The Vaping Industry Is Growing Explosively, Although the Long-Term Effects Remain Unclear

Vaping, the use of electronic cigarettes to consume nicotine as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, is a multi-billion dollar industry expected to surpass tobacco sales within a decade. However, its long-term health effects remain unclear due to a lack of research and associated professional addiction issues.

“We don’t know the exact answers regarding what toxic chemicals are being released,” said Martha Thompson, PsyD, LPC, CAADC, at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD) on Thursday in Denver. “You’re heating plastic and metal to smoke. What are you really ingesting at this point?”

So far, e-cigarette advocates have promoted them as a smoking cessation tool and a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. Thompson warns, however, that nicotine, even in the vaporized form from e-cigarettes, is still addictive, and tests show that some vaporizers release toxic metals during use.

The first electronic cigarette was developed in 1963, with the first modern e-cigarette released in 2003, arriving in the U.S. in 2007.

“E-juice,” the liquid used in e-cigarettes, has nicotine strengths ranging from 0 to 24 mg, with the most common being between 12 and 18 mg. For reference, regular cigarettes contain between 8 and 20 mg per pack.

Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized new rules on August 8, e-juice faced less regulation. The new regulations will impact over 12,000 vape shops and 1,000 manufacturers and wholesalers of vaping devices.

The use of e-cigarettes among teenagers will be another trend to monitor, Thompson noted, citing research showing that e-cigarette advertising reaches over 50% of children aged 17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that e-cigarette use among middle and high school students has tripled since mid-2014.