Chances are, you’ve heard about vaping (inhaling an e-cigarette). The practice has become especially popular recently with young people and teens.
Although e-cigarettes were introduced less than a decade ago, according to some studies an estimated 10 percent of American adults and 13 percent of high school students now use them. In fact, in 2014, more teenagers used e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes and the practice continues to grow each year. Not surprisingly, the use of e-cigarettes has become increasingly controversial. Many health authorities worry that young people who use them will go on to become regular cigarette smokers when they get older.
New Research Points Out Dangers
Another big concern is the health effects of vaping. In addition to the addictive dangers of nicotine, the flavorings used in e-cigarettes can also be dangerous. Some of the chemicals, although proven safe for eating, are known to be irritants to the lungs when vaporized and inhaled. In fact, diacetyl, a butter-flavored chemical used in some vaping products has been linked to a life-threatening obstructive lung disease. The flavors, with names like cotton candy, vanilla bean and pineapple punch, are used to make the nicotine more appetizing.
Recent studies have shown that the chemical compounds in e-cigarettes can cause many of the same breathing problems as smoking. According to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, adolescents who use electronic cigarettes are 30% more likely to have respiratory problems. The study also found that there was an even greater risk for e-cigarette users who had never smoked traditional cigarettes. These students were twice as likely to have respiratory problems as the students who didn’t use the devices. It’s important to note that despite the fact that e-cigarettes are widely marketed, there have been no rigorous scientific studies showing they are safe for use.
Flavor Packets Can be a Household Hazard
The liquid nicotine contained in the e-cigarette flavor packets can be very dangerous. It is believed that half a teaspoon could be enough to kill a child. Even skin contact with the concentrated liquid nicotine is enough to cause symptoms of poisoning, such as dizziness, elevated blood pressure and seizures.
Although e-cigarettes may be growing in popularity, given what we are learning about their dangers, they really need to be seen as a potential hazard to people’s health – so we strongly discourage their use.
Learn More About E-Cigarettes:
What are e-cigarettes exactly?
E-cigarettes are electronic inhalers that use a liquid cartridge which is heated by a rechargeable battery. An LED at the end of the device lights up when a user takes a puff. The liquid in the cartridge contains nicotine along with flavorings.
What is vaping?
Basically, vaping is inhaling vapor through an e-cigarette. When a user draws on the device, the battery heats the liquid which is atomized into vapor.
How is vaping different from smoking?
Vaping is inhaling vapor, while cigarette smoking is inhaling smoke. E-cigarettes have fewer chemicals than traditional cigarettes, but do contain propylene glycol, volatile organic compounds and other toxicants along with the flavors.
Are there long-term effects associates with vaping?
Since e-cigarettes are relatively new, the long-term effects have not been sufficiently studied.
12 Responses
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All I want to do is quit smoking cigarettes for good. I’ve tried everything over and over and over….. Now I’m trying Ecigs. Should I just give up trying? I’m so desperate, I don’t know what to do, but because of the Ecigs, I haven’t had a cigarette in 8 months.
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Please contact your primary care provider and they can help you find the best solutions personalized to you for helping you quit smoking.
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What are the sources for these studies? I’ve ready articles stating the exact opposite from equal vetted sources.
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Hi Linda. This article was based on research from numerous studies, including http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069 and http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/5/1018.
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You say “There is no secondhand smoke associated with vaping”, but then there’s seconhand vaping! I’ve seen some people using these devices and they look like smokestacks (vaporstacks?) because of the amount of vapor they expel. These people are then distributing these chemical through the air. People nearby will also likely be inhaling these, just like seconhand smoke.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Eugenio.
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Right minus a few thosand chemicals and that gross cigarette smell and more of the smell of fruit, chocolate, banana cream, fruit loops cereal kind of smells basicly any food or drink
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Cars produce emissions…
The amount of vapor depends on the device cheep gas station devices not much vapor, good box mod with a dripper…alot of vapor depending on the build -
Hi Eugenio. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We made an error in the original blog and have since corrected it. There ARE possible carcinogens in the vapor liquid that could be inhaled by people nearby, and that is why we ask that they not be used.
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Well in my experience i have smoked regular cigs for 8yrs i have been vaping for 1yr now and the only side effects from vaping….
my breathing has improved i do not get winded as easy i dont hack up a lung i dont smell like an ash tray i am saving money the flavor choices are fantastic
Yes nicotine is dangerous but they have differant mg choices i started at 24mg nicotine and now i am at 6mg
*No one is saying vaping is good for you but i would pick a hand full of ingredients that are in most food products and medicine’s over the 7000 chemicals that are known to be in regular cigarettes*
Cigarette smoke now makes me sick as in it actually turns my stomach it is repulsive to me now
People blowing themselves up…i have never seen or have heard of anyone i know that this happend to if you buy a regulated mod and do not tinker with it it has built in protection so it wont malfunction
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Thanks for sharing your experiences, Joe.
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