Escape the Vape
Written by Justin Arguel
Edited by Benjamin Blue
July 31st 2021
Edited by Benjamin Blue
July 31st 2021
Did you know it has not been clinically proven that vaping devices actually curb nicotine addiction? Despite vaping and other electronic cigarettes’ original claim to fame as a safer, cleaner, and “healthier” alternative to traditional cigarette smoking, these claims are perpetuated and reinforced by the tobacco industry rather than clinical research (Laucks and Salzman, 2020). In recent years, electronic cigarettes have steadily risen in popularity among teens and young adults, posing as a gateway, rather than a solution, to addiction. As a result, it’s important that we discuss the very real health risks that the tobacco industry would rather keep secret from the general public.
People who use electronic cigarettes are led to believe they are inhaling a pure form of nicotine. However, when vape liquid is heated, formaldehyde is formed as a byproduct. Formaldehyde is a group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is evidence it can increase your lifetime risk of cancer up to 15 times! Additionally, vape liquids that are dissolved in Vitamin E or with flavors added for taste have been demonstrated to increase your risk of asthma, pneumonia, and respiratory irritation. Vaping devices are also composed of a variety of different metals. Heating up the device also heats up these metals, producing oxide byproducts that have not been thoroughly studied and tested for (Laucks and Salzman, 2020).
In addition, regulations on e-cigarette manufacturing are nearly nonexistent. “Every part of the manufacturing process allows for error and contamination,” researchers say (Laucks and Salzman, 2020). This lack of regulation can cause vaping devices to explode, cause severe burns, and allow users to purchase “mods'' that change the design and performance of their device. For example, these mods can increase the heating temperature or the device’s voltage past what the device is designed for, further increasing your exposure to carcinogens. Furthermore, the black market enables consumers, who are often underage, to illegally purchase vape products. These off-market and unregulated brands introduce an even much greater health risk to consumers than legally purchased vapes (Laucks and Salzman, 2020).
Besides the vaping device itself, nicotine alone poses its own health risks. Nicotine in young children has been proven to affect their ability to learn, focus their attention, and regulate their mood. Nicotine can also increase their risk of becoming addicted to other drugs in the future. JUUL, the most popular e-cigarette brand in the United States, can deliver the nicotine content of a 20-cigarette pack in just one pod (CDC, 2021)! With its delicious flavors and misinformed messaging, it’s important we bring attention to these issues so that we can not only protect adults trying to quit tobacco, but also encourage teens and adolescents to escape the vape while they still can.
References
CDC. (2021). Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of
-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html.
Laucks, P., Salzman, G.A. (2020). The Dangers of Vaping. Missouri Medicine, 117(2):
159-164. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7144697/