E-cigarettes are growing exponentially at almost 10.8 million adult users in the U.S. Anyone who uses or has used tobacco must be familiar with e-cigarettes. This sensation has been racking up the market and becoming a loved and widely sold product. E-cig are essentially electronic battery powered devices that can heat a fluid or liquid to create an aerosol that can be inhaled. The vape juice or e-liquid can have nicotine, VG/PG and some flavor. This flavor is the most exciting element for many. This causes the hit as compared to conventional cigarettes where tobacco is burned to produce smoke.
Why are Vapes gaining Popularity?
§Not perceived as hazardous as smoking
§Sweet flavors
§Cool and discreet devices
§Trend and peer pressure
§Safer smoking alternative
§Popular culture
What is an e-liquid made of?
E-liquid essentially has VG/PG, nicotine and a flavor. Apart from this for the smoke, it has multiple compounds. These are additives that are generally regarded as safe. But since safety is relative, its effects on skin and ingestion are specifically unknown. Many scientists regard that the initial list of ingredients in an e-liquid is different from the final composition. It is very different from what the user smokes in an aerosol.
How can Vaping affect the human body?
Most of these e-liquids have certain irritants which will affect the body. They persist for a long time and actively irritate pathways. This could initiate an inflammatory response and cause asthma or any breathing condition.
§Cause a breathing condition
§Can damage the lung tissue
§Cause stomach ulcers
§Can cause liver damage
Since the added compounds are mostly unknown, so is their effect on human health. Some scientists have reported how certain chemicals in e-liquid have had an analogous reaction with formaldehyde and other solvents.
What are the risks of Vape Juice?
§Increased inflammation
§Loss of nitric oxide
§Stroke
§Liver damage
§Nasal congestion
§Oxidative stress response
§Tissue damage
§Immune cell damage
What flavors are considered risky?
Singling out flavors as risky is wrong. Some of them, however, have shown hard and irritant solvents. According to a 2018 research, scientists from Yale found that vanilla, citrus, cherry and cinnamon flavors interacted to form a harmful set of chemicals. It depends on factors like-
§Company and brand name
§A composition of vape juice
§Amount vaped by the user
What should one do to vape safely?
Choose the right flavors from reputed brands like VaporFi or Vape Happy. This will help you to be choosing quality over anything and prevent the harmful additives. It is also important to vape in moderation and in full cognizance of the risks associated with it.
Final Thoughts
More research on this will pronounce how safe or unsafe it is. One has to keep checking for the right flavor which does not compromise on quality to vape peacefully. Thus though vaping is better compared to smoking, the findings are scary and more research and knowledge is required.