Overview
A mixture of either liquid or solid particles suspended in a gas.
Many substances are consumed through aerosols, such as e-cigarettes and cannabis, but also traditional medications like some metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) used for asthma. Compared to digestion or other forms of consumption, aerosolized delivery of a substance goes to the bloodstream faster through the lungs. The specifics of the compounds determine what part of the ear-nose-throat system they land in for absorption. As a result, studying the impact of aerosolized substance use requires studying the effects that aerosolization itself has on substances prior to entering the body. It’s also hypothesized that the rapid delivery of the substance into the bloodstream plays a role in reinforcing substance use patterns with stronger behavioral reinforcement.