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Irfan Rahman quoted in "Nicotine-free’ vapes and pouches promise a buzz without the downsides. Health concerns remain"
Thursday, September 18, 2025
In the past couple of years, “nicotine-like” products have hit the market in the U.S., Europe, Australia and South Korea. They look like nicotine vapes and pouches, with similar flavors and sleek designs. Some provide a nicotine-like buzz.
But there’s a crucial difference: Outside Europe, these products aren’t subject to government oversight.
Researchers warn that at least one of these products’ nicotine-like chemicals, called nicotine analogs, may be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself — and that these products are sometimes marketed in misleading ways.
Nicotine analogs are synthetic, chemical compounds that closely resemble nicotine. Some activate the same brain receptors as nicotine, with a similar buzz and addictive properties.
These compounds aren’t new; tobacco companies started researching nicotine analogs in the 1970s in anticipation of future regulations that could reduce how much nicotine would be allowed in their products, according to a study of industry documents. But the companies feared this research would trigger more regulation, so the studies were shelved.
In 2022, the U.S. Congress acted in response to the proliferation of vapes containing synthetic nicotine. That lab-made compound has the same chemical structure and properties as nicotine extracted from tobacco, so lawmakers authorized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate products containing synthetic nicotine just as it does those containing naturally occurring nicotine.
After that, the industry showed renewed interest in nicotine analogs. Products containing these compounds soon appeared on the market.
“These products were intentionally designed to bypass regulation,” said Sven Eric Jordt, a professor of pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University who has studied nicotine analogs.
Though sales data is limited, research studies say the market for nicotine alternatives is growing. Some companies that produce vapes containing nicotine also produce vapes with nicotine-like ingredients.
Irfan Rahman, a professor of environmental pulmonary health and disease at the University of Rochester, analyzed research studies of 6-methyl nicotine and found that it may cause more inflammation in lung capillary cells than nicotine. 6-methyl nicotine can damage those cells, potentially contributing to lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, he said.
Read More: Irfan Rahman quoted in "Nicotine-free’ vapes and pouches promise a buzz without the downsides. Health concerns remain"Is the Plastic in Your Kitchen Harmful?
Friday, May 30, 2025
Plastic containers and utensils are staples in many kitchens—but could they be affecting your health?
Plastics, often seen as a single material, are actually made from many different polymers, each with a unique chemical makeup. They contain different chemical additives like dyes, plasticizers, and flame retardants. As these plastics interact with microbes and environmental chemicals, the risk to human health becomes more complex.
One of the most common ways people are exposed to plastics is in the kitchen:
- Black plastic spatulas and other utensils may contain harmful chemicals picked up when recycled from electronic waste.
- Plastic cutting boards shed tiny fragments of varying shapes and sizes that can be ingested.
- Plastic containers can leach chemicals when heated in the microwave.
What Experts Want You to Know About Microplastics
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Microbiologist Jacques Robert, PhD, told The New York Times (May 20) that his research shows tadpoles excreted about 60 percent to 70 percent of the microplastics they were fed. His studies also suggest that microplastics may weaken the immune system. While animal studies don’t always translate directly to humans, other research indicates that microplastics not excreted can enter the bloodstream and migrate to organs like the liver and brain.
Read More: What Experts Want You to Know About Microplastics10 small things neurologists wish you’d do for your brain
Thursday, April 3, 2025
There’s growing research linking air pollution exposure to cognitive decline; scientists think very fine, inhalable particles in the air could trigger chemical changes once they reach the brain, says Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience. She adds that wearing an N95 or surgical mask and using indoor air filters on days when air quality is worse (including because of wildfire smoke) can minimize your exposure.
Read More: 10 small things neurologists wish you’d do for your brain70 countries have banned this pesticide. It’s still for sale in the US
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
The Washington Post, January 22
“The data is the data,” says Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience. She says paraquat exposure is associated with the loss of dopamine neurons, which can cause slow and uncoordinated movements, tremors, and difficulty communicating, all of which are consistent with Parkinson’s disease.
“The evidence is very strong, both based on animal studies and on epidemiological evidence the fact that it kills dopamine neurons,” she said.