What is vaping?
Have you ever attempted to quit smoking? If you have then you probably tried one of todays most popular alternative smoking option called an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). E-cigarettes are known by a variety of names, including “vapes”,“vape pens”,“pods”,“mods”,and “e-cigs”. Vaping is the act of inhaling vapor from an e-liquid or vape juice through a personal vaporizer. Vaporizers come in all different shapes and sizes that can resemble a USB stick, a charger, a pen, pipes or an actual cigarette. They are used to deliver multiple types of substances such as nicotine, tobacco and cannabis. Most have a battery and a place to hold a liquid. “Vaping” has rapidly increased in popularity and in use. According to research, e-cigarettes are a fast growing problem among the youth and are developing another generation of nicotine addiction. Meanwhile, this fast growing industry remains unregulated.
Myths about vaping:
Myth: “Vaping is a safer alternative than smoking traditional cigarettes”
Fact: E-cigarettes are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be an alternative smoking aid. Although e-cigarettes do contain less chemicals burned from a traditional tobacco cigarette, they too have harmful and deadly substances. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed 450 cases of people with pulmonary illnesses and 5 deaths related to vaping. The e-liquids contain the same amount of nicotine that’s in a full pack of cigarettes. Chronic exposure to vaping products could cause serious health conditions, nicotine addiction and changes to DNA for future generations that may lead to cancer. Tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes both have similar health risks to the smokers’ physical and mental health.
Myth: “I’m just inhaling a vapor”
Fact: WRONG! In fact,“Vaping” doesn’t have anything to do with a vapor at all, it’s actually an aerosol. The aerosol in e-cigarettes contain volatile organic compounds such as Formaldehyde and Diacetyl, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals that are linked to lung disease (nickel, lead and tin), Fungi, certain bacteria, and Vitamin E acetate. Some even contain alcohol that have effects on the brain.Vitamin E acetate has been detected as one of the main ingredients in e-liquid that correlates with vaping-related lung diseases. Diacetyl is an organic compound found in some foods, tobacco and alcohol used for flavoring that can be harmful and flammable when heated.Formaldehyde is a substance that most living organisms produce, but when exposed to large amounts could cause an increase risk of death or cancer. It has even been reported by some users that the aerosol used in e-cigs have more of a stimulant effect on the body than a traditional cigarette. Research conducted by the CDC have confirmed that even though there are lower levels of toxins in an e-cig than a traditional cigarette, inhaling these aerosol’s over a long period of time will pose a serious health threat. Due to this product being unregulated and having yet to be approved by both the CDC and FDA, some states have recently banned the use of e-cigarettes until further research is conducted.
Health effects of vaping:
- High blood pressure (normal blood pressure is 120/80)
- Increased risk for blood clots
- Bronchospasms causing difficulty breathing (tightening of the muscles that line the airways in your lungs)
- Increased heart rate (normal heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute)
- Sleep disturbances
- Irregular heart rate such as arrhythmias (your heart beats too quickly, too slowly or with an irregular pattern)
- Depression and other mental health problems
- Excessive levels of insulin in the blood
Clearing the Air:
It is difficult for consumers to know what exactly is in an e-cigarette. Until the FDA and CDC conduct more research, users should be advised about the dangers of vaping. Signs of pulmonary disease related to vaping are coughing, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shortness of breath. The American Medical Association recommended that all Americans stop the use of vapes or e-cigarettes until further investigation and health officials understand the cases of these recent illnesses and deaths related to vaping.
References
About Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes). (2019, November 8). Retrieved November 12, 2019, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/electronic-cigarettes-e-cigaretteshttps://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html.
Campbell, P. (2019, September 16). DocTalk Podcast: Dangers of Vaping with Dr. Rizzo. Retrieved November 3, 2019, from https://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/doctalk-podcast-dangers-of-vaping-with-dr-rizzo.
Fratantoro, M. (2019). 450 Vaping-related Illnesses, 5 Deaths: No, You Don’t Know What’s In Your Vape. RT: The Journal for Respiratory Care Practitioners, 4. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=139284585&site=ehost-live
Prudovsky, D. (2019). Saying No to Vaping: What you should know about the dangers of ecigarettes. Dental Assistant, 88(2), 10–11. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ccm&AN=135734722&site=ehost-live
Schmidt, S. (2019). Microbial Toxins in E-Liquid: A Potential New Vaping-Related Exposure to Explore. Environmental Health Perspectives, 127(9), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5671
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