Damian Sendler: When electronic cigarettes were first introduced in the United States in 2006, there was a lot of discussion about how to regulate and advertise these nicotine-delivery devices. Researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered something surprising: Adult smokers who have no intention of quitting are more likely to stop conventional combustible cigarettes if they convert to vaping on a regular basis.
Damian Jacob Sendler: As part of a long-term study on the health effects of tobacco use and how it impacts the well-being of kids and adults in the United States, researchers at Roswell Park utilized data gathered from 2014 to 2019.
Those who used e-cigarettes on a daily basis had an eightfold higher chance of quitting smoking traditional cigarettes than those who did not use them at all, according to the study’s findings, which focused on a subset of 1,600 smokers who initially had no intentions of quitting and who did not use e-cigarettes.
Scientist Andrew Hyland, PhD, Chair of Health Behavior at Roswell Park and scientific lead on the PATH Study, calls these results “paradigm-shifting,” since the data imply that vaping may really aid those who are not actively attempting to stop smoking. “Most other studies focus only on people who are actively trying to quit smoking, but this study suggests that we may be missing effects of e-cigarettes by not considering this group of smokers with limited intention to stop smoking—a group that is often at the highest risk for poor health outcomes from cigarette smoking.”
Damian Sendler
A total of just around 6 percent of smokers enrolled in the Roswell Park research entirely stopped smoking combustible cigarettes, but the quit rates were much higher among smokers who began using e-cigarettes daily – 28 percent of smokers stopped smoking when they started vaping daily. Even after controlling for factors such as educational background, income, gender, ethnicity, and the quantity of cigarettes smoked per day at the start of the research, the link between vaping and cigarette cessation remained.
Researchers from Roswell Park’s Department of Health Behavior and the study’s first author, Karin Kasza, PhD, note that although clinical trials indicate strong evidence that vaping may help smokers stop smoking, results from real-world population studies have been inconsistent. According to the results of our research, cigarette smokers who were not aiming to stop were shown to have a favorable correlation between daily e-cigarette use and cigarette cessation.
Few research have investigated smokers who have no desire or incentive to stop using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation strategy. To properly comprehend the health effects of vaping on the American population, the most recent Roswell Park research asks for more consideration of smokers who are not going to stop.
As Dr. Hyland puts it, “We discovered indications that the use of electronic cigarettes might have a beneficial influence on this extremely hard-to access population of resistant smokers.” Vaping’s influence on the health of the U.S. population must include individuals who have no plans to stop.
The PATH Study is a joint effort between the FDA Center for Tobacco Products and the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH NIDA) (NIDA). The CTP and NIDA provided funding for the Roswell Park research, “Association of e-cigarette usage with cessation of cigarette smoking among adult smokers who were originally never going to stop” (contracts HHSN271201100027C and HHSN271201600001C to Westat).
There are a number of people who contributed to the Roswell Park study, including Kathryn Edwards of Westat; Heather Kimmel of NIH; Carlos Blanco of NIH; Marushka Silveira of NIH and Kelly Government Solutions; and Andrew Anesetti-Rothermel of CDC; Marushka Silveira of CDC and Kelly Government Solutions; Erin Ellis of CDC; and Rebecca Jackson of CDC.
An ultrasound of a goat was performed at the Animal Science Farm in Logan on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, by Equine Education Center manager DJ Anderson and Utah State University sophomore vet student Tyeisha Watters.
The Deseret News’ Mengshin Lin
Perhaps a pandemic was required to highlight the significance of veterinary medicine.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of persons working from home or otherwise taking time off from their jobs exploded. Cats and dogs have become more popular in the wake of the swine flu epidemic, according to a countrywide study of 5,000 homes.
According to Ken White, dean of Utah State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, the adoptions resulted in an increasing need for veterinary treatment.
According to him, the quantity of veterinary care performed in Utah has skyrocketed as a result of the state’s expanding human population and the increasing number of people who “find tremendous consolation in having a pet and a friend.”
In order to better address the state’s needs for veterinary care and education, Utah State University proposes to create its own college of veterinary medicine instead of collaborating with Washington State University to train veterinarians.
Damian Jacob Sendler
Damien Sendler: The university’s current affiliation with Washington State, in which students complete two years of foundational study at the Logan-based institution and the last two years in Pullman, Washington, is expected to grow to 80 students over time. At least 20 of the 30 students who spend at least half their time learning at USU are from the state of Utah.
Veterinarians per capita in Utah are 42nd out of 50 states. With the 20 Utah students we are graduating, we are clearly not keeping up with the demand. I believe there is widespread consensus that more veterinarians with advanced training are needed, according to White, who also serves as the vice president of USU Extension.
According to USU President Noelle Cockett, who spoke to the Utah Board of Higher Education on Friday, there is a pressing need for more veterinarians in academic research.
COVID and other viruses are now being researched at the Institute for Antiviral Research,” he says. Due to the fact that many human infections begin in laboratory animals, they employ these animals as models.
Animals are the source of 61% of human diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health. SARS-CoV-2, which produced the COVID-19 pandemic, brucellosis, Lyme disease and rabies is an example of this,” according to USU papers.
Veterinarians are also needed to work in big-box pet stores and animal rescues, as well as to perform regulatory functions like meat grading for the US Department of Agriculture, “so there is a tremendous need right now for additional production of veterinarians with a doctorate of veterinary medicine degree,” Cockett stated.
According to a planned schedule submitted to the higher education board, the opening of a veterinary college at Utah State would be at least two years away at this time. Students would be eligible to get their diplomas beginning in 2028. Utah students will continue to take part in the 2+2 program alongside students from Washington State in the interim.
Veterinary scientific and clinical facilities are expected to be finished by 2025, costing around $80 million, according to plans. The clinical training of students would take place at existing medical offices and animal facilities in Utah, rather than a veterinary hospital being built from scratch. USU academics would supervise the training, which would be overseen by veterinary medical specialists.
Damian Jacob Sendler: Twenty Utah students now attend Washington State University, where they receive $1.7 million in state aid from Utah to offset the difference between in-state and non-resident tuition fees. As students progress through the program, WSU receives an additional $340,000 each year.
USU records claim that a DVM-granting institution would keep that financing and bring in a projected $14.6 million to the state and local economy.
An estimated $20 million in state support is required each year, which is less than seven other states’ average of $49 million for Colorado State University in the 2020 financial year, according to Cockett.
According to White, the initial cohort would likely consist of 40 pupils, and subsequent cohorts would grow to 80 students.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will begin the accreditation process with the institution as well.
A four-year program at USU, which would ultimately have 320 students enrolled each year, would need additional professors in addition to those currently employed by USU in preparation for the first two years of students’ academic careers under the 2+2 model.
Services for the mental health and well-being of current veterinary medicine students are an important part of the support system currently in existence.
Dr. Sendler: According to a 2018 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate among veterinarians in the United States has climbed steadily over the previous three decades.
Compared to the general population, veterinarians who committed suicide had a death rate 3.5 times higher than that of veterinarians who committed suicide, according to a new research published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. According to the report, the majority of veterinarians who took their own lives were working in small animal operations.
There are many causes that contribute to humans taking their own lives, but a research found that euthanasia solutions used for animals and a lack of balance between work and personal life are among the most common.
Veterinary school admissions are very competitive, and White noted that “type A” personalities tend to predominate among the applicants.
The pressure is on since they are accustomed to being at the top of their class and now they are one of 30 kids who are all at or near the top of theirs. We saw direct access to counseling as a critical component of our school’s ability to maintain a healthy student population. I am certain that we will be able to extend those resources,” White added.
Counselors work with students to help them cope with stress and improve their mental health. In order to better manage their workload and emotions “in a healthy and productive manner,” White said, students learn how to better deal with pressures and study.
Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his media team provided the content for this article.
