The World Health Organization calls for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes around the world!

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for all flavored e-cigarettes to be banned worldwide and treated similarly to regular cigarettes.

The organization said on Thursday that “urgent action” is needed. To control electronic cigarettes, as there is little evidence indicating that electronic smoking helps smokers to quit regular cigarettes, and it can also lead to nicotine addiction in non-smokers.

It urged changes, including banning all flavoring agents such as menthol, and implementing the same measures used to control regular cigarettes, including: raising taxes and banning use in public places.

The World Health Organization also warned that e-cigarettes have also gained widespread use among young men and women, which may lead to addiction.

The organization's report stated that the number of people between the ages of 13 and 15 who use e-cigarettes is more than adult users in all regions of the World Health Organization, thanks to intensive marketing.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the organization, said: “Children are being recruited and confined at an early age to use e-cigarettes and may become addicted to nicotine.”

The World Health Organization said that e-cigarettes generate substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and pose risks to heart and lung health. She added, citing studies, that it could also harm brain development in young people.

Meanwhile, tobacco company Imperial Brands (IMB.L) and e-cigarette company ANDS said e-cigarettes pose far fewer health risks than tobacco and help reduce its harm, while flavors are key in encouraging smokers to switch.

Scientists from universities in Virginia and North Carolina reported that when e-cigarette users smoke in their cars for less than 10 minutes, the air around them becomes laden with potentially toxic particles known as PM2.5.

PM2.5 can be generated from both natural and man-made sources, such as burning fossil fuels. When inhaled, the substance penetrates the lungs and irritates the entire respiratory system, which may cause or worsen asthma and bronchitis.

It is worth noting that the WHO guidelines are not mandatory at the national level, but can be adopted voluntarily.

Discovering a link between dementia and irregular sleep

People with irregular sleep patterns may be more likely to develop dementia than those with more regular sleep patterns, according to a new study.

 The study did not prove that irregular sleep causes dementia, but rather it only shows a link between them.

Sleep regularity is how consistently you go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Study author Dr Matthew Paul Bice, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “Sleep health recommendations often focus on getting the recommended amount of sleep, which is seven to nine hours per night, but there is less emphasis on maintaining regular sleep schedules.” Regular, Our findings indicate that a person’s sleep regularity is an important factor when considering the risk of developing dementia.”

The study included 88,094 people with an average age of 62 years in the United Kingdom. They were followed for an average of seven years.

Participants wore a wrist device for seven days to measure their sleep cycle. This allows researchers to calculate the participants' sleep regularity.

They determined that a person who sleeps and wakes at the same times each day will have a sleep regularity index of 100, while a person who sleeps and wakes at different times each day will have a score of zero.

The researchers then looked at the medical data to determine which participants developed dementia, and found that they were 480 patients.

Researchers found links between degrees of sleep regularity and the risk of dementia. Compared with those with an average sleep regularity index, the risk of dementia was higher for those with irregular sleep.

Participants with irregular sleep received an average score of 41, compared to those with more regular sleep who received an average score of 71.

The average sleep regularity score for people between these two groups was 60.

After taking into account age, gender, and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found that those with irregular sleep were 53 percent more likely to develop dementia than participants in the average group.

“Effective sleep health education combined with behavioral therapies can improve irregular sleep patterns,” Bice said. Based on our findings, people with sleep irregularities may only need to improve their sleep regularity to moderate levels, compared to very high levels, to prevent dementia. Future research is needed to confirm our findings.”