Vaping

What's the deal with E-Cigarettes or Vaping?

Vaping and using E-Cigarettes are the same thing. E-Cigaretttes use a battery (although the "E" stands for electric) to activate it instead of a flame from a match or lighter. Originally it was thought to be a better alternative to smoking regular cigarettes-some people thought if they could switch to e-cigarettes, they'd be better off.. The reasoning was that people weren't inhaling smoke but rather vapor. Some people still feel it's a better alternative and say the e-cigarettes helped them stop smoking 'regular' cigarettes. However, e-cigarettes still have nicotine, and present other problems just as anything inhaled can.



Here are some types of vaping gear.

To operate the machine, the person inserts a cartridge of liquid into the vaping device (the cartridges may be refillable) turns on the machine to produce vapor, then inhales the vapor. And so, technically, they are not 'electric' but rather battery operated or can be recharged.

Have you wondered what's in e-cigarettes? It's not good. People might think they are inhaling mostly steam, or vapor, from water. That's not correct. Here are some chemicals used to make vaping liquid:

• Nicotine, the basic ingredient that gets people hooked on regular cigarettes: it's addictive, that's why people can't quit easily.
• Aluminum
• Cadmium
• Silver
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Diacetyl, a butter-flavored chemical very toxic to your lungs/causes "popcorn lungs"
• Flavors to tempt you which are also made of unknown chemicals

       This shows a nice clear open bronchial tube and one that's occluded (partially blocked) due to inflammation from vaping. Note also the 'blobby' appearance of the popcorn lung vs. the smooth  appearance of the normal lung.


How does vaping hurt your lungs? Initially, it causes inflammation. It can destroy the protective layer around your lungs that helps to fight germs and bacteria entering your lungs. Your breathing capacity is reduced-see how that happened in the picture above? The chemicals can cause serious and permanent damage to your lungs.

Since there is nicotine in vaping liquids, there is concern that, while less than regular cigarettes, nicotine is addictive. It may be that the amount of nicotine in an e-cigarette won't be enough, and people will then progress to using regular cigarettes, canceling out whatever 'benefit' there may have been from using less nicotine in the first place.

Did you know: Vaping liquids are not currently under any type of regulation by the Food & Drug Administration, so manufacturers can put whatever they want into them. 

The number of vaping-related lung disease has climbed quickly in the last few months, often with teens. While no one should be inhaling anything into their lungs except air, the lungs of a young person are not yet fully developed and are less able to cope with inhaled chemicals.

 Here is information on Minnesota's vaping problem: https://www.kare11.com/article/news/health/mn-health-officials-now-investigating-21-potential-cases-of-vaping-related-lung-disease/89-d24623fb-afcf-42bb-8212-7fd0c7bdfd6b
Over 450 cases of vaping-related disease, in 33 states, were reported as of this month. The Center for Disease Control is looking into these cases. Here is some more information: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html

Vaping companies are being criticized for marketing vaping to kids who are underage by using fruity or sweet flavors that appeal to them such as bubble gum and gummy bears. Juul is a company that sells the most vaping products, and it's being investigated for specifically targeting younger kids. Some people even call vaping "Juuling." While they claim they never intended young people to use their product, it seems pretty clear that they did. https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180806juul.html

Sometimes people buy vaping liquids 'on the street,' meaning not in a traditional store. They can find it online, or from people they do or do not know. Nobody knows what is in these ingredients, and while some people are aware and take the drug-enhanced liquids willingly, they have been found to have

• Marijuana
• Cocaine
• Morphine
• THC
• Ecstasy
• Fentanyl
• Methamphetamine

All of which are dangerous and/or addicting, and often may be 'laced' with even more dangerous drugs without the person realizing it.

We should probably not be using e-cigarettes or vaping until/unless they are shown to be safe. We only get one pair of lungs. Let's use them to breathe the air and nothing else.