UNAIR NEWS “ Smoking is a lifestyle which is not encouraged for health. From Riskesdas 2013, there is an improvement of smokers at 15 years of age every year. The government is trying to reduce smokers by raising the price of conventional cigarettes in 2016. The statement has made some of smokers turned to electronic cigarettes (vapor) which is considered to be safer.
Five students of Biology major, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) 51¶¯Âþ in their research has compared the effect of electronic and conventional cigarettes to the lungs of lab rats™ (Rattus norvegicus). Their research in written in a proposal of Student Creativity Program (PKM) entitled œEffects Comparison of Electronic and Conventional to Rattus norvegicus.
The result of Yoan Asri Triantara, Inggit Almira, Sarwan Adi Kusumo, Muhammad Fajar, and Dicky Darmawan™s research has passed Dirjen Dikti™s assessment and they got research grant of 2017 PKM from Kemenristekdikti.
Explained by Yoan Asri, the research to know the lung damage through the number of alveolarÌýmacrophages andÌýhistopathologyÌýto lab rats, was conducted with four different treatment group exposed to the smoke of electronic and conventional cigarettes. Under the guidance of Dr. Dwi Winarni, Dra., M. Si., the PKMPE team wanted to know the comparison so it can be a consideration for other researchers and the public.
œThe result acquired from Brown-ForsytheÌýandÌýGames-Howell test showed that conventional cigarettes with 2.4 mg nicotine can cause lung alveolar macrophages improvement and the greatest hispathology but it is not much different than the damage caused by electronic cigarettes with 3 mg nicotine, said Yoan.
Alveolar macrophages and higher histopathological character than the control group are found in the group exposed with electronic cigarettes 0 mg nicotine which indicated lung damage.
œSo both electronic and conventional cigarettes can cause lung damage to lab rats used as subjects of experiments. The public has deemed zero nicotine electronic cigarettes to be safe all this time, said Yoan concluded their research. (*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
