Category Archives: Vaping

The safety and long-term health effects of using e-cigarettes or other vaping products still arent well known. In September 2019, federal and state health authorities began investigating an outbreak of a severe lung disease associated with e-cigarettes and other vaping products. Were closely monitoring the situation and will update our content as soon as more information is available.

Over the past decade, marijuana laws have continued to change across the United States.

What was once vilified as a potentially dangerous gateway drug is now being recognized by many states (33 plus Washington, D.C., to be exact) as having medicinal properties that can help manage a range of health conditions, from anxiety and cancer to chronic pain and more.

Marijuana is now also recreationally legal in 11 of those 33 states. (Note that marijuana is still classified as illegal by the U.S. federal government.)

In states where marijuana is legal, its being sold mostly in three different ways:

If you live in a state where marijuana is legal, you might be wondering how best to consume it, especially in light of recent federal investigations into the safety of vaping.

Heres what we know.

For decades, health experts warned the public about the dangers of inhaling tobacco smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.

For marijuana, some research suggests some compounds in it, known as cannabinoids, may have a few benefits.

One of the more well-known cannabinoids is called CBD. For this reason, some people believe smoking marijuana is less dangerous than smoking tobacco.

Cannabinoids, such as CBD, are different from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical in marijuana that gets a person high.

Inhaling smoke of any kind whether its cannabinoid-containing weed or tobacco or another substance is bad for lung health, according to the American Lung Association.

Most marijuana users hold smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, putting them at greater risk for exposure to tar which is harmful to the lungs.

Some negative health effects associated with chronic weed smoking include:

Vaping marijuana involves inhaling heated oil through a vaporizing device, often referred to as an e-cigarette. Vaping marijuana can also refer to using a vaporizer, such as a Volcano, to produce vapor from dried plant material.

Some people believe vaping is safer than smoking because it doesnt involve inhaling smoke. But the reality is, when it comes to vaping marijuana, theres much less known about the negative health effects.

The most recent research suggests vaping THC oil could be quite harmful to lung health. The greatest concern at the moment is the severe effects of inhaling vitamin E acetate. This additive chemical has been found in many vaping products that contain THC.

As of Dec. 27, 2019, nearly 2,561 cases of lung injury (EVALI) caused by inhalation of vitamin E acetate, or popcorn lung, have been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands) and have led to 55 deaths during that time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some of the people affected by vaping illnesses include children.

The CDC recommends people avoid using e-cigarettes and vaping products, particularly those containing THC oil, because theyre likely to contain vitamin E acetate.

Early research shows vaping liquids and oils even once can harm your lungs. Because vaping is new and hasnt been well studied, there could be harmful effects of vaping that arent yet known.

Some states with legal marijuana are proactively warning marijuana users that vaping liquids has been known to cause severe lung injuries and death.

To stay up to date on the latest vaping-related illness news, check the CDC website for regular updates.

There are several ways to smoke marijuana:

When people vape, they consume concentrated marijuana. It seems to be a much more potent delivery system than smoking. In other words, youll get more high from vaping than from smoking.

Researchers have determined that the effects of vaping marijuana are much stronger than smoking.

In one study, researchers found that first-time and infrequent marijuana users were more likely to experience adverse reactions from the enhanced delivery of THC caused by vaping when compared to smoking.

Both smoking and vaping have an almost immediate effect on the body. Their effects peak within 10 to 15 minutes.

Most experts recommend starting vaping or smoking very slowly, taking in a small amount at first and waiting 20 to 30 minutes before having more.

Because the harmful effects of smoking are well known and the health effects of vaping are unknown (and possibly very serious), its understandable that you might want to seek an alternative way to use marijuana.

If youre looking to consume marijuana in the least risky way, ingesting it might be the way to go.

Edible marijuana products, or edibles, can be any food or beverage. They include, but arent limited to:

Keep in mind that ingesting marijuana doesnt have an immediate effect. Having too much can lead to adverse physical and mental reactions, such as:

But when eaten in moderation, edibles seem to have no apparent harmful health effects.

Eating raw marijuana wont have the same effects on the body as consuming marijuana-based products prepared correctly. Marijuana has to be heated in order for its chemical compounds to be activated. Cooking it can do that.

It can take up to 2 hours for the effects of ingested marijuana to hit and around 3 hours for them to peak. Effects are often long lasting anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.

For this reason, its important to start slowly. Consume a very small amount if youre ingesting marijuana for the first time. For example, a common dose for edibles is 10 milligrams of THC. If youre just starting out, opt for 2 to 5 milligrams of THC.

If you seek the purported beneficial health effects of marijuana without the high, you may want to seek out CBD oil and products that contain it. Note: the CDC does not recommend vaping any liquid, including CBD oil.

Note, however, that CBD products arent regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. If you do buy them, its important to do so from a reputable distributor.

While more research on the effects of consuming marijuana is needed, it appears we can conclude that smoking any substance including marijuana is generally not good for you.

New research suggests vaping liquids may also be detrimental to health and can cause serious problems, including death. So, it seems the least harmful way of consuming marijuana may be to eat it.

However, researchers note that long-term marijuana use and THC exposure may increase the risk of psychosis and mental health disorders.

If you want to get the health benefits of marijuana with the least amount of risks, it seems CBD products might be the way to go though you wont get high from using them.

Is CBD legal?The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This made some hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3 percent THC federally legal. However, CBD products containing more than 0.3 percent THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them federally illegal but legal under some state laws. Be sure to check state laws, especially when traveling. Also, keep in mind that the FDA has not approved nonprescription CBD products, and some products may be inaccurately labeled.

Read more:

Vaping vs. Smoking Weed: Is One Safer? - Healthline

Vaping has risks, regardless of what you vape. Starting to use e-cigarettes, or switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, increases your risk of devastating health effects. The safest option, according to the American Cancer Society, is to avoid both vaping and smoking altogether.

Research into the health effects of vaping is ongoing, and it may take some time before we understand the long-term risks.

Heres what we currently know about the effects of vaping fluids with and without nicotine, as well as vaping marijuana or CBD oil.

Preliminary research suggests vaping poses risks to heart health.

The authors of a 2019 review point out that e-liquid aerosols contain particulates, oxidizing agents, aldehydes, and nicotine. When inhaled, these aerosols most likely affect the heart and circulatory system.

A 2018 report from the National Academies Press (NAP) found significant evidence that taking a puff from a nicotine e-cigarette triggers an increase in heart rate.

The authors also described moderate evidence suggesting that taking a puff from an e-cigarette increases blood pressure. Both could affect heart health over the long term.

A 2019 study assessed data from a nationwide survey of nearly 450,000 participants and found no significant association between e-cigarette use and heart disease.

However, they did find that people who smoked both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes were more likely to have heart disease.

Another 2019 study based on the same nationwide survey found that e-cigarette use was associated with an increased risk of a stroke, heart attack, angina, and heart disease.

The authors of 2018 study used data from a different national health survey to come to a similar conclusion: Daily vaping is associated with an increased risk of heart attack, even when other lifestyle factors are taken into consideration.

Finally, a 2017 review of the cardiovascular effects of vaping indicates that e-cigarettes may pose certain risks to the heart and circulatory system, notably for people who already have some form of heart disease.

However, the researchers concluded that, overall, vaping is thought to be less harmful to the heart than smoking cigarettes.

Some studies suggest that vaping may have negative effects on the lungs, but more research is needed.

In particular, a 2015 study examined the effects of flavored e-juices on both human lung cells and lung cells in mice.

The researchers reported a number of adverse effects on both types of cells, including toxicity, oxidation, and inflammation. However, these results arent necessarily generalizable to vaping in real life.

A 2018 study assessed the lung function of 10 people who had never smoked cigarettes immediately after vaping fluids either with or without nicotine.

The researchers concluded that vaping both with and without nicotine disrupts normal lung function in otherwise healthy people.

However, this study had a small sample size, which means the results may not apply to everyone.

The same 2018 report from the NAP found that theres some evidence that e-cigarette exposure has adverse effects on the respiratory system, but that additional studies are required to understand the extent to which vaping contributes to respiratory diseases.

Finally, lung health effects are not expected to be seen for 20 to 30 years. This is why it took as long as it did for the negative health effects of cigarettes to be widely recognized. The full magnitude of effects of toxic e-cigarette ingredients may not be known for another 3 decades.

Vaping appears to have a number of negative effects on oral health.

For instance, a 2018 study reported that exposure to e-cigarette aerosol makes teeth surfaces more prone to developing bacteria. The authors concluded that vaping may increase the risk of cavities.

Another study from 2016 suggests that vaping is associated with gum inflammation, a known factor in the development of periodontal diseases.

Similarly, a 2014 review reported that vaping may trigger irritation in the gums, mouth, and throat.

Finally, the same NAP report from 2018 concluded theres some evidence that both nicotine and nicotine-free e-cigarettes can damage oral cells and tissues in people who dont smoke cigarettes.

The 2018 report from NAP found substantial evidence that vaping causes cell dysfunction, oxidative stress, and damage to DNA.

Some of these cellular changes have been linked to the development of cancer over the long term, though theres currently no evidence to suggest that vaping causes cancer.

Vaping may also have specific adverse effects on certain groups, particularly young people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that vaping with nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25.

Its possible that we dont yet know all the physical effects of vaping.

The long-term effects of smoking cigarettes are well-documented, and include an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer.

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking causes nearly 1 out of every 5 deaths in the United States.

Vaping might appear to be a less risky choice for people who are trying to quit smoking. However, that doesnt mean there arent risks involved, even if the vape liquid is nicotine-free.

There is limited evidence to date of the long-term effects of vaping, because we know the lung effects of vaping will take decades to develop. But based on the experience with cigarettes, similar adverse health effects including COPD, heart disease, and cancer can be expected.

Secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor is said to be less toxic than secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke. However, secondhand vapor is still a form of air pollution that probably poses health risks.

According to the 2018 NAP report, secondhand vapor contains nicotine, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations that are above recommended levels.

More research needs to be done to understand the long-term health effects of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor.

Juuling refers to vaping with a specific e-cigarette brand. It carries the same health risks as vaping.

A Juul is a thin, rectangular e-cigarette that can be charged in a USB port.

The e-liquid comes in a cartridge called a Juulpod or J-pod, and it usually contains nicotine.

Vaping is not safe, with or without nicotine. But vaping nicotine-containing products further increases the risk of addiction.

Nicotine dependence is one of the major risks of vaping with nicotine. A 2015 study suggests that people who vape with nicotine are more likely to become dependent on nicotine than people who vape without nicotine.

Vaping with nicotine is especially risky for young people. Young people who vape with nicotine are more likely to start smoking cigarettes in the future.

However, e-cigarettes still pose health risks, even without nicotine.

Nicotine-free e-juice contains a number of potentially toxic chemicals, such as base liquids and flavoring agents.

Studies suggest that nicotine-free vaping can irritate the respiratory system, cause cell death, trigger inflammation, and harm blood vessels.

More research needs to be done in order to understand the side effects of nicotine-free vaping.

If you vape marijuana, side effects can include:

Theres almost no research on the side effects of vaping CBD. However, some reported side effects of using CBD oil include:

These side effects tend to be mild.

Marijuana and CBD e-liquids usually contain other chemicals, such as base liquids or flavoring agents. They may cause side effects similar to those of nicotine-free e-cigarettes.

The fluid flavor does matter. A 2016 report indicated that many vape fluids contain flavoring agents at concentrations that may pose risks to users.

Another study from 2016 tested more than 50 e-juice flavors. The researchers found that 92 percent of the flavors tested for one of three potentially harmful chemicals: diacetyl, acetylpropionyl, or acetoin.

Researchers in a 2018 study found that cinnamaldehyde (found in cinnamon), o-vanillin (found in vanilla), and pentanedione (found in honey) all had toxic effects on cells.

Its difficult to know for sure which flavors contain respiratory irritants, as ingredients tend to differ from one brand to the next.

To be safe, you might want to avoid the flavors listed below:

If youre concerned about the side effects of vaping, you might want to avoid the following ingredients:

The above ingredients are known irritants.

If youre concerned about the adverse effects of vaping, try the following:

Contact the manufacturer to ask for a list of ingredients in your vape fluid. If the manufacturer cant provide a list of ingredients, it might be a sign of a not-so-safe product.

Unflavored vape juices are less likely to contain potentially toxic flavoring agents.

If youre using vaping to quit smoking, you should gradually reduce your dose of nicotine. Transitioning to nicotine-free vaping can help you minimize side effects.

Drink water right after you vape to prevent symptoms such as dry mouth and dehydration.

To reduce oral side effects after vaping, brush to clean the surface of your teeth.

It cant hurt to talk to a doctor or other healthcare professional about the risks of vaping, especially if you already have a chronic health condition, such as asthma.

You may also want to make an appointment with a doctor if you think vaping is behind any new symptoms, such as coughing, difficulty breathing, or increased heart rate.

Excerpt from:

Is Vaping Bad for You? And 12 Other FAQs - Healthline

Scientists Protecting Public Health through Research on Vaping, PFAS, Parkinsons Disease, and More Are 2023 SOT Award Recipients  Newswise

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Scientists Protecting Public Health through Research on Vaping, PFAS, Parkinsons Disease, and More Are 2023 SOT Award Recipients - Newswise

Amherst-Pelham Regional High School principal: fewer fights, but cell phones and vaping remain issues  MassLive.com

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Amherst-Pelham Regional High School principal: fewer fights, but cell phones and vaping remain issues - MassLive.com

Teens caught smoking or vaping at Dearborn Public Schools will face zero tolerance from district, police  Dearborn Press and Guide

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Teens caught smoking or vaping at Dearborn Public Schools will face zero tolerance from district, police - Dearborn Press and Guide

ST. PAUL, MN: The Minnesota Department of Health is trying to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes and commercial tobacco by letting the target audience shape the campaign.

The state has hired marketing agency Haberman to develop a youth-led initiative. The Minneapolis-based firm this year worked on an anti-tobacco usage campaign aimed at state residents outside the Twin Cities, African Americans and the Hmong community.

The new campaign comesafterreportsof a recent decline in the number of high-school students who vape, following concerns about an epidemic of teenagers becoming addicted to nicotine. About 11% of high-school students, or 1.7 million, and 2.8% of middle schoolers, or 320,000, use e-cigarettes, according to2021 datafrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, one in five Minnesota high-school students used e-cigarettes, and 70% of high-school and middle-school users reported signs of nicotine dependence, according to the states 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey.

We are really focused on developing youth engagement and having youth be at the forefront of not only working in their communities but also working with Haberman hand-in-hand to create those messages and what that counter marketing campaign will really look like, said Jen Cash, acting manager for the health departments Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

The youth engagement campaign is part of the states $8 million effort to curb youth and young adult tobacco usage. The health department hopes to launch it in early 2023.

In developing the campaign, the state is following Centers for Disease Control and Prvention guidelines on best practices for youth tobacco prevention and control.

Those include an emphasis on youth engagement.

Young people naturally challenge the traditional attitudes that may limit how adults think and act, the report states. They can add innovation and creativity to any program, making it more attractive to other youth and community leaders. Their novel ideas for tobacco control strategies can help push efforts forward.

Haberman will conduct consumer research to learn more about youth e-cigarette usage via surveys and potentially, focus groups, Cash said.

The state will also work with ACET, a Minnesota evaluation firm, to form a youth advisory committee that will review the consumer research and shape the campaign.

This is not the first time the state has turned to youth for help in curbing tobacco usage. For the past two years, the Health Department has conducted the Escape the Vape contest in which local middle-school and high-school students compete to create a public service announcement about the dangers of vaping and the tobacco industrys marketing tactics.

Anything targeting youth needs to be led by youth, Cash said. We're really interested in creating messages that youth will respond to, and we know that that changes quickly.

Register now to enjoy more articles and free email bulletins

Link:

Minnesota turns to Haberman to keep kids off vaping | PR Week

1. Vaping may be just as dangerous to vascular health as smoking, study finds  Medical News Today
2. Smoking and vaping had overlapping adverse health effects, dual product use may be worse  American Heart Association
3. NIH-funded studies show damaging effects of vaping, smoking on blood vessels  National Institutes of Health (.gov)
4. Vaping Is Absolutely Terrible for Your Heart, According to New Research  Futurism
5. Smoking, Vaping Have Similar Heart Health Effects  Healthline
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

Link:

Vaping may be just as dangerous to vascular health as smoking, study finds - Medical News Today

If you have thought about trying to kick a smoking habit, youre not alone. Nearly 7 of 10 smokers say they want to stop. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, including your heart. Nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke.

You might be tempted to turn to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other nondisposable and disposable vaping devices) as a way to ease the transition from traditional cigarettes to not smoking at all. But is smoking e-cigarettes (also called vaping) better for you than using tobacco products? Can e-cigarettes help you to stop smoking once and for all?Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical research at theJohns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, shares health information about vaping.

E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic. While we dont know exactly what chemicals are in e-cigarettes, Blaha says Theres almost no doubt that vaping exposes you to fewer toxic chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes.

However, there has been an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with vaping. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 2,807 cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and 68 deaths attributed to that condition.

These cases appear to predominantly affect people who modify their vaping devices or use black market modified e-liquids. This is especially true for vaping products containing THC, explains Blaha.

The CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people with EVALI. Vitamin E acetate is a thickening agent often used in THC vaping products, and it was found in all lung fluid samples of EVALI patients examined by the CDC.

The CDC recommends that people:

Research from The Johns Hopkins University on vape ingredients published in October 2021 reveals thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products, most of which are not yet identified. Among those the team could identify were several potentially harmful substances, including caffeine, three chemicals never previously found in e-cigarettes, a pesticide and two flavorings linked with possible toxic effects and respiratory irritation.

Nicotine is the primary agent in regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and it is highly addictive. It causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving. Nicotine is a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having aheart attack.

Is vaping bad for you? There are many unknowns about vaping, including what chemicals make up the vapor and how they affect physical health over the long term. People need to understand that e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous to your health, says Blaha. Emerging data suggestslinks to chronic lung disease and asthma, as well as associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking withcardiovascular disease. Youre exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we dont yet understand and that are probably not safe.

Both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes contain nicotine, which research suggests may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Whats worse, says Blaha, many e-cigarette users get even more nicotine than they would from a combustible tobacco product: Users can buy extra-strength cartridges, which have a higher concentration of nicotine, or increase the e-cigarettes voltage to get a greater hit of the substance.

Although theyve been promoted as an aid to help you quit smoking, e-cigarettes have not received Food and Drug Administration approval as smoking cessation devices. A recent study found that most people who intended to use e-cigarettes to kick the nicotine habit ended up continuing to use traditional and e-cigarettes.

In light of the EVALI outbreak, the CDC advises people who use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation to weigh the risks and benefits and first consider use of other FDA-approved smoking cessation options.

Among youth, e-cigarettes, especially the disposable kind, are more popular than any traditional tobacco product. According to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, with more than 8 in 10 of those youth using flavored e-cigarettes.

According to Blaha, there are three reasons e-cigarettes may be particularly enticing to young people. First, many teens believe vaping is less harmful than smoking. Second, e-cigarettes have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes. Finally, youths and adults find the lack of smoke appealing. With no smell, e-cigarettes reduce some of the stigma of smoking.

What I find most concerning about the rise of vaping is that people who wouldve never smoked otherwise, especially youth, are taking up the habit, says Blaha. Its one thing if you convert from cigarette smoking to vaping. Its quite another thing to start up nicotine use with vaping. And, getting hooked on nicotine often leads to using traditional tobacco products down the road.

Research from the CDC shows that vaping among youth has declined somewhat since 2020. Kids being stuck at home under their parents supervision during the COVID-19 pandemic could contribute to that trend.

But, Blaha says, interpreting the data is tricky, since young people change their preferences often, and, when surveyed, may not consider using disposable products such as puff bars as vaping. The same CDC report says disposable e-cigarette use has increased 1,000% among high school students and 400% among middle school students since 2019.

When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Blaha says, data show that e-cigarette sales went down, possibly because people were spending more time at home and avoiding stores and public areas.

But Blaha sees a trend that concerns him: rising rates of daily e-cigarette use among all vape users. The number of people who vaped daily used to be 1 in 5, but now its up quite a bit, which is concerning because it implies more nicotine addiction. Im keeping a close eye on that.

Vaping, smoking and other lung irritants can compound the respiratory problems associated with COVID-19.

Continued here:

5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know | Johns Hopkins Medicine

A Look at Safety

Youve probably heard a lot about vaping lately. You might also know about the recent outbreak of lung injuries and deaths linked to vaping in the U.S. But those arent the only risks that come with vaping. Heres what you need to know.

Vaping devices, also known as e-cigarettes, vape pens, and e-hookahs among other terms, come in many shapes and sizes. Some look like traditional cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Others are shaped like every-day objects, such as pens or USB memory sticks.

While they may look different, most vaping devices work in a similar way. Puffing activates a battery-powered heating device. This heats the liquid in a cartridge, turning it into vapors that are inhaled.

Vaping exposes the lungs to a variety of chemicals. These may include the main active chemicals in tobacco (nicotine) or marijuana (THC), flavorants, and other ingredients that are added to vaping liquids. Plus, other chemicals can be produced during the vaporizing process.

If the liquid has nicotine in it, then the user is inhaling nicotine along with the other ingredients in the liquid, explains Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, an expert on tobacco research at Virginia Commonwealth University.

While vaping devices work similarly, some are more powerful than others. They create more vapor and deliver more chemicals.

So how safe is vaping? Studies suggest nicotine vaping may be less harmful than traditional cigarettes when people who regularly smoke switch to them as a complete replacement. But nicotine vaping could still damage your health.

Your lungs arent meant to deal with the constant challenge of non-air that people are putting into themsometimes as many as 200 puffs a dayday after day, week after week, year after year, Eissenberg says.

Youre inhaling propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavorants that were meant to be eaten but not inhaled, and nicotine, he explains. And all of those are heated up in this little reactor, which is an e-cigarette. When they get heated up, those components can turn into other potentially dangerous chemicals.

One harmful chemical may be a thickening agent called Vitamin E acetate, which is sometimes used as an additive in THC-containing vape products. The CDC identified it as a chemical of concern among people with vaping-associated lung injuries. They recommend avoiding any vaping product containing Vitamin E acetate or THC, particularly those from informal sources like friends, family, or in-person or online dealers.

Vaping is now more popular among teens than smoking traditional cigarettes. One in four high school seniors say they vaped nicotine in the past month. And studies have found that teens who vape nicotine may be more likely to go on to smoke traditional cigarettes.

Marijuana vaping has also increased dramatically among teens. About 20% of high school seniors vaped marijuana in the past year. The rates have more than doubled in the past two years.

New laws are aimed at curbing vaping among teens. People must now be 21 to buy any tobacco product, including vaping products. And companies can no longer produce and sell flavors that appeal to children like fruit and mint.

If youve already started vaping or smoking cigarettes, its never too late to quit. See the Wise Choices box for tips on stopping.

Originally posted here:

The Risks of Vaping | NIH News in Health

OverviewWhat is vaping?

Vaping is when you use a small, handheld device (like e-cigarettes, vape pens or mods) to inhale a mist of nicotine and flavoring (e-liquid). Its similar to smoking a cigarette, but vaping heats tiny particles out of a liquid rather than burning tobacco.

Vaping works by heating liquid in a small device so you can breathe it into your lungs. The e-cigarette, vape pen or other vaping device heats the liquid in the device to create an aerosol. This isnt water vapor. Mist from e-cigarettes contains particles of nicotine, flavoring and other substances suspended in air. You breathe these particles into your mouth from the mouthpiece, where they go down your throat and into your lungs.

An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device that heats up the liquid nicotine and flavoring for you to breathe in. There are many varieties of e-cigarettes that go by different names, including vapes, vape pens or sticks, e-hookahs, hookah sticks, mods and personal vaporizers (PVs). They can also be collectively called electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).

Most types of e-cigarettes have:

Vaping and smoking both involve inhaling nicotine and other substances into your lungs. E-cigarettes heat liquid to make an aerosol; cigarettes burn tobacco, which creates smoke.

Vaping is often thought of as safer than cigarette smoking, but vaping causes health problems, too. Both vaping and smoking are addictive and bring potentially dangerous chemicals into your body. The levels of many of these chemicals is higher when you burn tobacco. Vaping hasnt been around long enough to know what kind of long-term damage it might cause.

The particles you inhale while vaping can cause inflammation (swelling) and irritation in your lungs. This can lead to lung damage like scarring and narrowing of the tubes that bring air in and out of your lungs. Researchers dont yet know all the effects vaping can have on your body.

No. Despite the name, vaping doesnt make water vapor. It actually creates an aerosol (or mist) that contains small particles of nicotine, metal and other harmful substances.

E-liquid, also called e-juice or vape juice, is what vaping devices use to make the vapor you breathe in. E-liquids arent just water. They usually contain:

E-liquids and flavorings sometimes have other ingredients, including:

The dangers of vaping include lung and other organ damage, breathing problems, addiction and more. People tend to think of vaping as safer than smoking, but its not safe.

Problems vaping causes include:

EVALI is short for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury. Its a serious lung condition caused by vaping. Vitamin E acetate, found in some e-liquids, is a possible cause.

An outbreak of EVALI in late 2019 and early 2020 put thousands of people in the hospital. At least 68 people died. Since then, EVALI cases have been declining, but people who vape can still get EVALI.

Among people who were hospitalized with severe EVALI, most were younger than 35 and used THC-containing vapes from informal sources (online, family or friends). However, EVALI can happen in anyone using either nicotine or THC-containing vapes.

Symptoms of EVALI include:

Short-term side effects of vaping include:

You may have heard the benefits of vaping are that its safe or that it helps you quit smoking. Some people vape because they think itll help them quit smoking if theyve already tried other methods and havent been able to quit. Unfortunately, you may end up addicted to vaping instead, so the benefits of vaping for smoking cessation may not be as good as they seem. Theres no benefit to vaping if you dont already smoke.

People usually think vaping isnt as bad as cigarette smoking, but the mist you breathe in still has nicotine and other harmful chemicals in it. Vaping isnt safe and can cause health problems, including life-threatening lung injuries.

Some damage to your lungs from vaping can heal or get better with medications. Others, like lung scarring, are permanent. Over time, constant irritation to your lungs can lead to health problems (like asthma and COPD) that wont go away.

In some cases, yes, you can die from lung injuries vaping causes. For instance, 68 people died in an outbreak of vaping-related illness (EVALI) in 2019 and 2020.

No, its not safe to vape while youre pregnant. Vaping exposes you to some of the same chemicals that cigarette smoking does. Vaping while pregnant can cause low birth weight, lung damage and brain damage in the developing fetus.

Vaping isnt approved as a way to quit smoking. Approved methods include patches, inhalers, lozenges and gum. While vaping might help you quit smoking, it probably wont help you quit nicotine altogether.

In a recent study, about 18% of people who switched to vaping had been able to quit smoking. Thats about twice as many people as those who used other methods to quit smoking. However, about 80% of people who quit smoking were still vaping. Of people who used other methods, 91% kicked nicotine products altogether.

Quitting vaping is similar to quitting smoking, sticking to a diet or any other habit you want to change. Its a process that wont happen overnight, but you can make a plan to help you along the way:

A note from Cleveland Clinic

From accessories to flavors, vaping can seem very appealing. Unfortunately, its not as harmless as it seems. We know nicotine and other ingredients in e-liquids can hurt your body and we still dont know what long-term health problems vaping could cause. If you dont vape, dont start. If you need help quitting, know that youre not alone. There are online resources, texting and phone services and apps that connect you with real people to help you on your journey to kick the habit.

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Vaping (E-Cigarettes): What It Is, Side Effects & Dangers