Study Finds Vaping More Toxic Than Cigarettes

It is popularly believed, especially among teens, that vaping is less harmful than tobacco. Major tobacco companies are required to display warnings at stores about the harm that tobacco does and the role that tobacco companies have had in covering up the risks. But a new study from the University of California-Davis, reported on by Futurism, a website about technology, found that vaping is actually a lot more toxic. In fact, some popular vapes contain levels of toxic metals so appalling, it is the equivalent of smoking packs of cigarettes.

When scientists did their study measuring the toxins found in vaping devices, they were so shocked that they thought their instruments were broken.

Specifically, they found concentrations of toxic forms of metals like nickel, chromium, and antimony. Nickel can cause lung and nasal cancer. Chromium can cause lung, nasal, and sinus cancers along with chronic bronchitis, asthma-like symptoms, and lung tissue damage. It can also cause nerve damage, cognitive impairment, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Antimony can lead to heart and lung problems when inhaled as a dust and cause vomiting when swallowed.

In addition, there is the matter of lead. The study in question showed that the first 200 puffs of one popular brand emitted more lead than 20 packs of cigarettes. Lead exposure, especially among children, leads to cognitive impairment; in fact, scientists have attributed the sudden drop in crime in the 1990’s to tougher lead regulations. In addition, it causes fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, and loss of appetite. Missouri has passed laws requiring schools to get lead out of their water systems, test extensively, and declare water taps with too much lead in them not safe for drinking. In addition, cities are now required to monitor their water systems a lot more for lead. Grant City has been having a contractor come and test its water system for lead.

Two of the vapes studied emitted enough nickel and antimony to exceed cancer risk limits, while four of the vapes studied had nickel and lead emissions severe enough to be considered a risk for neurological damage and respiratory diseases. Another study found elevated uranium levels.

In Missouri, possession of a vaping device is an infraction under Missouri law. But schools can come down harshly on teens caught with a device on school property, including suspension from school, suspension from athletic contests, and loss of A+ scholarship and other scholarship opportunities.

 

Vaping Poses Major Health Risks for Teens

The CDC has found that vaping, or smoking electronic cigarettes, is dangerous for kids, teens, and young adults. Like regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which harms brain development, which continues into the early to mid 20’s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine. And studies show that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.

E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or mix of small particles in the air. They come in many shapes and sizes; many are made to pass for everyday items. Another term besides “vaping” is JUULing.

These devices produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Users inhale it into their lungs; like regular cigarettes, bystanders can breathe in second-hand particles. These devices can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.

The reason these devices are dangerous is because nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain. The brain keeps developing until around 25; nicotine affects the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Nicotine can also alter the way the brain learns things, and increases the risk for future addiction to other drugs.

The CDC says scientists are still learning about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes. Some of the ingredients can cause long-term damage to the lungs. Defective batteries can cause fires and explosions, which can cause serious injuries. Children or adults can be poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes.

The aerosol that users breathe can contain harmful substances, including nicotine, ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, diacetyl (linked to a serious lung disease), volatile and cancer-causing compounds, and heavy metals.

The website smokefree.gov is a free resource to help people who wish to stop smoking. They provide a chat to people who can help you get started. They say the most effective way to stop smoking is a combination of medication and counseling; however, no single solution is right for everyone. Other effective methods of quitting smoking include Varenicline (also known as Chantix), Nicotine patches such as Nicoderm CQ or Nicorette, or a nasal spray like Nicotrol. Self-help guides, online programs, and other materials can be effective in helping one quitting smoking if one is motivated and confident about quitting.

There is no proof that laser therapy, hypnosis, or acupuncture helps smokers quit successfully according to smokefree.gov.

Medications that help people quit smoking can produce side effects such as bad taste, heartburn, upset stomach, nausea, heartburn, and coughing. Use as directed to avoid many of these side effects. Chantix can produce mood swings, depression, and suicidal thoughts in rare instances; stop taking and talk to your doctor if you have serious mood swings. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is (800) 273-8255.

How people quit is never the same. For instance, the talk show host Larry King said that he was a chain smoker; however, after he had a heart attack at a very young age, he said he never wanted another cigarette. Joe Stark, long-time editor of the Quad River News, joined a support group to quit smoking, wrote extensively about his attitudes towards it, and successfully quit back in the early 2000’s. Subsequently, he started up again until he met his second wife, Viveka. She told him to choose between her and the tobacco; he chose Viveka.

A common perception among older people is that it is too late to quit if you are old. However, our grandmother, Velna Zimnoch, successfully quit smoking in 1986 after her late husband passed away in 1982. She told us she started because she mistakenly thought she would be more sophisticated if she did. However, she successfully quit and lived another 30 years before she passed away in 2017.