Vaping FAQs

is breathing secondhand vaping bad

by Austen Rohan Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
image

Is secondhand vapor dangerous to breathe? Almost all of the research to date indicates that secondhand vapor doesn’t have a significant effect on the health of bystanders. Secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor may annoy people, but it won’t have any effects on long-term health.

Secondhand vape exposure was associated with increased risk of bronchitic symptoms and shortness of breath in young adults, even after accounting for active smoking and vaping.Jan 10, 2022

Full Answer

Is secondhand vaping harmful to your health?

There isn’t a lot of research done on the health harms of secondhand vaping. Early studies suggest that the risks posed by secondhand vaping are substantially lower than secondhand smoking, but that's a low bar considering how hard cigarette smoke is on the body.

Can You Breathe secondhand vaping smoke?

Secondhand Vaping Just like people around smokers can breathe in cigarette smoke, it’s possible to breathe in e-cigarette aerosol if you’re around someone vaping. This is called secondhand vaping, and there isn't a lot of published research yet on how inhaling this aerosol affects the body, especially among adolescents.

Does secondhand vapor come out of vapers’ mouths?

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.

What are the effects of secondhand vape aerosol?

Animal and human studies, notes that 2017 study, have found that fetal nicotine exposure can have adverse effects, including: Secondhand vape aerosol contains flavorings, such as diacetyl, a chemical that may impair the function of cilia in the airway.

How does second hand smoking affect the world?

How does an e-cigarette work?

Is second hand vaping bad for you?

Does vaping hurt your lungs?

Can vaping affect non-vapers?

Can vaping cause lung injury?

Does vaping affect air quality?

See 4 more

About this website

image

Is Secondhand Vaping Something to be Concerned About?

By Brianna McCabe. You don’t have to dig deep into a Google search for ‘is secondhand cigarette smoking dangerous?’ to find a scientific study or credible article reinforcing that it is, in fact, a massive risk to your health. …But what about secondhand vaping? According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, 40% of U.S. adults believe that children’s exposure ...

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.

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.

Does vaping affect air quality?

One study, for example, found that under most conditions, someone vaping at home all day didn’t change the air quality a terrible amount unless they vaped intensely at a high voltage. At that point, levels of formaldehyde exceeded limits set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), though other compounds didn’t come close. 7

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.

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 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 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.

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.

What is secondhand vaping?

Secondhand vaping is exactly what it sounds like: if you're near a person breathing out vapor from an e-cigarette, you generally breathe in the same air that they're exhaling and can inhale the same vapor.

What to do if someone uses e-cigarettes?

If someone close to you, like a parent, caretaker or coworker, uses e-cigarettes, you can kindly ask them to stop while you're around. Frame it as a way to protect both your health and theirs, and hopefully they'll respect your wishes.

Is vaping a health risk?

E-cigarettes can emit a huge cloud of vapor that can affect an entire crowd of people. Getty Images. When vaping first gained popularity, it was marketed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes. However, a recent surge in illnesses, hospitalizations -- and even deaths -- has shown that there may be much scarier health risks associated ...

Does vaping harm the lungs?

The vapor can also harm bystanders ' lungs and contribute to lasting damage ...

Does vapor contain nicotine?

Another study from 2018 found that the vapor not only contains nicotine, but also heavy metals, aldehyde and glycerin, even though vaporizer companies try to paint these products as healthier in every way. These chemicals contribute to the health risk posed by secondhand vaping.

Is vaping a teenager phenomenon?

E-cigarettes are becoming more and more of a teenage phenomenon. With more teens than ever now vaping, it seems like the younger folks who are more at risk. A third of high-schoolers and middle-schoolers reported that they were exposed to vaping aerosol in 2018.

Can you vape with your friends?

If you really want to avoid the negative health effects of secondhand vaping, you may just want to not hang out with your friends while they're using e-cigarettes. Or, if you're reading this and you are an e-cigarette user who's not ready to give it up yet, at least don't vape around other people (especially kids).

What is in Secondhand Vapor?

Unlike smoking, vaping doesn’t involve combustion. The vapor particles emitted by e-cigarettes are a liquid (technically an aerosol) rather than the solid particulates found in cigarette smoke. According to this study, vaping doesn’t seem to have any effect on air quality, whereas smoking (both tobacco and cannabis), frying food and even burning candles can affect the air quality (measured by total particle count).

What is vaping eliquid?

Vaping involves heating a suspension of a liquid base (usually a propylene glycerol/vegetable glycerol blend), along with flavorings and nicotine, commonly known as e-liquid. To heat the eliquid, most vapers use a device known as an e-cigarette or “mod.” E-cigarettes consist of a battery, a wicked coil, and housing to hold it all together.

Is Secondhand Vapor Dangerous?

However, all of the research conducted so far suggests that not only is secondhand vaper safer than secondhand smoke, but that it doesn’t seem to pose any health risks whatsoever.

What is the difference between cigarette smoke and vapor?

Another difference between cigarette smoke and vapor is that there is no “sidestream” effect with vaping. In contrast to cigarettes, all secondhand vapor has already passed through the user’s lungs. The respiratory system acts as a filter, and most of the substances in vapor are absorbed by the user and, therefore, not present once they exhale.

Is secondhand smoke the same as regular smoke?

Secondhand smoke comes in two forms: Mainstream smoke, which is exhaled by the smoker, and sidestream smoke, which comes off the burning end of the cigarette. Long-term studies have shown that exposure to both forms of secondhand smoke can cause all of the same health issues as actually smoking. These include cancer, heart disease, stroke, and many more. Sidestream smoke is typically the far more toxic of the two. It contains higher levels of carcinogens than mainstream smoke, which has already been inhaled and filtered by the smoker’s respiratory system.

Is vaping safer than smoking?

The rise in the popularity of vaping is unsurprising. Globally, most health organizations now recognize vaping as a far safer alternative to smoking. Numerous studies have confirmed that vaping has a much lower risk of causing cancer. It is also highly probable that using e-cigarettes has a smaller negative impact on lung and cardiovascular function. Scientists and researchers have known about the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke for years. Vaping does tend to produce much bigger clouds than smoking. With this in mind, many people may want to know – Is secondhand vapor harmful to breathe?

Is vaping bad for you?

Any adverse health consequences from vapor are likely to be trivial compared to the combusted tobacco. The truth is that we don’t know if vaping has long term negative consequences and what those might be. However, we can make some educated guesses.

What types of chemicals are in secondhand vapor?

In particular, the study found that indoor air quality was reduced by increasing the amount of nicotine, aluminum, particulate matter, and PAHs. These chemicals have been linked to a variety of health risks including lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Is secondhand vapor dangerous to breathe?

Almost all of the research to date indicates that secondhand vapor doesn’t have a significant effect on the health of bystanders. Secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor may annoy people, but it won’t have any effects on long-term health.

What is a vape pen?

With vaping, a device (typically a vape pen or a mod — an enhanced vape pen — that may look like a flash drive) heats up a liquid ( called vape juice or e -liquid) until it turns into a vapor that you inhale. “Vaping is a delivery system similar to a nebulizer, which people with asthma or other lung conditions may be familiar with,” says Broderick. ...

What is the chemical that can damage your lungs?

Acrolein: Most often used as a weed killer, this chemical can also damage lungs.

What happens if you inhale diacetyl?

Diacetyl is frequently added to flavored e-liquid to enhance the taste. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and may lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways — popcorn lung — which makes breathing difficult. Popcorn lung has no lasting treatment. There are, however, treatments that manage BO symptoms, such as: 1 Coughing 2 Wheezing 3 Chest pain 4 Shortness of breath

What to do if your lung hurts?

What to Do If Your Lungs Hurt. If you smoke or vape, don’t brush off chest or lung pain as something that’s normal. If you have pain or other symptoms associated with breathing difficulties, such as shortness of breath and chronic cough, it’s important to see a doctor.

What is the food additive used to deepen e-cigarette flavors?

Diacetyl: This food additive, used to deepen e-cigarette flavors, is known to damage small passageways in the lungs.

Does vaping affect the lungs?

Instead of bathing lung tissue with a therapeutic mist, just as a nebulizer does, vaping coats lungs with potentially harmful chemicals. E-liquid concoctions usually include some mix of flavorings, aromatic additives and nicotine or THC (the chemical in marijuana that causes psychological effects), dissolved in an oily liquid base.

Is second hand vapor safe?

Secondhand Vapor Isn’t Safe Either. It’s a myth that secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes are harmless. Many people think the secondhand vapor is just water, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The vapor emitted when someone exhales contains a variety of dangerous substances, which may include: Nicotine.

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.

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.

Does vaping affect air quality?

One study, for example, found that under most conditions, someone vaping at home all day didn’t change the air quality a terrible amount unless they vaped intensely at a high voltage. At that point, levels of formaldehyde exceeded limits set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), though other compounds didn’t come close. 7

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9