Title: Second-hand vape: is it harmful or not?
1Second-hand vape is it harmful or not?
wotofo.com/blogs/vape-guide/second-hand-vape
When vaping initially gained tremendous
popularity, it was hyped as a better and
healthier solution to cigarette-related
problems. Nevertheless, a recent increase in
sicknesses, hospitalization reports, and deaths
associated with vaping products has changed the
conversation. There are few products that are
highly addictive and widely used by youths,
causing what is being referred to as the
nicotine epidemic. Besides, its been established
that its not only those who actively use these
products who face harm but other people in the
vicinity as well who we referred to as passive
or secondary users. Passive users breathe in
secondhand fumes, and this phenomenon is dubbed
secondhand vaping. Are you safe to bogart an
e-cigarette or sit in the same hall with an
e-cigarette bogarter? Well, there are potential
dangers of exposing yourself to secondary vapor.
According to reports from the Centers for
Disease Control, one of the worlds leading
causes of evadable diseases and deaths is tobacco
consumption. From that evidence, anything that
lowers the rate of contracting tobacco-related
disease and deaths improves the overall
health. What is secondhand vaping? Just like
bystanders around traditional cigarette smokers
can inhale smoke, they will breathe in aerosols
from vapers around them in the same way. This is
what we refer to as secondhand vaping and it
contains pollutants although it doesnt produce
as many harmful chemicals as ordinary
cigarettes. You dont necessarily need to be in
close
2quarters with the smoker to experience the harsh
pollutants from the aerosol. According to
research conducted in 2014, the quality of indoor
air is adversely affected when people vape even
in a well-ventilated room. Ultra-minute
particles from the vapor can penetrate the lung
cells of other people around e-cig users.
Another study conducted in 2018 discovered that
other than nicotine, the aerosol contains traces
of heavy metal, flavoring products, volatile
organic compounds, carcinogenic chemicals, et
al. These harmful ingredients contribute to
potential health risks posed by passive
vapers. From the studies, its true that smog
emitted by vapes contains poisonous elements that
can harm secondhand vapers. Some of the toxins
include Heavy metals include tin, lead, and
nickel. Mech mods, s ub-ohm tanks, vape pens, b
ox mod vapes, and all types of vapes use metallic
heating elements (coils) to vaporize vape
flavor. Due to the high temperatures and through
wear at tear after repeated use, some traces of
these metals get dislodged and escape via the
aerosol. Acrolein glycerin is one of the main
ingredients of vape flavor. At high
temperatures, glycerin forms a compound referred
to as acrolein which is associated with the
irritation of the respiratory tract and delicate
lung tissues. This can result in respiratory
illnesses like lung and throat cancers. Formaldehy
de at high temperature, glycerin and propylene
glycol (PG) forms a formaldehyde compound thats
actively absorbed in the lungs. In high doses,
formaldehyde is carcinogenic and causes various
types of cancers. Diacetyl this is a common
flavoring additive in most vape flavors. Besides,
diacetyl has been associated with a severe lung
infection referred to as Obliterative
bronchiolitis (OB) or popcorn lung initially
discovered in a popcorn factory in Jasper,
Missouri where diacetyl chemical was widely
used. Benzene classified as a volatile organic
compound, the colorless and sweet- smelling
compound may have severe health effects. For
instance, benzene is linked to irritation of the
lung. How does secondhand vaping work? A
proportion of e-cigarette fans have expressed
their views on banning cigarette smoking in
public places praying this shouldnt be extended
to vapes. They have been acting on the belief
that e-cigs arent harmful but how do you expect
them to agree? They are just deluded. City
dwellers understand how it takes to deal with all
sorts of air pollution coming from hooting motor
vehicles, firefighter sirens, emissions from
cars, decomposing garbage, and factories, and
other agents. We are already fed up with these
nuisances. Were suffering from these
constituents of pollution, and we dont expect
anything beyond that. Although e-cigs dont
burn, they produce vapor from the vaporized
liquid. Vapor from these devices contains
hazardous ultra-fine particles and heavy metals
that adversely affect the air quality posing
health risks to persons around the vapers.
3The amount/concentration of these toxins depends
upon various factors like quality of vape
flavor, type of vaping device, style of vaping,
amount of power applied on the vape, number of
vapers at a particular period, and their
frequency of vaping. When active (firsthand)
vapers exhale, the aerosol ingredients get
dislodged on surfaces like door handles, walls,
table surfaces, chairs, utensils, et al.
bystanders and other people can be easily
exposed to these elements when they come into
contact with the contaminated surfaces. This
phenomenon is referred to as third-hand vaping
and its as harmful as secondary vaping. Is
secondhand smoking harmful? To answer this
question correctly, you should have in your mind
what it takes to have healthy lungs. Its as
simple as breathing in clean air free from all
kinds of pollutants and other particles.
E-cigarette aerosols arent considered clean air,
so its clear vapor from e- cigarettes is
harmful to your health. Thats why anti-smoking
crusaders continue to evangelize the dangers of
smoking and educate the public about the facts
about tobacco use (vaping included), and
encouraging people to advocate for smoke-free
environments. Now that governments have gazetted
public places and workplaces as smoking-free
zones, its equally important to include vapes
and related products under smoke-free law. This
will protect innocent bystanders from secondhand
vape emissions as the cocktail isnt safe for
people to inhale. There is evidence that passive
vapers exposed to aerosols from active vapers
absorb some levels of dangerous pollutants into
their bodies. Along with nicotine and ultra-fine
particles, these toxins increase the risk of
developing cardiovascular diseases. What are
the side effects of secondhand vaping? Studies
have revealed that passive exposure to vaping
aerosols poses potential side effects to
bystanders, especially vulnerable populations
like kids, teens, people with pre- existing
respiratory diseases, and expectant mothers. The
rate at which innocent people are deliberately
or unwittingly exposing themselves to this
looming danger is the cause of concern besides
the laid-down restrictions regarding consumption
of vaping products by municipalities, federal
agencies, and global authorities. Much of this
secondhand exposure comes from people we live
with, for example, when a man is vaping in the
living room, hes exposing his pregnant wife,
toddler, and teenage son to secondhand vapor.
They will indeed suffer the consequences of
secondhand vaping. Some population is most
affected by secondhand vaping as described
below 1. Teens Teens and young adults are
reportedly viewed as the leading vaping
population it appears like the health of these
younger folks is at stake as dangers of vaping
are concerned. A study conducted in 2018 showed
that one-third of high-school and middle-
4- school goers reported having been exposed to
vaping, directly or indirectly as passive
bystanders. - Other studies have hinted that vaping among young
people has turned to be an epidemic. Some
well-known firms and personalities have faced
criminal charges for committing offenses linked
to employing deceptive marketing strategies meant
to woo minors to their products. - Teenagers are usually easily influenced by peer
pressure compared to their elder generation.
Its even hard for them to exit from some social
circles that pose danger for their health and
other social crimes. Some dont dare to report
these wrongdoings for fear of being ridiculed,
bullied, or hurt in the worst cases. - Infants and kids
- Vape aerosols pose a great risk to toddlers and
kids because their respiratory systems are in
the developing stage. Previous studies have shown
exposing toddlers to components of vape aerosol
even in their lowest concentration has adverse
effects on their brain and lung development. - Also, exposing children to secondhand vaping
increases their chances of contracting allergic
reactions. Food allergies are a typical example.
For instance, nuts are commonly used to
supplement flavoring in vape flavors. If a kind
ingests or comes into contact with vape flavor
with such an allergen, they can experience these
reactions. For this reason, some governments
through their respective Food and Drug
authorities are restricting a good number of
flavored vaping products. - Expectant mothers
- Nicotine exposure especially during pregnancy is
life-threatening to the fetus, no debate about
that. Some of the e ffects of nicotine exposure
are stillbirths, preterm deliveries, sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight,
impaired respiratory system development, and
impaired brain development. - People with pre-existing ailments
- People with pre-existing respiratory diseases are
at a deadlier risk of being affected by vaping
aerosols. Conditions like asthma, pneumonia, and
other related ailments might aggravate when
these victims are exposed to secondhand vaping.
For instance, if you have a pre-existing
asthmatic condition and you happen to be exposed
to passive vaping, the ingredients in the
aerosol may irritate your lung airways causing an
asthma attack. - Diacetyl, a common flavoring in vape flavors
triggers cilia impairment in lung airways. The
function of cilia is to keep the air from passing
away by removing mucus and dirt. Cilia - impairment is associated with chronic lung
diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD).
5- Since the World Health Organization (WHO)
declared tobacco smoking a potential health
risk, most governments across the globe have
implemented several policies to regulate tobacco
consumption like increasing taxes, legislating
smoke-free laws, and holding - information campaigns. The majority of countries
are covered by regulations requiring airports,
public transport, restaurants, bars, hospitals,
workplaces, et al., to be utterly smoke-free. - Prohibiting smoking in public places has not only
lowered the exposure to secondhand smoke among
passive bystanders but has also motivated tobacco
users to quit smoking, prevented initiation
among admirers like adolescents, and lowered the
allure of smoking. The tremendous popularity and
consumption of vape flavors is a cause of alarm,
considering their emissions are harmful to human
health. While some governments prohibit the sale
and marketing of vaping products to minors, for
example, New Zealand, others like the UK and US
governments have prohibited the consumption of
vaping products in public places. - Vaping in public places fosters various dangers.
First, vaping in public places may encourage
experimentation and ultimately uptake by
nonsmokers, especially the youths cause
nicotine dependence, and introduce you to
consuming combustible tobacco. - Secondly, it might create a perception of
normalizing smoking and undermine the efforts
established to cast the behavior as an unwelcome
habit in public. That said, smoke-free
restrictions should be extended to vaping. - Tips for vapers
- If youre disturbed by your vaping behavior and
youre worried it may affect others, the best
solution is to quit the whole mess. But its not
that easy or in any case, its not - realistic for someone who has already invested in
vaping. There are other things that you can do
to avoid this nuisance to people around you like - Vaping outside
- If you want to vape, do it outside the house,
car, restaurant, or anywhere where your family,
friends, workmates, or bystanders are. Keep the
air inside, and all surfaces free from these
dangerous contaminants so that you dont expose
others to the harmful aerosol. - Avoid vaping around kids, or other vulnerable
persons - Toddlers, kids, expectant mothers, and people
with pre-existing conditions are at very high
risk for adverse impacts from being exposed to
vape aerosol.
6Different types of vapes generate varying amounts
of vapor and ultimately the amount of aerosol
emitted. Low-powered vapes with low-temperature
settings produce fewer vapor clouds, less
harmful aerosol to the vapers and people around
them. Bottomline Although exposure to secondhand
vaping may appear like no big issue, you
shouldnt be fooled by those sweet aromas. The
aerosol from those lovely-looking box mods and
sub- ohm tanks contains as many harmful
chemicals as those first-hand vapers expose
themselves to. To be safe from these hazardous
chemicals, simply avoid secondhand aerosols.