SEMINAR: The respiratory health effect of electronic cigarettes

The Seminar: Electronic cigarettes (“e-cigarettes”) heat and aerosolise a liquid solution (“e-juice”) producing an aerosol which is inhaled. They are a new technology and their use is widespread and increasing rapidly. In many countries, the number of people regularly using e-cigarettes is doubling annually. The latest available estimates suggested there were 200,000 Australian users in 2013 with further growth likely, even though the supply of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, and the possession or use of nicotine in e-cigarettes without approval in Australia is illegal. Despite this, the potential for e-cigarette use to impact health is virtually unknown. Due to their recent introduction into widespread use, very little research has been conducted into their potential to impact health and thus the long-term risks associated with chronic e-cigarette use are unknown. In this presentation, A/Prof Larcombe will give a whirlwind tour of current e-cigarette health research including a summary of recent experimental studies in animals and humans.

The Speaker: Associate Professor Alexander Larcombe began work at the Telethon Kids Institute in 2005 and is now a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Respiratory Environmental Health team. During his time at the Institute Associate Professor Larcombe has led many research projects, primarily investigating the physiological consequences of early-life exposure to a range of respiratory system insults including: • allergen exposure (particularly ovalbumin and house dust mite as models of allergic airways disease), • respiratory viral infection (including rhinovirus and influenza) and • exposure to environmental pollutants (including electronic cigarettes, tobacco smoke, diesel/biodiesel exhaust and arsenic). Associate Professor Larcombe's research has shown how exposure to such insults in early-life (including in utero) can have significant impacts on lung growth and lung function, and lead to life-long respiratory disease. The goals of his research are to establish and employ relevant models of respiratory dysfunction which can be easily manipulated to identify mechanisms of disease. Once likely mechanisms are fully identified, Associate Professor Larcombe employs specific interventional studies with the ultimate goal of reducing the impact of early-life respiratory system insults on lung function which, in the long term, will improve the health of children and families.