Written by Sharmin Shanur and Edited by Rasheed Majzoub
Vaping, which had previously been touted as an alternative to cigarettes, has now come under massive scrutiny as vape-related deaths have become an epidemic in many developed countries. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented that there have recently been 1,080 vaping related illnesses and 24 vaping related deaths in the US alone, with the numbers rising at an alarming rate [5].
These numbers have stunned the public because vaping had been perceived to be a much healthier alternative to its cigarette counterparts. This misperception was largely due to the marketing tactics of large vaping companies who overemphasized that vaping would not deliver the tar, carbon monoxide, and other known carcinogens that come with smoking cigarettes while under emphasizing the lack of research that surrounds their claims [6]. This being said, cigarettes are certainly much more harmful— the tar present in each puff destroys the hair-like projections known as cilia, in the lungs. Cilia move debris and microbes up and out of the airways and prevent them from entering the lungs and bloodstream. As the tar destroys the lining of the lungs, the carbon monoxide, arsenic, lead, and other chemicals present in cigarettes have a much higher chance of entering the human body and destroying the health of internal organs. On the other hand, e-cigarette devices, which are more colloquially known as vaping devices, contain a battery that heats up e-liquid – a mixture of water, food-grade flavoring, nicotine, and glycol, and forms a vapor that can be inhaled. This provides vape users the puffing sensations found in cigarettes, but curtails the delivery of tar and other toxic chemicals into the user’s body.
Since the introduction of e-cigarettes to the U.S. market around 2006, e-cigarette marketing companies have been trying to yield as many consumers possible, resulting in misinformation and false claims [6]. Despite the lack of evidence, 95% of e-cigarette websites claim that vaping is a cleaner and healthier alternative [6]. 75% of e-cigarette websites also give vaping a youthful appeal of modernity, meaning, they reflect images or messages that imply that vape users are cooler or up-to-date with the times[6]. These marketing tactics have gained the attention of many minors, of which, 3.6 million are vape users, according to the FDA [5]. Most of these minors have never smoked, so for them vaping is not a substitute for smoking cigarettes, but rather a byproduct of the insidious marketing that targets them. In fact, vaping proves to be even more dangerous for minors because, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 30.7% of teen e-cigarette users start smoking within 6 months [5]. Although it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to minors, online stores are highly unregulated and kids are able to purchase e-cigarettes undetected. In fact, minors often purchase vapes, which look like small USBs, making vaping devices unnoticeable by most school officials.
Even now, scientists do not know the long term effects of vaping on the human body. But, preliminary studies show that patients experience respiratory failure two months after using the device [2]. Scientists have also seen that people with vaping related illnesses have lungs that look like they have had toxic chemical exposures and chemical burns [1]. Ultimately, the advanced tissue damage in the lungs lead to inflammation and constrict the airways— resulting in labored breathing [3]. According to studies, the adverse effects of tissue damage ultimately leads to death as steroids or ventilators are not able to reduce the inflammation caused by vaping. In essence, these individuals suffocate to death due to their use of e-cigarettes.
The negative effects of e-cigarettes do not stop here. Early behavioral data on animals have shown that using e-cigarettes during rapid brain growth leads to impulsive and hyperactive behavior as well as psychological distress and increased depression [7] . This further indicates that vaping not only has physical effects, but also has psychological consequences.
Despite the recent data collected by scientists, the long term implications of vaping are still unclear. Doctors and researchers still do not understand why anti-inflammatory drugs are not preventing the dire respiratory inflammation of vape-users’ lungs and why vaping seems to have a much stronger respiratory effect than its cigarette counterparts. However, the overall message is clear. Though we do not know the long term effects of vaping, it is probably more prudent to refrain from any further use of e-cigarettes.
References:
[1] Butt, Y. M., Smith, M. L., Tazelaar, H. D., Vaszar, L. T., Swanson, K. L., Cecchini, M. J., & Khoor, A. (2019). Pathology of vaping-associated lung injury. New England Journal of Medicine.
[2] Christiani, D. C. (2019). Vaping-Induced Lung Injury. The New England Journal of Medicine.
[3] Dicpinigaitis, P. V., Trachuk, P., Fakier, F., Teka, M., & Suhrland, M. J. (2019). Vaping-Associated Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Acute Lipoid Pneumonia. Lung.
[4] National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/tobacconicotine-vaping.
[5] Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products. (2019, November 8). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html.
[6] Rachel A. G., Pamela M. L. (2014). “Smoking Revolution”: A Content Analysis of Electronic Cigarette Retail Websites. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46: 395-403.
[7] Products, C. for T. (n.d.). Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other ENDS. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/vaporizers-e-cigarettes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends#:~:targetText=Among middle and high school,of e-cigarettes in 2018.&targetText=E-cigarette use, from 2017,%) from 2017 to 2018.
[8] Tobore, T. O. (2019). On the potential harmful effects of E-Cigarettes (EC) on the developing brain: The relationship between vaping-induced oxidative stress and adolescent/young adults social maladjustment. Journal of Adolescence, 76: 202-209.