Vaping is a device that uses batteries and resembles a traditional cigarette. It was developed in 2003 by a Chinese scientist. For vaping, you’ll need an atomizer, a battery, and a cartridge that holds a liquid solution that can be either nicotine- or non-nicotine-containing. When the device is switched on, the battery heats the liquid in the cartridge, causing the atomizer to produce a mist that the user inhales. Smoking e-cigarettes, also known as “vaping,” includes the use of accessories such as electronic hookahs and vape pens. Moreover, the vaping market has expanded significantly, with a wide variety of flavors and devices appealing to different demographics. This diversification has sparked ongoing debates about the health implications and regulations surrounding vaping.
Per Choucair (2022), during vaping, the cartridge containing the liquid solution—whether it’s nicotine or non-nicotine—is heated by the battery. When the liquid vaporizes, the user inhales a mist created by the process. The appearance of vaping is determined by the size and form of its components. Consequently, this visual diversity contributes to the appeal of vaping among users, particularly younger individuals. Because of how vaping looks and sounds, it can occasionally be confused with regular cigarettes. Other vaping devices, on the other hand, have designs that mimic pens, pipes, and cigars. Vaping accessories can be made to be thrown away or reused. In addition, the environmental impact of disposable vaping products has become a growing concern, prompting discussions about sustainability in the vaping industry.
However, is using vaping devices as opposed to regular cigarettes safer? This question is critical as public health officials continue to study the long-term effects of vaping on users. Furthermore, while some studies suggest that vaping may be less harmful than traditional smoking, the presence of harmful chemicals in e-liquids cannot be overlooked.
Is vaping a smoking cessation tool?
Although e-cigarettes are commonly used as a substitute for conventional tobacco products, some individuals use them as a tool to assist with quitting smoking. However, this approach is contentious, as many health experts question the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping smokers quit. The belief that traditional e-cigarettes are safer than traditional tobacco products is not well-supported by data, and the devices have only undergone minimal safety testing. This begs grave questions concerning e-cigarette safety. Moreover, some studies have indicated that e-cigarette users often continue smoking traditional cigarettes, which may undermine their efforts to quit entirely. Preliminary research suggests that e-cigarette users may be at higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart disease. Frequent e-cigarette use has been associated with changes in the composition of oral bacteria and oral inflammation, which may increase the risk of heart disease and increase the prevalence of dental diseases like periodontitis. Additionally, the lack of regulation in the vaping industry means that users may be exposed to untested and potentially harmful substances found in e-liquids. Furthermore, there’s a chance that e-cigarette use increases the incidence of seizures, particularly in young individuals and heavy nicotine users. Furthermore, there isn’t any scientific evidence to back up the idea that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation tools, even though this is how they are usually marketed (Choucair, 2022). As a result, many health organizations advocate for proven smoking cessation methods, such as counseling and FDA-approved medications, over the use of e-cigarettes.
Dangers of Vaping
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol that you inhale by heating nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings, and other compounds. While this aerosol is often perceived as less harmful, the lack of comprehensive regulation raises concerns about the safety of the ingredients used. There are 7,000 compounds in regular tobacco cigarettes, many of which are poisonous. Blaha asserts, “There’s almost no doubt that vaping exposes you to fewer toxic chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes,” despite the fact that we are unsure of the precise ingredients in e-cigarettes. Nevertheless, the long-term effects of inhaling these compounds remain largely unknown, highlighting the need for more research in this area. Furthermore, the presence of harmful substances like formaldehyde and acrolein in some e-cigarettes can still pose serious health risks to users.
On the other hand, vaping has been linked to an increase in lung injuries and fatalities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2,807 instances of vaping or e-cigarette use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and 68 fatalities linked to the disorder in February 2020. This alarming trend has prompted health officials to issue warnings about the dangers associated with vaping, particularly among young adults and adolescents. Moreover, many of these cases have been connected to products acquired from unregulated sources, which can contain unknown or harmful ingredients.
“Those who use e-liquids that have been manipulated on the illicit market or who modify their vaping equipment seem to be the main victims of these occurrences. This is particularly valid for THC-containing vaping goods,” says Blaha. Consequently, the potential risks associated with using unregulated or counterfeit products have become a significant public health concern. Additionally, many users may be unaware of the dangers posed by mixing substances or using devices not designed for specific e-liquids, leading to further health complications.
Vitamin E acetate has been designated by the CDC as a substance that should be avoided by those who have EVALI. The CDC discovered vitamin E acetate, a thickening ingredient frequently used in THC vaping products, in all lung fluid samples from EVALI patients that were studied. In response to these findings, public health campaigns have aimed to educate consumers about the risks of using unverified vaping products. Furthermore, the ongoing investigation into the safety of various additives in e-liquids continues to be a priority for health organizations, emphasizing the importance of consumer awareness.
Studies have shown that nicotine, which is an ingredient in both traditional and e-cigarettes, may be just as addictive as cocaine and heroin. This addictive nature complicates efforts to quit, as many users find themselves caught in a cycle of dependence. Even worse, a lot of people who use e-cigarettes get their nicotine fix from them rather than from combustible tobacco products. To inhale more nicotine, users can either raise the voltage of their e-cigarette or buy extra-strength cartridges with a larger nicotine content (Blaha, 2022). Consequently, this trend has raised concerns among health professionals regarding the potential for increased addiction rates and the risk of transitioning to more harmful forms of tobacco use.
Public Health Implications of E-Cigarettes
One significant victory for public health over the past few decades has been the decline in the usage of traditional cigarettes in the United States. On the other hand, e-cigarette use has significantly expanded in the last few years. 1.9% of adults used e-cigarettes on a daily or occasional basis in 2012–2013.11 According to information from the National Health Interview Survey conducted in 2014 for persons 18 years of age and above, 3.8% of working adults—or 5.5 million people—were now using e-cigarettes.12 Compared to persons 25 years of age and older, young adults (ages 18 to 24) use e-cigarettes at much greater rates.4 Adults from specific marginalized demographics had higher rates of e-cigarette use: those without a high school degree or its equivalent (3.8%), 5.1% of people had no health insurance, while 5.1% of people’s household income was less than $35,000.4, 12 Current cigarette smokers (16.2%) and users of smokeless tobacco (9.7%) also use e-cigarettes at much greater rates than non-users, putting them at an even higher risk of developing cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.
Teenagers have also seen a sharp rise in the incidence of e-cigarette usage. According to statistics from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, from 3.3% in 2011 to 27% in 2015, more students in grades 6 through 12 reported having ever used an e-cigarette.4 Between 2011 and 2015, the proportion of American middle school pupils who had used e-cigarettes over the previous 30 days rose from 0.6% to 5.3%. In fact, e-cigarettes surpassed traditional cigarettes as the most widely used tobacco product among youngsters as of 2014.4 In 2015, the percentage of students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades who used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days was 6.8%, 10.4%, and 10.4%, respectively, whereas the percentage of students who used traditional cigarettes in the same period was 1.4%, 2.2%, and 5.3%.
According to Barraza et al. (2017), there may be a higher risk of injury from e-cigarettes, especially in younger groups. For instance, using e-cigarettes was linked to a twice higher risk of respiratory symptoms in a group of 11th and 12th-grade kids in California, and the risk rose with more usage. Furthermore, compared to young people who did not use e-cigarettes, users in the sixth through tenth grades were more likely to state that the devices were neither addictive nor dangerous. There exists a correlation between a lower perceived danger of e-cigarettes and a higher probability of experimenting with them. Adolescent e-cigarette users are far more likely than non-users to start smoking traditional cigarettes and using other tobacco products, which may be connected to these attitudes.
Conclusion
To infer that e-cigarettes are safe is not supported by the available research, even if users may not be exposed to as many harmful chemicals as those of traditional cigarettes. Users of e-cigarettes are more likely to get heart illness, lung issues, seizures, and tongue soreness, among other health issues. Teenagers are using e-cigarettes more often, which is alarming since it increases the possibility that they may switch to traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Moreover, the increasing normalization of vaping in social settings may further entice young people to experiment with e-cigarettes, exacerbating the public health crisis. Although e-cigarettes are frequently promoted as aids in quitting smoking, this assertion is unsupported by trustworthy research. In actuality, e-cigarette use may raise your chance of becoming addicted to nicotine. Additionally, there are serious health hazards associated with using custom products from black markets, which have been linked to diseases like EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury).
Therefore, especially for younger individuals, e-cigarettes cannot be considered a safe substitute for traditional tobacco products. Given these factors, a cautious approach to e-cigarette use is warranted. Thus, it is imperative for policymakers, healthcare providers, and educators to collaborate on initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the risks associated with vaping. This collective effort could help mitigate the growing trend of e-cigarette usage and protect public health, especially among vulnerable populations.
Reference
Barraza, L.F., Weidenaar, K.E., Cook, L.T., Logue, A.R. and Halpern, M.T, 2017. Regulations and policies regarding e-cigarettes. Cancer, 123(16), pp.3007–3014. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.30725.
Blaha, M, 2022. 5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know. [online] Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping [Accessed 19 October. 2024].
Choucair, B, 2022. E-cigarette | characteristics, safety issues, & regulation | Britannica. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/e-cigarette [Accessed 12 October. 2024].
