Which Is More Harmful: Vaping or Traditional Cigarettes?

Which Is More Harmful: Vaping or Traditional Cigarettes? In many people's views, vaping is much less harmful to the body compared to traditional cigarettes. However, the reality is not so simple!

Recently, American media reported incidents of healthy young patients being sent to ICU due to respiratory diseases, with symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and cough.

Strangely, doctors found no infections in other parts of the body, yet these patients were kept alive in intensive care units with tubes and ventilators. The only commonality among the patients was that they had all used e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are electronic products that mimic the appearance, smoke, taste, and feel of traditional cigarettes. They work by vaporizing substances like nicotine into vapor for users to inhale. The World Health Organization has specifically studied e-cigarettes and reached a clear conclusion: e-cigarettes are harmful to public health, are not a means to quit smoking, and must be regulated to prevent harm to adolescents and non-smokers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released data showing that as of October 1, 2019, 48 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported 1,080 confirmed and suspected cases of lung disease related to e-cigarette use, with at least 18 deaths. According to the CDC, about 80% of these patients were under 35 years old, and 16% were under 18. Among the 578 patients known to have inhaled specific e-liquid substances, approximately 78% had used e-liquids containing the psychoactive substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

On August 7, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported receiving 127 cases of seizures following e-cigarette use and is investigating whether e-cigarettes are the direct cause. On August 23, 2019, health officials in Illinois stated that a patient died due to severe lung damage caused by vaping.

Experts indicate that e-cigarettes contain harmful substances, including nicotine, and produce various other harmful compounds. U.S. health authorities have repeatedly warned about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and are currently investigating over 450 cases of severe lung disease related to e-cigarette use.

The World Health Organization has previously stated that studies show that secondhand aerosol produced by e-cigarettes (the secondhand smoke of e-cigarettes) is a new source of air pollution, more harmful than traditional cigarette smoke. This includes particulate matter (including fine and ultrafine particles), propylene glycol, certain volatile organic compounds, certain heavy metals, and nicotine. It is not merely "water vapor" as many marketing claims suggest. Compared to smoke-free fresh air, secondhand aerosol can have PM1.0 values 14-40 times higher and PM2.5 values 6-86 times higher. The nicotine content can be 10-115 times higher, and the levels of acetaldehyde can be 2-8 times higher, while formaldehyde levels can be 20% higher.

Some metals produced, such as nickel and chromium, can even exceed the levels found in secondhand smoke from traditional cigarettes.
 

The FDA has tested the components of 19 e-cigarettes on the market and found that the smoking devices contained carcinogens and other toxic chemicals. They also analyzed the components of two popular e-cigarettes and found that one sample contained diethylene glycol, which can damage the kidneys in large doses, while other samples contained nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.

French national consumer researchers have also pointed out that some e-cigarette products investigated in their study had very high nicotine levels, potentially lethal to infants. Moreover, due to the rapid heating speed of e-cigarette devices, a highly toxic molecule called acrolein is also produced during this process.

In 2013, Dr. Elizabeth Porter, director of the Federal Center for Health Education in Germany, found that e-cigarettes contain a large amount of propylene glycol, which can irritate the respiratory tract and trigger acute symptoms. Therefore, she believes that the health risks of e-cigarettes may be greater than those of traditional cigarettes.

In September 2019, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S. completed a study on the health effects of e-cigarettes, finding that long-term exposure to e-cigarette vapor damaged lung function in mice and reduced immune cell responses to viral infections, similar to how human smokers develop emphysema. This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Research.

The researchers designed four groups of mice: the first group was exposed to e-cigarette vapor with nicotine levels similar to common e-liquid solvents propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. The second group received e-cigarette vapor that contained only solvents without nicotine. The third group of experimental mice was exposed to cigarette tobacco smoke, while the fourth group was exposed to clean air. #p#分页标题#e#

The researchers found that the lungs of the first three groups of mice were severely damaged and exhibited inflammation similar to that of emphysema. Previously, it was believed that the solvents in e-cigarettes were safe and harmless because they did not contain nicotine. However, this study unexpectedly found that e-cigarette vapor made solely from propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin solvents could also damage the lungs. The researchers discovered that even exposure to nicotine-free e-cigarette smoke led to abnormal fat accumulation in the lungs of mice, disrupting normal lung structure and function.
 

Experiments show that when people use e-cigarettes, they may inhale various undiscovered toxic compounds in addition to nicotine. Meanwhile, the secondhand smoke produced by e-cigarettes can also pose health risks. E-cigarettes release inhalable liquid fine particles and ultrafine particles, nicotine, and carcinogens into indoor air. Because e-cigarettes do not produce smoke, they can easily mislead consumers into a false sense of safety and health.

Additionally, using e-cigarettes exposes the lungs to various chemicals, including those added to e-liquid and other chemicals produced during the heating/vaporization process. A study of some e-cigarette products found that the vapor contained known carcinogens and toxic chemicals, as well as potentially toxic metal nanoparticles from the e-cigarette itself. Research shows that certain brands contain high concentrations of nickel and chromium, which may come from the nickel-chromium heating coils of the vaporization device. Similar e-cigarettes may also contain trace amounts of cadmium, a toxic metal also found in cigarette smoke that can lead to respiratory problems and diseases.

The FDA stated in October that consumers should avoid e-cigarettes containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Additionally, consumers should avoid all illegal e-cigarette products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine salts, tobacco, or THC. As of October, the CDC has confirmed over 1,000 cases of lung damage related to e-cigarettes across 15 states, with 18 fatalities. Nearly three-quarters of the patients are male, and 80% are under 35 years old.

The ages of the deceased cases ranged from their 20s to 70s, with more females than males. Due to limited information, the CDC has not yet been able to draw definitive conclusions about the causes. Health officials believe that chemical exposure related to oil-based additives may be the culprit.

Investigators believe that products containing THC are the most likely source of the illness. The FDA noted that the majority of cases, over 78%, involved e-cigarettes containing THC. Only 17% of cases reported using e-cigarettes containing nicotine without THC.