A e-cigarette or vape pen is an electronic device that uses a battery to heat a liquid into an aerosol that you inhale. It can contain nicotine (which is extracted from tobacco), propylene glycol, flavourings and other chemicals. E-cigarettes haven’t been around long enough to know what the long-term effects of using them might be, but we do know that they can cause health problems such as lung damage, addiction and possibly heart disease.
Vaping involves inhaling a liquid called “e-juice”, which can be any flavour or even just water vapor. But a lot of the time, it contains nicotine and other chemicals that can be dangerous. When e-juice is heated, more toxic chemicals are formed. E-cigarettes can also burn your lungs, and can cause things like lung scarring or a disease known as popcorn lung. They can also hurt your heart and brain. And they can make you sick if you use them for a long time or with lots of power.
E-cigarettes have a reputation for being less harmful than cigarettes, but there’s not much evidence that they help smokers quit smoking. And a lot of people who try to use them for quitting end up starting to smoke again. Some research has found that e-cigarettes may reduce the amount of smoking you do, but they don’t increase your chances of quitting completely. And some studies have shown that e-cigarette flavours can affect smoking cessation success.
Many e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and some of them can have higher levels of nicotine than traditional cigarettes. But the amount of nicotine you get depends on what kind of e-cigarette you use, and how much power you apply when you’re using it. Some e-cigarettes are designed to deliver nicotine more quickly and efficiently than others. There are also different methods of making e-liquids, and some of them can have higher concentrations of nicotine than other kinds. And a lot of e-liquids have been found to be mislabeled, so you might not know how much nicotine you’re getting.
Another issue with e-cigarettes is that they can have many appealing flavours, which attract both current smokers and non-smokers. This can lead to a rise in new “never-smokers”, which is a public health concern. And research has shown that certain e-cigarette flavours can cause harm to the immune system by increasing oxidative stress and activating an inflammatory response. It can also inhibit endothelial cell migration, which is important for vascular repair. However, this effect can be reduced by lowering the pH of a vape liquid and by using nicotine salts. The more we learn about e-cigarettes, the more we realise that they need better regulation. This includes ensuring that people are clear about the nicotine content of their e-liquids, and that they’re not selling products that can be used by children or vulnerable adults. 電子煙