Negative Effects
Negative Health Effects
- Damage to the brain, heart, and lungs
- Cancerous tumor development
- Preterm deliveries and stillbirths in pregnant women
- Harmful effects on brain and lung development for young adults
- Due to this being such a new trend, many of the preliminary tests are inconclusive. However, many studies have proven that e-cigarettes are not a healthy alternative
- These effects are irreversible and have caused many issues for frequent users
Popcorn Lung
- Bronchiolitis obliterans, otherwise known as popcorn lung, is a disease that results in obstruction of the smallest airways of the bronchioles due to inflammation. Symptoms include a dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and fatigue.
- About a decade ago, workers in a popcorn plant were exposed to the chemical, diacetyl. While this flavoring is very good, it was linked to death and hundreds of cases of bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung), a serious and irreversible lung disease. While it has since been removed from these foods, it is one of the main ingredients in many flavored e-cigarette vapors.
- Researchers at Harvard found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contained diacetyl. The study also found two similarly harmful chemicals (2,3 pentanedione and acetoin) present in 23 and 46 of the 51 flavors it tested. When tested in comparison to involvement with e-cigarettes, 92 percent of the e-cigarettes had one of the three chemicals present.
What is in a juul?
- Nicotine, a highly addictive drug. It may lead to the use of other nicotine products, including cigarettes once the "buzz" from e-cigarettes is not adequate for the user. Teens, with a developing brain, are at a greater risk of a nicotine addiction
- Aerosol
- additives, heavy metals, ultra fine particles, and other toxic and carcinogenic ingredients
Do they really stop smoking?
- E-cigarettes have been sold with the notion that they are a replacement for cigarettes but in reality they have been shown to reverse the effects of people quitting by normalizing the use of these items.
- There is now a greater concern that people starting on e-cigarettes or juuls move onto more dangerous items like cigarettes
- People that may have never even thought of smoking now have a way that appears safe to join in the social pressures of the teen years
The few benefits of using e-cigarettes:
- A safer alternative for long-term cigarette smokers
- Do not contain tobacco and other toxins and carcinogens that cause lung disease and cancer
- Less likely to get asthma than cigarette users
- Emit less toxic material in their aerosol than conventional, combustible cigarettes
These items can be helpful but only in situations in which nicotine is already an issue. If one starts to get addicted to e-cigarettes, these benefits can quickly disappear, as overuse with any substance can lead to negative consequences.
E-CIGARETTES: NOT WORTH THE RISK!
NPR Segment on E-cigarettes
- It is known that e-cigarettes have the potential to lead smokers down a path to end smoking, but it is not known if they are more effective than FDA nicotine gum or patches. They entice teens to use these products and have an opposite effect in leading them to try cigarettes later in life. It has been found that teens who use these devices are much more likely to use tobacco products within a year than teens who never started. There are opposite effects on adults and young people as they act in different ways for people who have already smoked or are trying for the first time.
Wet Lung Disease
This USA Today article explains how an 18 year old teen contracted a respiratory disease, known as "wet lung," after vaping for three weeks.
The New Nature of E-cigarettes are appealing to teens and enticing the to try and eventually become addicted
Cigarettes have been around for thousands years and yet it was only a few decades ago that humans discovered the harmful effects that these items have. The appeals that tobacco companies utilize to attract young people including flavors, attractive models, and sleek designs all act as a persuasive device. The same carcinogenic chemicals in cigarettes are present in vapes when they become overheated during use. The looming threat of exploding lithium battery packs packs has become a significant issue causing the ban of these devices on airplanes and trains in the United States. It is important to be careful when using the devices because the looming threats, although not entirely proven because of the recency of its creation, have many consequences especially with developing teens.