Vaping: Meaning, Risks and Truths You Must Know

What is Vape and an E-cigarette?

An electric vape or an e-cigarette is a device that runs on batteries and heats up a liquid and creates a vapour that you inhale. The liquid can contain several chemicals, including nicotine and some flavouring. 

Vaping is gaining a lot of popularity and there are many types of vaping devices, such as vape pens, e-cigarettes and vape hookahs. While several people believe that vaping is better than smoking, is vaping safe? Vaping still involves many health risks and we shall find out more about the harmful effects of vaping in this article. 

How Does Vaping Work?

Vaping devices come in different shapes, sizes and colours. They produce an aerosol byproduct when they electrically heat the liquid. Depending upon the type of product used, The vape e-liquid may deliver ingredients such as:

• Flavouring such as diacetyl, which causes lung disease
• Nicotine and other tobacco products
• Propylene glycol and glycerin
• Carcinogens like acetaldehyde and formaldehyde
• Chemicals like acrolein, diacetyl and diethylene glycol which cause lung cancer
• THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a chemical in marijuana
• Vitamin E acetate linked to lung injury 
• Heavy metals like nickel, tin, lead and cadmium.
• Volatile organic compound(VOCs)
• Ultra-fine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs

The liquid is often called “e-juice”, “vape juice,” or “vape liquid”. When a person inhales the vapour, it goes into the lungs and bloodstream and it is expelled from the mouth or nose. Not only people who are vaping but also bystanders can breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales it into the air.

In the year 2022, almost 1 in 10 or more than 2.5 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes over the past 30 days. The rise of e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students increases overall tobacco use. 

CDC strongly advises against the use of all THC-containing e-cigarettes or vaping products. Data indicates that using vaping products more than five times daily is associated with a higher risk of developing EVALI(E-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury).

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

Vaping Health Risks

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance present in vape e-liquid. If compared to regular cigarettes, it is present in a much lesser amount in a vape; vaping does not involve the smoke and tar of a regular cigarette. However, it still contains harmful substances which enter your body and may cause several health issues. Some of the vaping health risks you must be aware of are:

• Assuming it is harmless, people tend to use more E-Cigarettes which in turn results in the intake of a harmful dose of nicotine.
• Nicotine is a stimulant that can hamper the development of an adolescent brain. It affects your mood, learning capabilities, attention and impulse control. Regular usage of it can increase the risk of addiction to cigarettes and other drugs.
• Asthma and respiratory problems are common vaping risk factors. It can make your existing asthma condition worse and cause other lung conditions.
• Vape flavourings cause scars in the tiny air sacs in your lungs. It can lead to a serious lung disease called “popcorn lung”. The inhaled chemical can cause a persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, headache and fever and it can irritate your eyes, skin, nose and throat. 
• Organ damage due to nicotine and other substances is possible. It can raise your blood pressure and narrow your arteries and it is bad not only for the brain but also for the heart.
• EVALI is a serious lung condition caused due to vaping. It damages your lungs and can be fatal.
• Addiction. Nicotine causes changes in your brain and you keep craving more nicotine. You may not be able to stop vaping and may even end up smoking cigarettes, which contain higher amounts of harmful chemicals.
• Second-hand exposure or passive smoking, like in the case of cigarettes. If you are exposed to nicotine and other chemicals when you are around someone who is vaping, it may harm you as well.
• Cancer is the biggest vaping health risk. Some vape e-liquids contain carcinogens and can cause cancer.
• Apart from these vaping health risks, you must also know that the batteries in vaping devices explode and cause serious injuries and burns. This is the reason e-cigarettes are not allowed on aeroplanes.

5 Facts About Vaping

• Vaping may be less harmful than smoking, but it’s still not safe. Even nicotine-free vaping may prove to be harmful to you as it contains several other toxic products which cause lung injuries and damage.
• Research suggests vaping is bad for your heart and lungs. Nicotine raises your blood pressure and increases your risk of having a heart attack.
• Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional ones as both contain nicotine and if you get addicted to them, you will suffer withdrawal symptoms when you ignore the craving. E-cigarette users can buy extra-strength cartridges with a higher concentration of nicotine. 
• Vaping and e-cigarettes are promoted as ways to help you quit cigarette smoking, but they may not work as intended. Most people who intend to use e-cigarettes to kick the smoking habit end up continuing to use traditional e-cigarettes.
• A new generation is finding e-cigarettes better than any traditional tobacco product. They are using flavoured e-cigarettes and these have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes. This is proving to be a dangerous habit.

Vaping vs Cigarette Smoking

Neither smoking nor vaping is good for human health. Even though vape liquids contain fewer contaminants than cigarettes, they are not entirely safe. Vaping exposes a person to several other harmful substances than just nicotine and slows down the brain in fetuses, children and teens. The long-term effects of vaping are lung damage, cancer, weak immune system etc.

Smoking can damage all your body organs and it increases the risk of cancer and death. Some other long-term effects of smoking are reduced sperm count, respiratory problems, increased risk of cataracts, impaired immune function, inflammation in different parts of the body, blockages in the veins and arteries and stroke. 

Conclusion

It’s time we must understand the significance of practising healthy habits and staying away from unhealthy ones. People have started taking their health seriously and vaping or smoking must never be practised. In the case of vaping, it is hard to tell how much of the harmful chemicals are being inhaled and people tend to think it is much less than regular smoking, but addiction is equally harmful and you must understand the long-term vaping health risks and avoid it as well as smoking, at all costs. 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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