Vaping FAQs

am i vaping vitamin e oil

by Fletcher Howell Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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"At least one vitamin E acetate containing vape product has been linked to each patient who submitted a product for testing," according to a statement from the New York State Department of Health. Vitamin E

vitamin E

This supplement is used to prevent or treat a lack of vitamin E in the body.

is usually safe as a dietary supplement or cream, but vaping it could be harmful, according to state health Commissioner Howard Zucker.

Full Answer

Can You vape vitamin E?

“No vitamin E should be vaped regardless of its chemical structure.” From various plant sources of tocopherols, chemists extract vegetable oil, then separate the tocopherols from the rest of the vegetable oil using fractionation. It’s like distilling. The danger there is trace food allergens like soy and nut in tocopherol mixtures.

Is vitamin E acetate the culprit in these vaping-related illnesses?

Nor has it been confirmed that Vitamin E Acetate is the culprit in these vaping-related illnesses and deaths. TESTED WITH CONFIDENCE is a brand pledge from cultivators and manufacturers in their commitment to quality assurance. I think I may have an illness related to vaping, what should I do?

Is vaping THC oil bad for You?

Research suggests that vaping THC oil, especially oil that contains vitamin E acetate, can be particularly harmful to the lungs. 6 Vitamin E acetate, which is regularly added to THC when preparing it for use in e-cigarettes and vaping devices, is particularly harmful when it's inhaled. In 2019, the dangers of vaping came to light.

What is the difference between cannabis oil and vitamin E acetate?

Vitamin E Acetate blends (or “mixes”) more readily with cannabis oil than do more “traditional” vaping ingredients typically found in nicotine e-juice, such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine. Vitamin E Acetate may be used to thin a cannabis oil or thicken a terpene extract.

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Where is vitamin E found?

They’re commonly found in corn and other vegetable oil or made synthetically from petroleum. We often eat tocopherols as a dietary supplement, and manufacturers put tocopherols in food and cosmetics.

How many people died from vitamin E injections in 1984?

In stark contrast, 38 US children died from vitamin E oil injections in 1984.

How to separate tocopherols from vegetable oil?

From various plant sources of tocopherols, chemists extract vegetable oil, then separate the tocopherols from the rest of the vegetable oil using fractionation. It’s like distilling. The danger there is trace food allergens like soy and nut in tocopherol mixtures.

How many forms of vitamin E are there?

Vitamin E oil has 8 forms. Eight main types of tocopherol exist, from alpha-tocopherol all the way through gamma-tocopherol. “The most relevant vitamin E compound is alpha-tocopherol since it is the most abundant and potent of the group,” said Vu Lam, an official with Anresco Laboratories in San Francisco. “The main difference between naturally ...

What is vitamin E acetate?

One current suspect in the outbreak is vitamin E acetate, sometimes used as a vape cartridge additive. It’s a popular new diluent thickener found mostly in illicit market THC vape carts. What is vitamin E oil and what makes it dangerous?

Can you inhale vitamin E?

Neither is OK to inhale, experts say. All these chemicals with vitamin E activity go into foot creams, face creams, and other cosmetics as topicals. In some people it can cause rashes. The cosmetics industry never considered tocopherols’ use for inhalation, at least beyond accidentally getting some lotion in your nose.

How do I know which vapor products are free of Vitamin E Acetate?

Review products online to verify their authenticity. Ask you budtender for advice. Most vaping-related illnesses have been associated with illegal cannabis products [11]. Trust but verify, ask for proof that your product is free of contaminants.

Why would Vitamin E Acetate be in a vapor product?

Vitamin E Acetate is commonly added to food ingredients as a preservative. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin E Acetate make it useful for reducing the oxidative degradation or “browning” of foods, especially oils. Cannabis oil distillates, in particular, are susceptible to oxidative degradation, causing the oil to change color from clear or light yellow to rose or deep red. Adding Vitamin E Acetate to a cannabis oil distillate may preserve its color.

What is Vitamin E Acetate?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, which protects cell membranes and promotes a healthy nervous system.[1]

Why does cannabis oil turn red?

Cannabis oil distillates, in particular, are susceptible to oxidative degradation, causing the oil to change color from clear or light yellow to rose or deep red. Adding Vitamin E Acetate to a cannabis oil distillate may preserve its color.

Does vaping affect the lungs?

Lungs. Vaporizing Vitamin E into the lungs is a relatively new behavior among Americans, and the risks associated with it are currently under intense scrutiny. In 2019, there has been a surge of vaping-related illnesses and deaths reported across the United States [ 11 ]. While the cause (s) of the illness (es) remains unknown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are actively investigating, as are state agencies [ 12 ]. The FDA has announced they suspect Vitamin E Acetate may be the cause of vaping-related deaths. The CDC is urging Americans to only purchase vape products from trusted sources, and to consider cessation of vaping altogether.

Is vitamin E acetate a vaping drug?

The FDA has announced they suspect Vitamin E Acetate may be the cause of vaping-related deaths.

Is Vitamin E available over the counter?

Vitamin E is available over the counter at most pharmacies . Most often, it is sold as Vitamin E Acetate, and in this form it can penetrate the skin. Topical application of Vitamin E Acetate may be beneficial for wound healing and protective against ultraviolet radiation, though there is no scientific consensus for this.[2] [3]

What are the side effects of vaping?

Along with nicotine, other chemicals commonly used in vaping liquid that are known to cause respiratory irritation and other side effects include: 1 propylene glycol 2 methyl cyclopentenolone 3 acetyl pyrazine 4 ethyl vanillin 5 diacetyl

What chemicals are used in vaping?

Along with nicotine, other chemicals commonly used in vaping liquid that are known to cause respiratory irritation and other side effects include: propylene glycol. methyl cyclopentenolone. acetyl pyrazine. ethyl vanillin. diacetyl.

What is a vape stick?

Essential oils vs. essential oil vape pens. Diffuser sticks, also called personal diffusers, are aromatherapy vape pens. They use a combination of essential oils, water, and vegetable glycerin that, when heated, creates a cloud of aromatherapy vapor. Essential oil vape pens don’t contain nicotine, but even vaping without nicotine can be risky.

What is vaping in a cigarette?

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor from a vape pen or e-cigarette, which are two terms used to describe electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Amid all the controversy regarding their safety, some people looking for a healthier alternative have started vaping essential oils.

What is essential oil?

Essential oils are aromatic compounds extracted from plants. They’re inhaled or diluted and applied to the skin to treat a number of ailments. Products for vaping essential oils are still very new.

Can you vape essential oils?

As there’s currently no research available on the effects of vaping essential oils, avoiding vaping any essential oil is your best bet. Even essential oils that are generally considered safe for inhalation have the potential to change and become toxic when heated for vaping.

Does vaping cause asthma?

aggravation of asthma. itching. swelling of the throat. The long-term effects of vaping aren’t fully understood. That’s even less so for vaping essential oils. Chiarito believes long-term use could cause symptoms similar to any other type of inhaled product in the lungs, including worsening asthma, chronic bronchitis, frequent lung infections, ...

What are the ingredients in vape?

The ingredients of vape that are suspected of contributing to the development of vaping-related illnesses are THC and vitamin E acetate. THC is an ingredient used in many vape products, and many patients experiencing vape-related complications have admitted to using THC-containing products in the past, leading the FDA to believe that THC may play a role in the vape-related illness outbreak. The FDA has issued a public warning to stop using THC-containing vape products, as the compound may be contributing to lung illnesses related to vaping. Specifically, vitamin E acetate is most commonly used as an additive in THC-containing vape/e-cigarette products; vitamin E acetate is an oily chemical added to THC vaping liquids used to thicken or dilute them. A vape-related injury concerning a teenage boy in Canada has recently gained the media’s attention as well. The 17-year-old boy vaped “intensively,” adding THC to his devices. He initially showed symptoms aligning with bronchiolitis (lung condition normally caused by a bacterial or viral infection), but many patients that have vape-related illnesses in the United States have experienced damage to the alveoli; this type of injury was not found. Instead, his case aligned more with an injury called “popcorn lung,” an ailment most commonly seen in factory workers of microwave popcorn plants nearly 20 years ago. This new vape-related case calls for further exploration into the toxicity of vape liquid, as the patient’s condition could have been caused by the THC added to the vaping devices, or the chemical that affected factory workers in the past - diacetyl. Diacetyl is present in many e-cigarette flavors [14]. The American Lung Association has called for the FDA to require that diacetyl and other hazardous chemicals be removed from e-cigarette cartridges.

What is the purpose of vaping?

Vaping was initially marketed as a smoking cessation aid to help with cessation of cigarette smoking. E-cigarettes first took public attention in the mass media for unexpectedly blowing up, causing burns and severe facial damage [6]. In the past decade, a number of alternative vaping products have rapidly gained consumer demand, especially in, adolescents, due to the belief that they are much safer (lower nicotine content) than traditional cigarettes, choice of advertisements different flavors and ease of access to electronic nicotine delivery systems (such as e-cigarettes and vape pens). Except for menthol, the use of flavor additives has been banned from traditional cigarettes, whereas e-cigarettes are marketed in over 7,000 different flavors. Many of those flavors are found in candy and popular soft drinks and, because adolescents are familiar with such flavors, e-cigarettes are appealing to them. Tobacco smoking is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in a causative and dose-dependent manner [7]. Data from 5,400 smokers and 2,025 former smokers have found that the average number of cigarettes smoked per day by people who regularly used e-cigarettes fell by 4.4 over about two years, compared with only 2.7 for those who did not use e-cigarettes. Sixty-seven percent more e-cigarette users than non-users quit smoking altogether. However, there were 70% more relapses among former smokers who used e-cigarettes than among those who did not use the devices [8].

How many deaths from vaping in 2019?

As of November 13, 2019, there were 2,172 confirmed and probable lung injury cases "associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping, products as reported by 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as reported by the CDC. 42 deaths have been confirmed in 24 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, California (4), Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia (3), Illinois (4), Indiana (4), Kansas (2), Massachusetts (2), Michigan, Minnesota (3), Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon (2), Pennsylvania, Tennessee (2), Texas, Utah, and Virginia" [21].  Vaping, may also have harmful psychological effects with a strong association between vaping, major depression and suicidal behavior as reported in a large new study [22]. The likely contributing culprit, nicotine. Prevalence of lung disease attributable to vaping is likely under reported as cases brought to the CDC are some of the most severe. For now EVALI remains a diagnosis that is made after exclusion of other conditions and needs to be reported to the CDC.

When were electronic cigarettes invented?

Electronic cigarettes were first developed in China in the early 2000s and introduced to the US market in 2007 [5]. In the US, the product experienced explosive growth, with the number of electronic cigarette users doubling every year between 2008 and 2012. While traditional cigarettes are smoked through combustion, e-cigarettes are "vaped," and the resultant aerosols potentially contain a reduced number of potentially toxic chemicals, such as nicotine and flavorings such as diacetyl and cinnamaldehyde, as well as byproducts such as formaldehyde and acrolein caused by the potential overheating of propylene glycol, and glycerin.

Does vaping affect the lungs?

The evidence on how vitamin E acetate affects the lungs of vape users is notable because vitamin E acetate has been acknowledged as a majorly harmful chemical that may be contributing to vape-related illnesses and deaths. Lung scans have revealed different outlines of lung parenchyma suggesting possible different processes in injury. One pattern points to lipoid pneumonia which can occur with lipid containing ingredients or oils aerosolized into the airways causing inflammation and compromised function [17]. The respiratory epithelium has a complicated network of extracellular membranes essential for breathing and survival. Surfactant membranes form a stable monolayer at the air-liquid interface, reducing the surface tension at the air-liquid interface, therefore stabilizing the lung against collapse and helping lungs expand. Oil in the lung interferes with this ordered/disordered lipid phase coexistence in lung surfactant with alterations in phase coexistence [18]. The American Medical Association has made calls for a ban on vaping products, and Washington state has now banned vape products containing vitamin E acetate, thought to be linked to illness [19-20]. Although the substance is not banned in the United States and has not been officially declared as a deadly substance, many states are making advances to ban the use of the chemical in vape products. States like Massachusetts are considering a ban on flavored tobacco and vape products, and in New York, Manhattan is expected to become the largest city to ban all vaping flavors except tobacco. Other states that have already banned the use of vitamin E acetate in vape products include Colorado and Ohio. Greater public awareness of this deadly condition helps with implementing comprehensive, population-based interventions for this preventable disease.

Is vaping dangerous?

CDC has detected vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people with the lung injury. Vitamin E acetate is a condensing agent in vaping products, and all injured lung fluid samples appear to harbor this agent. The mysterious outbreak is identified in individuals vaping within the 90 days, ranging over a few days to developing over several weeks. There is growing evidence that vaping is hazardous to your health including immediate health dangers such as death from respiratory causes, long term health effects, cardiovascular events, depression which increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide. This review article summarizes the growing knowledge of acute respiratory complications associated with vaping.

Does vaping cause lung injury?

The New York Times recently reported an analysis of lung fluid samples from 29 patients with vaping-related illnesses (including two who died), and the analysis suggests that vitamin E acetate is a "very strong culprit" in causing lung injuries. The lung fluid samples were collected from patients across the United States so that these findings may have implications nationwide. Moreover, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, explained, “For the first time, we have detected a potential toxin of concern, vitamin E acetate, from biological samples from patients… The analysis provided evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury in the lungs” [15]. Vitamin E acetate is sticky, giving it the ability to remain in the lungs. THC was also reported to be found in 82% of samples from 28 patients, which was remarkable as THC tends to leave the lungs quickly [16].

Does vaping put you at risk?

Vaping manufacturers knowingly put you at risk

Does the FDA regulate nicotine vapes?

The FDA oversees Vitamin E acetate's usage as a supplement in lotions and regulates tobacco-related products, including nicotine vape products. Policing Vitamin E acetate's inclusion in THC-based vape products has proven to be much harder, considering the fact that marijuana regulations differ from state to state and marijuana is still banned at the federal level.

Is Vitamin E acetate still being studied?

As with most of the information regarding vaping due to its recent rise in popularity, Vitamin E acetate's role and effects are still being studied and determined. One thing is for sure, its inclusion has been somewhat of a recent addition; for example, vape cartridges studied in Minnesota in 2018 were without Vitamin E acetate, ...

Is vitamin E acetate bad for you?

Vitamin E acetate isn't necessarily harmful when ingested as a supplement or applied to the skin via a cream, but studies have shown it can cause harm when inhaled. Vitamin E in healthy doses is good for you; there's no debate there. It's a vitamin that dissolves in fat, and is naturally occurring in many of the wholesome foods you eat daily.

Is vaping addictive?

Vaping was designed to be addictive. Because of its antioxidant characteristics and capabilities, studies have shown Vitamin E's effectiveness in treating many conditions ranging from Alzheimer's to certain blood disorders, and even decreasing menstrual cramp pain.

Does Vitamin E acetate harm the skin?

Vitamin E acetate doesn't necessarily cause harm when ingested as a supplement or applied to the skin via a cream, but studies have shown it can cause harm when inhaled.

Is vitamin E acetate legal in marijuana?

Policing Vitamin E acetate's inclusion in THC-based vape products has proven to be much harder, considering the fact that marijuana regulations differ from state to state and marijuana is still banned ...

Can you vape with THC?

Consequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that people avoid using e-cigarettes and vaping products, particularly those that contain THC oil. Even just vaping the oil once can significantly impact your lungs. 5 

Is vaping safer than smoking?

Meanwhile, another study published in Addiction found that while vaping nicotine may be safer than smoking cigarettes, the same may not hold true when it comes to marijuana. 7  In fact, additives, like vitamin E acetate may make that delivery method even more dangerous than simply smoking a joint, putting the vaper's lungs at a greater risk for injury. Yet, a Gallup Poll indicates that most Americans believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking. In fact, 40% of the respondents felt that marijuana was "not too" harmful. 8 

Is vaping safe?

But the issue is that vaping hasn't been around long enough and there isn't enough research to really determine whether or not it's safer. Recent research suggests that vaping THC oil, especially oil that contains vitamin E acetate, can be particularly harmful to your lungs. 3  Vitamin E acetate, which is regularly added to THC ...

Is it safe to vape THC oil?

Some people believe that vaping THC oil is safer than smoking because it doesn't involve inhaling smoke. But the issue is that vaping hasn't been around long enough and there isn't enough research to really determine whether ...

Is vaping THC oil harmful?

In fact, 40% of the respondents felt that marijuana was " not too" harmful. 8 . Ultimately, vaping THC oil can lead to a substance use disorder. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 9% and 30% of people who use marijuana develop some sort of substance use disorder. And, people who begin using marijuana ...

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