Research on the impact of electronic cigarettes, particularly their long-term effects on health, remains highly controversial.
Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, tobacco vaporizers, and vape pens, were invented as a method to help individuals quit or reduce traditional cigarette smoking.
An electronic cigarette operates on a battery and releases a vaporized dose of nicotine for users to inhale. It provides a sensation similar to inhaling tobacco smoke but is considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Most e-cigarettes consist of a mouthpiece or cartridge, a heating element, a rechargeable battery, and circuitry. When users inhale, a sensor activates the heating element, vaporizing the liquid solution, while the flavor is retained in the mouthpiece. Users then “vape” (inhale through the mouth) or inhale the vaporized solution. Nicotine levels can vary from 0 to extremely high concentrations of 24 to 36 mg/ml of exhaled vapor.
Most e-cigarettes consist of a mouthpiece or cartridge, a heating element, a rechargeable battery, and circuitry.
“I can’t stop.”
“Vaping” is now the most popular form of tobacco use among American youth. The number of teenagers using electronic cigarettes increased by 900% from 2011 to 2015.
A student at Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine was caught vaping on campus three times. While sitting in the vice principal’s office, the boy said, “I can’t stop.”
Schools have been struggling to control a “vaping explosion” among high school students nationwide. They fear that these devices will create a new generation of nicotine addicts.
Vape devices are becoming increasingly sophisticated, modern, and difficult to detect. They also come in flavors like fruit or mint, producing minimal noise, allowing some students to use them even in class. They can be concealed in shirt collars or bra straps, enabling discreet use without anyone noticing.
In 2016, more than 2 million middle and high school students in the United States had tried electronic cigarettes.
How Dangerous is E-cigarette Addiction?
Some studies have found that using electronic cigarettes may help certain individuals quit smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that e-cigarettes could benefit adult smokers as long as they use them as a substitute for traditional cigarettes.
However, this does not mean that electronic cigarettes are safe for users. A study published in July indicated that over 90% of smokers still could not quit their habit after a year of using e-cigarettes. Among them, 54% continued to smoke traditional cigarettes and vape, while 37% continued smoking traditional cigarettes but quit vaping altogether.
Electronic cigarettes do not emit the toxic smoke that traditional cigarettes do. However, that does not mean they are a healthy alternative to regular cigarettes.
When you inhale an electronic cigarette, you are introducing a dose of nicotine (absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs) into your body. Besides being a highly addictive substance, nicotine can also be very harmful when consumed in high concentrations. This substance was once used as a pesticide to kill fleas. In fact, there have been cases of death resulting from nicotine liquid in e-cigarettes being absorbed through the skin.
Nicotine affects the brain and nervous system, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. The higher the nicotine concentration, the greater the increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to arrhythmias. In rare cases, particularly with high doses of nicotine, arrhythmias can cause heart failure and death.
Liz Blackwell, a school nurse in Boulder, Colorado, presents a collection of vape pens confiscated from students during a presentation at Nevin Platt High School.
After the initial effects of e-cigarettes wear off, the body begins to crave nicotine. You may experience feelings of depression, fatigue, and irritability (known as nicotine withdrawal). Over time, nicotine use can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, blood clots, and stomach ulcers.
Since 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required manufacturers to include warnings on e-cigarette products containing nicotine. The CDC also warns against e-cigarette use among youth, pregnant women, or adults who do not use tobacco.
Injury Risks Associated with E-cigarettes
In addition to the inability to quit smoking and the transition to vape addiction, as well as causing illnesses similar to those caused by traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes also pose explosion risks that can affect users’ lives.
In 2016, a 14-year-old boy was blinded when an e-cigarette exploded at a central kiosk in Brooklyn. The injury occurred after an employee connected the device to a battery at the store. The boy, Leor Domatov, stated that he could no longer see, saying, “I felt it cut through my cornea.”
A 17-year-old boy in New York was injured when his e-cigarette exploded in his hand while he was holding and using it. The patient’s mother said, “My son flew through the door; I really thought it was a car accident because there was so much blood.”
In 2015, a 33-year-old man from Surrey, England, said he had quit smoking and switched to “vaping” to prolong his life. However, this “healthy” alternative brought him more harm than benefits. While he was vaping, the system caused hot nicotine liquid to go down his throat, puncturing his lungs.
Moreover, the flavored liquids used in e-cigarettes are attractive to children. According to research from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, the rate of children hospitalized for ingesting nicotine liquid from e-cigarettes is increasing in the West. From 2012 to 2015, calls related to children ingesting or inhaling e-cigarettes rose from 14 to 223 in just three short years.
