Marketed to young adults as a safe alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes have quickly become an epidemic. While the number of people smoking traditional cigarettes has been dropping, the number of teens using e-cigs, also known as vaping, has steadily risen over the past few years. The most concerning aspect of the epidemic is the number of middle school and high school students who are using e-cigarettes. According to a recent National Youth Tobacco Survey, an estimated 3 million teenagers are vaping.
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As the seriously detrimental health effects caused by vaping continue to come to light, it’s imperative to understand the short- and long-term damages that smoking e-cigarettes can have on your health.
Research has shown that e-cigarettes contain plenty of toxic substances, including unsafe levels of nickel, chromium, lead and magnesium, nicotine-containing aerosol, and at least 10 chemicals identified on California’s Proposition 65 list of reproductive toxins and carcinogens, including diacetyl and formaldehyde.
Short- and – long term effects of vaping include, but are not limited to:
• Increased your exposure to lead, nickel, chromium, magnesium and other toxic heavy metals, which can attack your brain and nervous system, liver, kidneys and bones and increase cancer risk
• Increased risk of addictive behavior due to nicotine exposure at a young age
• Possible changes in the midbrain award center, which can be a gateway to other addictive drugs
• Lead that stays dormant in teeth and bones for years and may be reactivated during pregnancy, poisoning a developing baby and triggering brain damage
• Respiratory damage and permanent scarring of the airway
• Increased risk of depression and anxiety
• Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
• Increased risk of heart and lung disease
• Increased risk of COPD
• Increased production of inflammatory chemicals and impaired activity of macrophages, which may damage vital immune system cells
Doctors and hospitals have found vaping is associated with a cluster of neurological conditions. The FDA has received reports of 127 people who have experienced seizures or other neurological symptoms potentially related to the use of e-cigarettes. Although experts have not yet established a link, they are investigating if the nicotine in e-cigarettes are causing neurological disturbances.
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