This past July, David Hammond of Waterloo’s school of public health sciences was awarded a $2 million grant by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke and Canadian Lung Association to examine the health impact of vaping. With these funds, Hammond aims to uncover the health impacts of vaping among young people through multi-year study. The study will recruit around 1,000 participants who vape frequently, comparing them with smokers and non-smokers. By analyzing blood, urine, and saliva samples, his research team aims to identify toxic chemicals and early markers of health damage. “We know it’s gonna be less harmful than smoking, but we also know that it’s likely to be harmful. The idea is to take a really good look at what’s in their bodies and whether they’ve started to accumulate some of those early indicators of disease that we’re concerned about,” he explained.

Hammond’s journey into public health began unexpectedly. Although initially interested in clinical psychology and its private therapy appointments and group sessions, he recalls an epiphany he had when he saw a cigarette pack with its characteristic horrifying pictures of cancer and tumours lying on the ground. “Someone I was working with said, you know, that’s a health intervention that right now is on millions of packages in stores and millions of pockets around the country,” he recalls. “And if [I could] do a little bit better job with designing those things, then actually I could probably have more impact than I could in clinical psychology.” This moment pivoted his focus from individual psychological therapy to population-level interventions, ultimately leading him to pursue research that could influence public health policies and interventions on a larger scale.

And indeed, Hammond has since made significant contributions to public health globally. He has helped governments develop the health warnings on cigarette packages seen by over a billion people every day and has defended public health laws against some of the world’s largest tobacco companies. In the realm of cannabis, Hammond is currently investigating the effects of legalization, including usage patterns, product potency, and adverse events. He also delves into food policy research, which involves analyzing the impact of measures like sugary drink taxes on consumer behavior.

Hammond highlights several areas of concern when asked about specific chemicals in e-cigarettes he’s keeping an eye out for. Heavy metals, nicotine, certain flavour chemicals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are among the harmful substances being studied. “Cigarette smoke has 7,000 chemicals, 60-70 carcinogens alone. E-cigarettes don’t have the same profile, but inhaling these substances into the lungs repeatedly suggests a real potential for harm,” he notes.

Looking ahead, Hammond envisions a future where better evidence and data inform substance use regulations for vaping, cannabis, and other substances. He emphasizes the need for honest communication about the risks of vaping and the importance of guiding former smokers who now use e-cigarettes: “We need to be honest and upfront with young people that there may be meaningful risks for respiratory disease, and we don’t have the evidence to be specific.” He also mentions public health increasingly being intertwined with broader societal issues such as mental health, housing, and substance use. He hopes to provide guidance on developing effective approaches to address these complex challenges using an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes an interplay of factors rather than any one thing in particular.

For undergraduate students and young researchers interested in chronic disease prevention and public health, Hammond offers valuable advice: “Be curious. The best ideas come from reading the news, talking to people, and understanding real-world problems. Let’s get out in the real world, identify the big problems, and bring our science and methods to those issues.”