Vaping, often advertised as a safe alternative to traditional tobacco smoking, has recently been subjected to active scientific research due to its potential adverse effects on human health. This narrative review synthesises selected recent literature to provide a comprehensive view of the systemic risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes. It lists key chemical components (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine, and flavourings) and thermal decomposition products of vape aerosol (formaldehyde, acrolein, propylene oxide, glycidol) and evaluates their multi-systemic toxic effects and clinical manifestations, as well as specific effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. Current data suggest that vaping can lead to a wide range of acute and chronic diseases, including the e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) and obliterative bronchiolitis and increase the risk of developing oncological, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Particularly sensitive is the developing adolescent brain. A growing body of evidence indicates that vaping is not "less harmful" but merely "differently" harmful and calls for further long-term research and strengthened public health regulation.

Building on recently developed ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instrumentation, this work presents the first chiral and achiral analyses of multicomponent mixtures and real-world samples using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled to soft X-ray IMS. The implementation of ultra-fast polarity switching IMS technology, previously developed for hyphenated gas chromatography (GC), enables a new application of dual-polarity detection and extends the range of detectable compounds. Additionally, the quasi-simultaneous detection of charged analyte species formed by soft x-ray ionization in both positive and negative ion modes within a single chromatographic measurement enables comprehensive analysis with improved confidence in compound identification based on polarity-dependent ionization efficiency. To evaluate the capabilities and limitations of SFC-X-ray-IMS, the influence of varying proportions of methanol as a modifier on the amount of the reactant ions and, subsequently, on the amount of analyte ions was investigated. Reliable detection of analyte ion species of opposite polarities was demonstrated in the simultaneous separation of the enantiomers of Tröger's Base and hydrobenzoin. Finally, the system was employed for the determination of spiked nitrosamines and the semi-quantitative assessment of nicotine in tobacco-free nicotine pouches.

White matter (WM) microstructure is implicated in the neurobiology of substance use disorders (SUDs), yet direct comparisons across substance-dependence syndromes remain scarce. It is also unclear whether WM abnormalities relate to impulsive decision-making and substance use severity. We performed a cross-sectional, dual-centre diffusion MRI study and quantified WM microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging in 87 individuals with SUDs (48 with cannabis dependence (CUD), 16 with opioid dependence (OUD), and 23 with nicotine dependence (NUD)) and 53 nonsmoking healthy controls. Whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics and tract-specific analyses of the middle longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), a temporo-parietal tract implicated in cognitive control and valuation, were performed. OUD and CUD exhibited convergent, widespread WM abnormalities characterised by reduced fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity and orientation dispersion across fronto-temporo-parietal and limbic pathways, including the superior longitudinal fasciculus, arcuate fasciculus, cingulum, and MLF. In contrast, NUD showed more circumscribed alterations observed primarily in MD and localised mainly to anterior and callosal white matter regions. In CUD, higher MLF orientation dispersion was associated with steeper delay discounting (r = 0.41, p = 0.011). Moderated mediation analyses indicated that this association was indirectly driven by cannabis consumption, with asignificant conditional indirect effects observed only among daily users. No significant MLF-discounting associations were observed in OUD. Our findings reveal both shared and distinct WM alterations across SUDs and identify a link between MLF microstructure and impulsive choice in cannabis dependence.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a prevalent public health concern in the United States. ∼70% of all drug overdose deaths are attributable to fentanyl, demonstrating a need to identify risk factors underlying the escalation of fentanyl use. Nicotine use is a risk factor associated with increased consumption of opioids across both clinical and preclinical populations. Our prior findings show that nicotine administration escalates consumption of opioids and that this elevated consumption persists despite adverse consequences in rodents, demonstrating a behavioral phenotype resembling those that emerge following protracted experience with opioids. Prolonged drug consumption is associated with a shift towards increased dopamine (DA) transmission within dorsal lateral striatum (DLS), a brain area critical for the development of inflexible behaviors. The present study sought to characterize the behavioral and neurochemical effects of nicotine on fentanyl administration. A dose-response curve was used to determine the effect of nicotine on fentanyl consumption as a function of dose in males and females. Systemic pretreatment with nicotine enhanced fentanyl intake across all doses relative to nicotine-naïve controls, suggesting that nicotine augments responding for opioids without evident effects on sensitivity to fentanyl. Additionally, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) was applied to measure DLS DA transmission in response to fentanyl administration and to quantify any effect of nicotine on this response in male rats. Fentanyl administration enhanced DA concentrations within DLS, and this effect was potentiated by nicotine pretreatment. These findings support that enhanced DA transmission in DLS may mechanistically contribute to nicotine-induced increases in the motivation for opioids.Significance statement Misuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl is primarily responsible for alarming rates of fatal overdose thus highlighting the need for studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to opioid misuse liability. Polysubstance use of opioids and nicotine-containing products is remarkably common and multiple clinical and preclinical observations support that nicotine markedly increases the consumption of opioids. Here, using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in rodent models, we demonstrate that fentanyl administration robustly enhances dopamine concentrations within the dorsal lateral striatum, a brain area heavily implicated in multiple behavioral features of problematic drug use. Moreover, nicotine administration significantly potentiates this fentanyl-evoked dopamine concentration which may underlie the enhanced liability for opioid use disorders observed in users of nicotine-containing products.

E-cigarette use has risen among young adults, and the attitudes, beliefs, and dependence of future physicians are relevant both to their own health and to their prospective role in patient counselling. This cross-sectional study assessed e-cigarette-related attitudes and beliefs, dependence among current users, and their correlates among medical students at the İnönü University Faculty of Medicine (Malatya, Türkiye) during 2025-2026. Using term-stratified random sampling, 366 students were analysed. The 18-item E-cigarette Attitude and Belief Scale in Adolescents (ECABA) was administered to all participants and the 22-item E-cigarette Dependence Scale (EDS-22) to current users. Data were analysed with non-parametric tests, Spearman correlation, and multivariable logistic regression. Ever and current e-cigarette use were 32.8 and 17.5%, respectively. ECABA scores increased significantly across non-users, occasional users, and regular users (medians 33, 39, and 48; p < 0.001). Male sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.45, 95% CI 1.27-4.75] and a higher ECABA score (aOR 2.72 per 10 points, 95% CI 2.08-3.54) independently predicted current use, whereas age, cigarette smoking, and household smoking did not. Among current users, ECABA correlated with EDS-22 dependence (r = 0.561, p < 0.001). Pro-e-cigarette attitudes and beliefs were thus the strongest correlate of both use and dependence among medical students. Because these attitudes are modifiable, integrating structured, e-cigarette-specific education into medical curricula-particularly in the preclinical years-may help shape healthier attitudes in future physicians and strengthen their future role in tobacco counselling.