E-cigarettes are extremely popular with millions of middle and high school students across the United States. Kids love the flavors -- like strawberry, bubble gum, chocolate cake and cotton candy -- and blowing vapor into rings. And, they are inundated with ads that tout e-cigarettes as cool, harmless alternatives to cigarettes.
But, not surprisingly, e-cigarettes aren't safe. A recent University of California news story outlines ten important facts about e-cigarettes, including how they can harm your health.
One of the biggest health concerns is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can lead to the use of traditional cigarettes. "A lot of kids who take up [nicotine-free] vaping are at low risk for smoking, but once they start using e-cigarettes, they are three to four times more likely to start using cigarettes," said Stanton Glantz, PhD, a tobacco researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, in the article.
In addition, e-cigarettes can contain other harmful ingredients, including:
- Ultrafine particles that can trigger inflammatory problems and lead to heart and lung disease
- Toxic flavorings that are linked to serious lung disease
- Volatile organic compounds
- Heavy metals, such as nickel, tin and lead
Stanford's Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, a developmental psychologist who has studied tobacco use, also commented in the piece:
Youth are definitely using e-cigarettes because they think they are cool... Adolescents and young adults don't know a lot about e-cigarettes. They think it's just water or water vapor. They don't understand it's an aerosol. They don't understand that e-cigarettes can have nicotine. They don't understand that flavorants themselves can be harmful.
Furthermore, when e-cigarette users exhale the vapor containing these toxins, they can cause secondhand health effects.
The article discusses other hazards as well, including the possibility of battery explosion, and the products' mixed record on helping smokers quit. It concluded with a call for more research to better understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
Previously: Teens confused about harm of marijuana and e-cigarettes, Stanford study finds and New landscape for e-cigarettes: Stanford tobacco expert weighs in on new FDA regulations
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