Vaping FAQs

can secondhand smoke from vaping be harmful

by Dr. Aletha Hermann Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Second hand smoke isn’t as dangerous as inhaling smoke directly from a cigarette, but long-term exposure to secondhand smoke can cause damage. Using E-Liquids a.k.a – Vaping E-Liquids are made from propylene glycol and glycerin, which is mainly vegetable extracts and sugars.

Yes, second and third-hand smoke and vaping aerosols contain harmful, toxic and cancer-causing chemicals that can be breathed in. They can go into the body through the skin. These chemicals can be swallowed, as many children put their hands or other objects into their mouths.

Full Answer

Is second hand smoke more deadly than first hand smoke?

Secondhand smoke was generally believed to be more harmful than primary smoke. Mechanisms for the potency and health effects of secondhand smoke involved the smell of secondhand smoke, secondhand smoke being an infection and affecting the immune system, and personal strength being protective of secondhand smoke.

How is second-hand smoke worse than first-hand smoke?

The rates of death and disease from actively smoking are higher than the rates for people who inhale secondhand smoke. According to some studies, second hand smoke can be more harmful. No it is the same thing. It is not any worse and certainly not any better but you certainly should try to avoid secondhand smoke.

Is secondhand smoke as dangerous as smoking a cigarette?

When a non-smoker is around someone smoking, they breathe in secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is dangerous to anyone who breathes it in. It can stay in the air for several hours after somebody smokes. Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can hurt your body.

What is secondhand smoke and why is it harmful?

Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which hundreds are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer. 1,2,3,4

Why are vapes dangerous for children?

What is the chemical in second hand vape aerosol?

What is third hand smoke?

What percentage of people with asthma report vaping?

How to quit smoking cigarettes?

Is vape aerosol harmful?

Does vaping smell like candy?

See 4 more

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Can I be Affected by Secondhand Vape Smoke? - A Healthier Michigan

Vape pens and e-cigarettes have become a common sight in the last five to 10 years. We see them used at stores, bars and big events and assume they must be healthier than actual cigarettes.

How does second hand smoking affect the world?

Secondhand smoking kills tens of thousands of people every year in the United States alone. It can cause sudden infant death syndrome and lung issues in children. In adults, it can lead to serious health conditions later in life, such as stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer—even in people who never smoked themselves. 1

How does an e-cigarette work?

E-cigarette devices use metal coils to heat the vaping fluid, and over time, small amounts of metals can sometimes get into the aerosol after repeated use at high temperatures. 6 . While the person vaping will breathe in the full brunt of these toxins, some will be exhaled into the air.

How many states are banning smoking in 2020?

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, as of January 2020, 19 states and over 900 municipalities have included e-cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices in their laws and policies banning smoking in certain environments, such as schools or workplaces. 11 .

Is second hand vaping bad for you?

Secondhand Vaping as a Gateway. In addition to the still uncertain health risks associated with breathing in e-cigarette aerosol, being around people who vape could have other consequences—particularly for adolescents who are more likely to be influenced by social norms and visual cues.

Does vaping hurt your lungs?

Short-term studies didn’t find evidence that secondhand vaping hurts lung function , with one notable exception. Researchers found that people who were around vaping aerosol showed increases in the serum cotinine, which is a marker that someone was exposed to nicotine (an ingredient often found in e-cigarettes). 7  Given the long list of health risks posed by nicotine, more research needs to be done on how this exposure could affect someone’s lungs long-term like it can with secondhand smoke.

Can vaping affect non-vapers?

It’s still not clear how the toxins found in secondhand vaping can affect the health of non-vapers, especially long-term. The limited research available so far has largely focused on immediate health effects. That said, there are some concerns about how repeatedly inhaling e-cigarette aerosol over an extended period of time could affect bystanders’ long-term lung function and risk of allergic reactions.

Can vaping cause lung injury?

UPDATE: Recent illnesses have been associated with use of e-cigarettes (vaping). Since the specific causes of these lung injury cases are not yet known, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends refraining from all vaping products.

Who studied the dangers of second hand vaping?

Igor Burstyn’s study of the possible dangers of secondhand vaping attempted to “estimate potential exposures from aerosols produced by electronic cigarettes and compare those potential exposures to occupational exposure standards.” His conclusion: “Exposures of bystanders are likely to be orders of magnitude less, and thus pose no apparent concern.”

What is secondhand vapor?

Secondhand vapor (which is technically an aerosol) is the vapor exhaled into the atmosphere by an e-cig user. Like secondhand smoke, it lingers in the air long enough that anyone in the same room (assuming the room is small enough) is likely to inhale some of the exhaled aerosol. As the name indicates, the bystanders are not inhaling secondhand (or passive) smoke—because secondhand e-cigarette vapor simply isn’t smoke.

What is the difference between e-cigarettes and vapor?

E-cigs heat e-liquid with a small metal coil housed in an atomizer , and the heat turns the e-juice into the vapor you see. E-cigarette vapor doesn’t have any carbon monoxide or tar, and the particles in the aerosol are liquid rather than solid. Dangerous chemicals and metals are found in vapor, but only in tiny quantities.

Is third hand nicotine inhaled or exhaled?

What isn’t inhaled falls to the ground quite rapidly. Those concerned with “thirdhand nicotine”—the unabsorbed nicotine that lands on floors and furniture—might make a case for not vaping around kids or pets who might lick the surfaces. But there’s not much nicotine left in the settled residue. According to a 2016 University of California-San Francisco study, 93.8 percent of the inhaled nicotine is retained by the user, and is not part of the exhaled vapor.

Does vaping contain VG?

Aside from propylene glycol and glycerin (PG and VG) —the two glycols that make up the base of virtually all e-liquids—what vapers exhale into the air doesn’t contain high levels of anything. According to Drexel University toxicologist Igor Burstyn, while the contents of e-cig vapor inhaled by users “justifies surveillance,” there is so little contamination in exhaled vapor that there is unlikely to be any risk for bystanders.

Can you vape inside a house?

If you encounter people vaping inside a house, all of the secondhand vapor you see comes out of the mouths of the vapers in the room. There is no side stream “vape smoke” like there is side stream tobacco smoke from cigarettes—no constant emission of vapor pouring from the device when it’s not being used.

Is nicotine in vapor residue?

But there’s not much nicotine left in the settled residue. According to a 2016 University of California-San Francisco study, 93.8 percent of the inhaled nicotine is retained by the user, and is not part of the exhaled vapor.

How to avoid second hand vaping?

The only way you could altogether avoid the second-hand vapor is to leave your friends when they vape. Do not hand out with your friends while they use electronic cigarettes to be potentially safe. Or if you are using an e-cig, be courteous enough to not vape around children such they do not have much of an opinion in the air they breathe. Do not vape around people who are uncomfortable with it. If any close family member involves in vaping, kindly ask them to stop when you are around. It could be your parent, caretaker, co-worker, or only a friend. This could be your best bet to avoid the vapor altogether. If you have severe asthma issues or other lung problems, stay yourself clear from people who vape since it can have severe and adverse side effects on your health or your health could also be compromised.

Why do people not inhale second hand smoke?

The bystanders do not inhale second-hand smoke simply because second-hand electronic cigarettes vapor isn’t practically smoke. Smoke is produced when there is combustion and electronic cigarettes do not have any burning.

How does vaping work?

Vaping devices produce clouds of vapor, which is generated by heating the e-liquid with an atomizer. The atomizer has a small metal coil which turns it into vapor. The vapor coming from electronic cigarettes do not contain tar or carbon monoxide. However, dangerous and hazardous metals and chemicals are found in the vapor, but in minimal amounts. The number of toxins is least as compared to cigarette smoke. Hence the dangers of second hand vaping are also reduced.

What is the process of making smoke?

Smoke is produced when there is combustion and electronic cigarettes do not have any burning. The process of burning anything with fire, for example, tobacco, wood leaves, produces flammable gases, carbon monoxide, carcinogenic particles and a mix of hazardous chemicals that are usually found in cigarette smoke, is called tar.

Is it safe to vape second hand?

When they release into the air, the least amount of particles are present since the individual itself absorbs the majority of the substances. Second hand vaping isn’t as dangerous as second-hand smoking is because the bystanders get exposed to a minimal amount. Studies revealed that second hand vaping had shown the levels of the chemicals much less than the exposure limits.

Is vaping bad for you?

Vaping does have a lot of chemicals and toxins involved which aren’t great for the body. There are government standards and protocols for workplace exposure from inhaled metals and chemicals. Scientists can determine whether the chemicals present in the second-hand vapor is harmful or not. So far, there is no serious evidence ...

Is vaping a problem for teens?

Vaping has been a common problem among teens which is why they are at a higher risk of developing sickness. In today’s world, one in five teenagers has at least tried vaping once. That isn’t a good number. A third of high schoolers reported that they were exposed to vaping aerosol in the year 2018.

Why are vapes dangerous for children?

Infants and children. Vape aerosols pose an especially high risk for infants and children because of their lower body weight and developing respiratory systems. , being exposed to even low concentrations of the components of vape aerosol can affect brain and lung development.

What is the chemical in second hand vape aerosol?

Secondhand vape aerosol contains flavorings, such as diacetyl, a chemical that may impair the function of cilia in the airway.

What is third hand smoke?

Thirdhand exposure is a thing, too. When someone who’s vaping exhales, the components of the aerosol doesn’t just go into the air — they also settle on surfaces. Trusted Source. . This is what’s referred to as thirdhand smoke (or aerosol). You can be exposed to these components when you touch a contaminated surface.

What percentage of people with asthma report vaping?

Based on the results of the 2018 Annual Asthma Survey by the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, 14 percent of people with asthma reported that vaping or exposure to secondhand vape triggered their asthma symptoms.

How to quit smoking cigarettes?

Try to taper your nicotine dose gradually if you’re using vaping to help you quit traditional cigarettes. Cutting out nicotine altogether will minimize the risk of nicotine-related side effects for you and others.

Is vape aerosol harmful?

Its long-term effects are still being investigated. What we do know so far is that vape aerosol contains a number of harmful substances, including: There’s evidence that nonsmokers exposed to secondhand vape aerosol absorb similar levels of nicotine as people exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

Does vaping smell like candy?

This brief exposure probably isn’t a huge deal, but secondhand vape aerosol (the “smoke” from vaping) is definitely a thing, even if it smells like candy.

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