Vaping is increasingly becoming popular, especially among adolescents. Some consider it a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes. Its popularity among youngsters is raising concerns about its safety. Whether vaping has any health risks, particularly if it has the potential to cause cancer, is a growing concern. Dr. Tim Tiutan, a New York City-based board-certified internal medicine physician who treats cancer patients, has weighed in on the issue. Before we dive into that, let’s understand what vaping is.What is vaping
Vaping involves inhaling an aerosol (not water vapor) produced by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or similar device called a vape. These devices heat a liquid, often called e-liquid or vape juice, which usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals, turning it into an aerosol that can be inhaled into the lungs. Vaping is similar to smoking a cigarette, but it does not involve burning tobacco.Vapes come in all shapes and sizes. These include e-pens, e-pipes, e-hookah, and e-cigars. Despite their variety, they contain the same basic components.
- Battery
- Heating element
- Place to hold e-liquid (such as a cartridge or pod)
According to the American Lung Association, the following toxic chemicals and metals have all been found in e-cigarettes.
- Nicotine: It is a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development
- Propylene glycol: A common food additive, also used to make things like antifreeze, paint solvent, and artificial smoke in fog machines
- Carcinogens: These are chemicals known to cause cancer, including acetaldehyde and formaldehyde
- Acrolein: It is a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds. This chemical can cause irreversible lung damage
- Diacetyl: A chemical linked to a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, aka ‘popcorn lung’
- Diethylene glycol: A toxic chemical used in antifreeze that is linked to lung disease
- Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, lead
- Cadmium: A toxic metal found in traditional cigarettes that causes breathing problems and other illnesses
- Benzene: A volatile organic compound (VOC) found in car exhaust
- Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs
So, it’s not just vapor one is inhaling.Hidden dangers of vaping
Though vaping is often assumed to be a safer alternative to traditional smoking, Dr. Tiutan warns that the substances used in it are far from harmless. “I don’t have to tell you that inhaling random unregulated substances can cause lung damage and heart disease,” the doctor said in a video shared on Instagram.He also quoted studies and added, “Early studies also suggest vaping may increase cancer risk.” Vaping releases oxygen-free radicals that may cause DNA damage. He added that various compounds commonly found in vape liquid, like heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can wreak havoc on health. “I think there’s so much more harm we’ve yet to discover so quit vaping,” he said.
A recent study has found that vaping is more dangerous than traditional cigarettes. “We found that these disposable devices have toxins already present in the e-liquid, or they’re leaching quite extensively from their components into e-liquids and ultimately transferred to the smoke,” the researchers said. “Our study highlights the hidden risk of these new and popular disposable electronic cigarettes — with hazardous levels of neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony — which stresses the need for urgency in enforcement,” they confirmed.
