E-cigarettes - Good or Bad?
E-cigarettes - Good or Bad?
Male exhaling cloud of e-cigarette vapour

Components Increase Health Risks

Components of E-Cigarettes Increase Risk for Various Health Effects

Various components of e-cigarettes are linked to the increase in health related dangers. The design of the unit and how the tool works may be the cause of negative outcomes stemming from e-cigarette use. Aspects of concern are as followed:

Three vaping devices
  • Aerosolation of e-cigarette liquid (water, propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine and flavouring)
  • Factors contributing to inhalation effects
    • climate
    • air flow
    • room size
    • number of users in vicinity
    • types/ age of systems
    • battery voltage
    • puff length
    • puff intervals
    • user characteristics
  • Particle size and absorption effects are still relatively unknown and can vary with products
  • However, can be beneficial for those trying to quit smoking, but dangerous for never smokers


Propylene Glycol and Glycerine

  • Component in most e-cigarettes
  • Upper airway irritants
    • dries out mucous membranes and eyes
  • Glycerin is used to increase efficacy of inhalants
    • draws water into bronchial secretions
    • reduces their viscosity
  • Repeated and long-term inhalation of glycerol vapour differs based on exposure levels


Nicotine

Close up of vape devices with e-liquid
  • Readily absorbed
    • airway
    • skin
    • mucous membranes
    • gastrointestinal tract
    • even in small amounts, vaping liquid containing nicotine can be very harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin
  • Acute exposure to nicotine can cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting
  • Highly addictive
    • can lead to dependence
    • may cause nicotine addiction in those who would not have started smoking otherwise
  • Cognitive and behavioural problems
    • can affect memory and concentration
    • alters teen brain development
    • reduced impulse control
  • E-cigarettes may pose increased risk of nicotine toxicity as they provide availability of high nicotine concentrations
  • The level of nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes is highly variable


Other Components

  • To date, evaluations of other components have not found serious health effects
  • Data must be interpreted with caution
  • The more chemicals listed in the ingredients, the more dangerous the substance is to human health


References

Alexander, H. (2019). Is vaping safe? Retrieved from https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/is-vaping-safe-.h19-1592202.html 

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