Vaping Research: Discussing the Harm and Benefits

Vaping like the term comes from the English word vape, which means “inhale and exhale the vapor” produced by an electronic cigarette or steam device, including best wax pens. By the way, this very word, vape, according to the compilers of the Oxford Dictionary, became the most popular in 2014. This authoritative opinion clearly reflects the annual global trends – in 2013, the year’s word was “selfie”. Vaping has become fashionable, especially recently for people who smoke electronic cigarettes as a new subculture – vapers. And everything would be fine. But only steam is now everywhere – on the street, in cafes, subways, cinemas, shopping centers, universities.

There are no large-scale researches that would demonstrate a clear and unified perspective on the effect of electronic cigarettes and steam devices on human health and those around them. People began to smoke dab pen relatively recently – about 3-5 years ago. Such a short period of time is not enough for serious research on the dangers of vaping. Nevertheless, some centers and universities still decided to track people who smoke e-cigarettes and draw the first conclusions.

Research: how vaping affects the human body

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley Labs found that liquids in electronic devices contain 31 toxic chemicals, including acrolein, diacetyl, and formaldehyde, whose levels increase with temperature and device type (wax vaporizer, dab vape pen, etc.) It is important to understand: liquids in devices can be heated up to 300 ° C. The same acrolein begins to boil at 52.7 ° C, which entails releasing substances hazardous to health. As for conventional cigarettes, according to the American Lung Association, when burned, they release 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which can cause cancer. A study by The Hellenic Cancer Society revealed another fact about electronic devices: after smoking it, a person can experience acute pulmonary failure lasting about half an hour.

Also, American scientists have demonstrated the non-obvious harm of vaping. The University of Washington Medical Center published some data: from October 2015 to June 2016, the center’s employees treated 15 people with injuries caused by the explosion of electronic cigarettes and steam devices. The explosion was due to a lithium-ion battery. Burns was recorded on the face, arms, thighs, and groin. As a result, some patients required skin grafts. Doctors at this center suspect that the number of such cases will only grow. Many of the patients are young people, but doctors point to a trend towards expanding age limits. In turn, it indicates an increase in the number of people using e-cigarettes and vapor devices, for instance, the best vape pen for wax. This means that such devices are becoming a public safety problem, which requires regulation by the relevant departments.

Vaping among teenagers

There is another problem – the vaping craze is spreading among teenagers. According to a report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, three million high and high school students smoked electronic devices. And this is only in America. If (suddenly) this number does not seem huge to you, let’s turn to other numbers. In 2011, 1.5% of American schoolchildren used such devices. In 2015 – already 16%. That is, in just four years, this figure has increased almost 11 times. What to expect next?

What are the harm and benefits of vaping?

Simultaneously, researchers from The Roswell Park Cancer Institute concluded that smoking (vaping) electronic devices have a less pronounced carcinogenic effect than regular cigarettes. But wait, vapers, it’s too early to celebrate. The research was posted in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research in 2016, but it was conducted in 2011. Therefore, it isn’t easy to judge its relevance. Another study reports that the use of e-cigarettes can reduce mortality from conventional smoking by 21%. Study lead author David Levy, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington DC, said: “Electronic cigarettes can improve a person’s health if they use them as an alternative to regular smoking.” Such different research results only confirm what we said: vaping is a new phenomenon, and so far, too little time has passed for scientists to come to an unequivocal decision whether this hobby is harmful or not.

The smoke generated by smoking regular cigarettes contains combustion products, and this is undoubtedly harmful. But this does not make the vapor that is formed when smoking wax vape pen absolutely harmless to the lungs. Remember your feeling in the bath, where there is quite a lot of steam – after a while. You start to feel a lack of air. And this is not only due to elevated temperatures. Steam in the form of water droplets settles on the lungs’ walls and disrupts their functions, due to which less oxygen enters the blood. This, in turn, leads to oxygen starvation – a state of hypoxia. A constant lack of oxygen is dangerous by slowing down metabolic processes, cell division, and aging in general.

From the pros: there are no combustion products in electronic devices – particles of soot and resin. These substances are often deposited on the mucous membranes of the lungs, bronchi, upper respiratory tract, which becomes the cause of their dysfunction and ultimately leads to the development of several diseases of these organs. Due to the combustion products, smokers of ordinary cigarettes have yellow teeth and deteriorate the smell and taste. Those who prefer electronic cigarettes can avoid these troubles. Another advantage of electronic cigarettes is the absence of exposure to the respiratory system of hot burning smoke. Nicotine and high temperatures increase the risk of developing carcinogenic processes.

The Bottom Line

Usually, vapers do not know the true composition of a vaping liquid. The recent studies tell that the liquid often contains undeclared substances in addition to the declared components. So, it can contain nicotine, although it is stated that it is not. The US Lung Disease Association writes: even if some manufacturers indicate that the liquid does not contain nicotine, it may still contain it. Selective tests of e-liquids have shown higher nicotine concentrations than the label says.

So far, there is little research and reviews on the health effects of e-cigarettes. Only a few associations have begun to make cautious statements about this type of smoking. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says: “We do not know what constitutes an e-liquid. However, the FDA’s laboratory tests in 2009 found levels of toxic, carcinogenic chemicals, including a component used in antifreeze, in two leading e-cigarette brands and 18 different liquids. ”

Therefore, you need to consider all the risks, pros, and cons of using the best dab pens. In general, smoking is bad for human health, but if vaping is viewed as an alternative to smoking, a wax pen may be the best choice since tobacco smoking is more harmful to your health.

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