Health authorities in the United States are investigating 530 cases of lung disease, including seven deaths allegedly related to vaping. Some of these patients were diagnosed with pneumonia caused by the inhalation of oil.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that many samples tested contained tetrahydrocannabidol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, as well as significant amounts of vitamin E.
So far, no cases of vapor-related lung disease have been reported in Australia. However, we know that a small proportion of people in Australia (about 1.2% of the population) are vapourous and may therefore be concerned about the development of this severe lung disease.
Among the people who are vapors, it is those who rely on the practice to avoid smoking cigarettes that most confront the current headlines.
Vaping as an alternative to cigarette smoking
Many experts find that dispensing nicotine by evaporation is less risky than smoking conventional cigarettes because it avoids most of the cigarette smoke inhaled harmful combustion products.
Whether Vaping helps quit smoking continues to be debated, although some clinical studies show it is more effective than other medications such as nicotine patches. We know that some people who travel in Australia do so because they have used the practice to quit smoking cigarettes.
While nicotine-containing steam products are banned in Australia, some people illegally refer to them or get a prescription to bring them from overseas. For others, the behavior of evaporating nicotine-free products may be enough to prevent them from smoking cigarettes again.
The widespread reports of outbreaks of sudden and serious lung disease related to vaping may make this group wonder if it is better to stop vaping and smoke again.
The simple answer is no, they would not. Research has shown that vapors are less harmful to health than smoking traditional cigarettes. That does not mean that it is without risk.
The chemicals in steam
Most commercially available steam liquids contain water-soluble liquids (propylene glycol, glycerin), nicotine (but not in Australia) and flavorings. The liquid is heated by the evaporator to produce a mist that is inhaled into the lungs.
Other substances can also be used in steam appliances. The evaporation of cannabis extracts and concentrates such as THC oil (referred to as "dabbing") has increased in recent years, particularly in the US, where 11 states have introduced recreational cannabis use and over 30 legalizing medical cannabis. It is likely that this type of product is also circulating among people who are using cannabis illegally in Australia.
Cannabis vapor liquids are often based on oil, unlike most nicotine vapor liquids. Many come from the black market and may be contaminated with pesticides, fungi and heavy metals. There can also be serious risks from added ingredients such as vitamin E oil, which are the subject of the current US investigation. This additive is used to dilute the fluid and then thicken it to hide the dilution.
The risks of inhaling these vaporized cannabis fluids are not fully understood, but are likely to differ from those of vaporizing water-soluble fluids.
Not a single chemical has been identified as the cause of all outbreaks in the US. This may not be possible because in some cases there are no vapor liquid residues to test, in some cases several products have been used and some people may not want to admit to using illegal substances.
Based on evidence of a strong link between illnesses and the evaporation of illicit cannabis fluids, the FDA recommends that consumers "avoid the purchase of steam products on the road and the use of THC oil or modify / add substances to Shops bought products ".
Australia was required to ban all vaping products in response to the US outbreak. However, since most outbreaks have admitted the evaporation of illegal THC oil fluids, similar cases are unlikely to occur.
No recall of commercial nicotine products has been reported in the US, suggesting that the regulator is currently not suspecting that these products are responsible for the outbreak.
The short-term risk associated with the vaporization of commercial nicotine fluids appears to be very low. The long-term risks are less certain, but there is widespread agreement that vaporizing nicotine fluids is less risky than smoking cigarettes.
It is not the first time that Vaping raises health concerns
In 2009, the FDA tested 18 e-cigarette cartridges and found that diethylene glycol, a component of antifreeze, contained 1% in a cartridge. In later studies, however, this contaminant was either not detected or only detected in the drug-approved lanes.
There were also fears that vapers could develop bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and irreversible lung disease, because research found in some vapor fluids diacetyl, an aroma added to give a buttery taste.
This disease was termed "popcorn lung" after microwave popcorn factory workers exposed to diacetyl in the air developed this condition. The urban myth that vaping causes popcorn lung continues, although no cases of vaping have been reported.
Cigarette smokers are actually exposed to more diacetyl from tobacco than steamer from evaporating diacetyl-containing liquid. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom banned diacetyl 2016 as a precautionary ingredient in steam liquids.
In the vapor of commercially produced nicotine vapor products, other potentially harmful chemicals have been found. These include metals, acrolein and formaldehyde. But these chemicals are also much more common in cigarette smoke, along with more than 5,000 other chemicals, including many carcinogens.
In a study comparing the harmful chemicals in nicotine vapor and cigarette smoke, the lifelong risk of cancer from smoking was estimated to be 250 times that of vaporizing.
What is the takeaway message?
Vaping should not be considered a harmless practice. Cell and animal studies indicate that vapors can adversely affect lung tissue, although it is uncertain how these effects affect the risk of disease in humans. Overall, we still have much to learn about the
health effects of fumes in the long run.
People who do not smoke tobacco should not start steaming.
However, for someone who smokes tobacco, the choice is more complicated because of the very high risks of smoking. Ideally, it is safest not to smoke or smoke, but the priority for smokers should be to quit smoking.
Professional support through Quitline and nicotine medicines or prescription medications can help. But those who tried and failed to stop, and instead switched to vaping, should not smoke again on the basis of these cases in the United States.
For health reasons, people who are steaming should not take oily fluids, and especially no cannabis / THC fluids. Buy Vaping products only from reputable manufacturers, eg. For example, those that comply with European regulations. It is also recommended to stop steaming if this is possible without smoking again.