What's the Low Down on Vaping?
Due to the recent outbreak of EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury), the safety of vaping has come under increased scrutiny. As of November 5, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had linked 2,051 injuries and 39 deaths with vaping. While the illnesses are believed to be caused by a singular ingredient in some products, the question remains.
The product that was once touted as being a safer alternative to smoking may be anything but. Until more is known, researchers will not be able to make a definitive decision about the safety of vaping as it relates to smoking. However, enough is currently known to make the conclusion that vaping is probably not safe in and of itself. Let's look at what we know already.
Touted Benefits of Vaping
One of the biggest benefits of vaping over smoking is the fact that vaping products contain fewer chemicals than tobacco products. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, and much of them are considered toxic. A study involving vapers, however, revealed that their lungs had significantly lower levels of toxins, such as tar and carbon monoxide, than their smoking counterparts. This is good, right?
The Real Consequences of Vaping
This doesn’t mean that vaping has no health consequences. In fact, vaping is far from safe. It may even be considered dangerous. Most vaping products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance that poses serious health risks. They also contain chemicals, such as diacetyl and other cancer-causing agents, including volatile organic compounds.
Even the liquid used in vaping products is harmful if absorbed through the skin and eyes. On top of this, the emergence of EVALI as an ingredient has underscored the fact that we really know very little about the long-term safety of these products.
Health Organizations Advise Against Vaping
Many health organizations say that more needs to be known before we know for sure if vaping is safer than smoking. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that young people and pregnant women should not be exposed to the products and that people should not turn to them to quit smoking. Instead, they recommend turning to proven smoking cessation programs.
The AHA is fighting for stronger regulations, while the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending that everyone stop using any vaping products containing THC, especially black-market products. They also advise against the use of vaping products by youth. They warn that those who don’t smoke or use vaping products should not begin the practice. All tobacco products carry a risk.
The benefits of vaping, which were greatly touted when the products were first introduced, are rapidly dwindling and/or being overshadowed by possibly significant health risks. Since most health organizations recommend not using the products, it's probably best to just avoid them.
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