Bridge to Wellness: Vaping is not the harmless alternative you may think it is

by Jennifer Matthews

Vaping was initially thought to be a safe alternative, designed to help people quit smoking harmful cigarettes. Vaping quickly became more than an alternative; in fact, many people who vape have never smoked. Vaping is now being marketed in the same way that cigarettes were, with multiple flavors and marketing ploys.

So, what is vaping exactly?

Vaping is when you use a handheld electronic device to breathe a mist (vapor) into your lungs. The solution being inhaled often includes liquid nicotine, flavoring propylene glycol as well as other additives. Although we are focusing on nicotine here, other drugs can also be vaped, including THC and CBD.

Opinions vary about whether vaping is better for you than cigarettes. Although the research is new, it does show that the substances found in vape cartridges could be as harmful, if not more harmful, than cigarettes. Inhaling foreign substances into your lungs always has the potential to put you at risk for lung issues and disease.

Health problems that could result from vaping

Following is an extensive list of health issues that may be caused by vaping.

• Asthma: Vaping puts you at greater risk for Asthma and other lung conditions.
• Lung scarring: Some of the chemicals used for flavoring can cause bronchiolitis obliterans or “popcorn lung,” a permanent scarring of the lungs.
• Organ damage: Your lungs are not the only organ that can be affected by E-liquid. Nicotine and other substances can hurt brain development, raise your blood pressure, and narrow your arteries.
• EVALI: This is a serious lung condition similar to emphysema, which causes widespread damage to the lungs and results in coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. EVALI stands for E-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury, and it can be a fatal illness.
• Addiction: Nicotine is extremely addictive. It causes changes to your neurological system that make you want more and more nicotine. Many people are unable to stop vaping, even when they want to, due to the addictive properties of nicotine.
• Cigarette smoking: Many people who start out vaping end up switching to cigarettes.
• Second-hand exposure: Vaping doesn’t create smoke, but the people around you are exposed to nicotine and other chemicals when you vape.
• Explosions: Batteries in electronic smoking devices have been known to explode and cause serious burns.
• Cancer: Some ingredients in E-liquid are known to cause certain cancers.

Vaping and teens

Unfortunately, flavors and marketing make E-cigarettes appealing to teens. The use of vapes and E-cigarettes is on the rise among this age group in the U.S. Teenage brains are not fully developed, so the damage from vaping can be worse. In 2022 the CDC found that 2.55 million U.S. middle school and high school students reported current use of vapes (within the last 30 days).

Let’s be good examples and help change this statistic in our community. Resources for smoking cessation can be found at www.smokefree.gov.

Sources:

• cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p1007-e-cigarette-use.html
• clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21162-vaping

Although the research is new, it does show that substances found in vape cartridges could be as harmful, if not more harmful, than cigarettes. Image credit: Wikimedia.org (CDC: What is the bottom line?)

Jennifer Matthews