in marijuana- opinions vary, even within "It's crazy that the govern-
At the same time, stud- marijuana as a controlled related emergency room the same state: New York's ment, in order to raise (rev-
ies have shown crossover substance like heroin. visits after legalization in Association of County enue from) taxes, they're
between marijuana and While cigarette smoking is Colorado. Health Officials opposes le- permitting people to suck
Tobacco and marijuana galizing recreational weed. this stuff into your lungs,"
use can also go together. ___ says Smith, 78, an accoun-
Blunts — marijuana in a ci- SO WHAT ABOUT VAPING? tant from Island Park.
gar wrapper that includes Vaping — heating a solu- Hawaii physician and state
tobacco leaves — have tion into a vapor and inhal- Rep. Richard Creagan
gained popularity. And ing it — has been pitched feels no less strongly about
studies have found more as a safer alternative to cigarettes. The ex-smoker
cigarette smokers have smoking. and Democrat from Naale-
used pot, and the other Experts have said vaping hu this year unsuccessfully
way around, compared to pot is probably less harm- proposed all but banning
nonsmokers. ful to the lungs than smok- them by raising the legal
"One substance reinforces ing it, though there's little age to 100.q