Vaping FAQs

is secondhand vaping a thing

by Monty Swift Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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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. How harmful is it? It’s not clear how harmful secondhand vaping is since vaping is still relatively new. Its long-term effects are still being investigated.

Primary and secondhand exposure to vaping is highly prevalent among the adolescents and young adults but there has been little research investigating the effects of secondhand vape exposure on respiratory health.Jan 10, 2022

Full Answer

Is secondhand vaping something to be concerned about?

“Vaping and secondhand vaping is just as dangerous,” clarifies Nader Nakhleh, D.O., a board certified pediatric pulmonologist. “Now it is our mission as experts to change the conversation around vaping from being a ‘better’ alternative to smoking to actually being equally as detrimental.”

Is second hand vape bad for 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 get second hand smoke from vape?

Propylene glycol is one of the primary chemicals found in vape aerosol. There isn’t nearly as much scientific evidence condemning secondhand vape smoke as there is secondhand cigarette smoke, but there is enough to support the notion of ducking and dodging a nearby ESD smoker the same way you would avoid someone blowing cigarette smoke.

Does second hand smoking harm you?

Secondhand smoke can also be harmful in other ways. For instance, breathing secondhand smoke affects the heart and blood vessels, which increases the risk of having a heart attack. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of developing and dying from heart disease. It also increases the risk of having (and dying from) a stroke.

What is the chemical in second hand vape aerosol?

What percentage of people with asthma report vaping?

What is third hand smoke?

Why are vapes dangerous for children?

How to quit smoking cigarettes?

Is vape aerosol harmful?

Does vaping smell like candy?

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Can you get a secondhand high from someone vaping in the same ... - Quora

Answer (1 of 7): Yes. Contrary to popular opinion in this thread, you can definitely get high off second-hand vapor. However, it would not necessarily be easy, or as easy as taking a hit directly. And, exhaled vapor or smoke are not going to be as potent or having the same balance of constituen...

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).

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.

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.

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 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.

What is in Second-Hand Vapour?

There are no sidestream emissions. This means that the second-hand vapour contains much less of the substances that were contained in the inhaled vapour since it has to pass through the mouth, throat, and lungs of the person first.

Can you vape around people?

So, if you are vaping around others, ask them if they are OK with it first. You should also avoid vaping in enclosed public spaces, and ensure you follow the rules.

Does second hand vapour contain nicotine?

So, second-hand vapour doesn’t really contain very much of anything! There will be some levels of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavourings, and nicotine (if the person vaping is using nicotine) - these are the usual components that make up any e-liquid. So the second-hand vapour will contain small amounts of all of these substances.

Is second hand vaping the same as second hand smoking?

You’ve probably heard ofsecond-hand smoking’ and, well, second-hand vaping is pretty much the same thing. It happens when a person inhales the vapour that has been exhaled from someone else’s e-cigarette nearby to them. It is second-hand because it does not come directly from the e-cigarette - it has already been inhaled and exhaled by the first person before it reaches the second person.

Is vaping harmful?

Although we can all agree that vaping is far less harmful than smoking, some people are still quite concerned about the potential harm that vaping could pose. Since it’s a fairly new thing, there are undoubtedly going to be sceptics who worry about the safety of vaping. And this includes those who do not actually vape themselves, since second-hand vapour could also pose a threat. But does passive-vaping actually cause harm? Should we be worried? Let’s discuss the facts below!

Is second hand vaping harmful?

The research that has been done so far into second-hand vaping indicates that it poses little to no danger. In fact, they found that second-hand vapour posed “no significant risk of harm to human health”, whilst tobacco smoke posed a “significant risk of harm to human health”. Their conclusion stated that there was no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette emissions.

What is second hand vapour?

The second hand vapour arguments mostly revolve around sowing doubt about unknown harms. Where this falls down is that it’s not 1949 any more - we know what causes harm, we know why smoking is bad for you, we know what chemicals cause cancer, and we know what chemicals are in vapour. FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) campaigns about vapour these days are laughable, except the general public just seems to love it’s helping of FUD drama.

When was second hand nonsense invented?

The whole “second-hand” nonsense was developed by Antismokers in the 1970s/80s. They were seeking to use the Passivrauchen (Passive Smoking) argument of the Hitler Youth Organization groups in the 1930s that tried it as a path to portray and eliminate smoking as the vile habit of Gypsies and Jews that were was injuring others.

Does California have vape shops?

The state of California tested vape shops with plums of clouds and no ventilation and found no hazardous levels of toxins.

Does the CDC test vapes?

The CDC even tested the air inside a vape shop where a lot of people vape, and found no issues: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2015-0107-3279

Is propylene glycol good for vaping?

Of course, propylene glycol has anti-bacterial qualities, so a vaper’s exhalations are probably a lot cleaner than most people’s. Come to think of it, vapers should be praised for doing a heroic job of cleansing the surrounding air of the products of living metabolism, car exhaust, carcinogenic results of combustion, etc.

Is second hand vapor dangerous?

Under anything approaching normal circumstances, there is most certainly no realistic level of harm from “secondhand vapor.” As Marion Burt does point out in his answer: “secondhand breathing” is far more likely to be dangerous to you: particularly in any smoke-banned area since ventilation levels will usually be far, far lower than in smoking venues.

Can common sense destroy FUD?

You’d think common sense would have no trouble combating and destroying FUD, but alas the purveyors of the finest FUD will always have a willing audience.

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 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.

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.

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.

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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How Harmful Is It?

  • The long-term health effects of secondhand vapingare yet unknown since the practice is still relatively new in the United States. Research on the long-term consequences of this practice is ongoing. So far, we know that vape aerosol includes a variety of hazardous chemicals, including: 1. nicotine 2. ultrafine particles 3. various other toxins, incl...
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Who’s Most at Risk?

  • Everybody is at danger from secondhand vape aerosol, although certain groups are more susceptible than others.
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Thirdhand Exposure Is A Thing, Too

  • When someone uses a vaporizer, the components of the aerosol settle on surfaces when they exhale. This occurs during the process of exhalation. This is referred to as "thirdhand smoke" (or aerosol). You run the danger of coming into touch with these toxins whenever you make physical contact with a contaminated surface.
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If You Vape, Keep These Tips in Mind

  • You can best protect yourself and others you care about from the harmful effects of your vaping by quitting. However, we understand that quitting isn't always possible for everyone. To aid others, even if you aren't ready to give up, there are things you can do.
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Other Conclusions

  • According to a study published online Jan. 10 in the journal Thorax, secondhand vapor exposure aggravated teenage bronchitis symptoms by 40% and shortness of breath by 53%. People who did not vape or smoke were far more impacted. They were three times more likely to have bronchitis symptoms and twice as likely to have wheezing or shortness of breath, according to the study. H…
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The Bottom Line

  • Even though secondhand vape may look harmless, don't be deceived by the delicious fragrances. Many of the same chemicals that have been linked to health problems in persons who use e-cigarettesmay be found in the vapor that is exhaled when vaping.
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