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.
What is secondhand vaping and how can you spot it?
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. When you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette, you're "secondhand vaping."
What is secondhand vapor and how does it affect me?
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.
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.
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
About this website
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 If I Breathe In Second Hand Vapor?
What vapors exhale doesn’t really contain much of anything, save for propylene glycol and glycerin – the two core elements that make up E Juice.
What Is Second Hand Vapor Made Of?
First and foremost: vapor produced by vaping is NOT the same as smoke.
What is third hand nicotine?
Third-hand nicotine is the process whereby inhaled nicotine is exhaled and then comes to rest on surfaces – things like carpets and sofas. However, because of the nature of vaping, almost 100% of the nicotine is absorbed by the user.
Does Vaping Effect Indoor Air Quality?
This is a good question and one that related directly to the issue of second hand vapor: does vaping indoors affect the air quality of your home?
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 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 of ‘ second-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.
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.
Why is vaping so difficult?
This is due to the difficulty in correctly identifying what they inhaled, especially when they are intubated or unconscious.
How to tell if a child is vaping?
Talk with your kids about the dangers of vaping, but also look for warning signs including: 1 Changes in emotions 2 Trouble sleeping 3 Scents of fruity odors on skin, breath and clothes 4 Strange cylinders, chargers or batteries lying around
Why is vaping so popular among teens?
First publicized as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, vaping caught on because it didn't contain the carcinogens or tars found in most smoking tobacco products. Also, vaping was supposed to eliminate the dangers of secondhand smoke to those nearby.
How long does a vape last?
Did you know most cigarettes are smoked within two to five minutes? E-cigarettes on the other hand can last up to 20 minutes, delivering more nicotine and damaging chemicals to the lungs. In addition, some vaping mixtures can contain 20 times the nicotine that a single cigarette contains.
What is an e-cigarette?
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid solution — usually, but not always, containing nicotine — turning it into a vapor that can be inhaled . If the base nicotine mixture is not palatable, many flavors, such as mint, apple and others, can make vaping attractive, especially to adolescents.
How to help a teenager who is vaping?
Encourage your teen to look into the warnings and media stories related to vaping, or reach out to his or her primary care provider with questions.
Is vaping bad for teens?
Adolescents often feel that bad things happen to everyone else, but the risks associated with vaping are real. Many teens are taking things a step further, adding cannabis, CBD oils and other dangerous additives to vaping devices.
What chemicals are not covered by e-cigarette vapor?
The main one is that only a small number of chemicals were included in the tests. For example, formaldehyde and acrolein have been detected in small concentrations in e-cig vapor, but they were not covered by this test.
What is the only volatile organic compound detected in e-cigarettes?
Toluene was the only volatile organic compound detected in e-cig vapor, and the increase from the background levels in the room wasn’t statistically significant. 3.5 times more toluene was released from the cigarette, as well as three other volatile organic compounds. No carbon monoxide detected after e-cig use.
How much aerosol is in a smoking machine?
The smoking machine generated an average aerosol concentration of 33 micrograms per cubic meter, and in the direct comparison test with dual users cigarette smoke produced around seven times more particles than was detected in e-cig vapor. However, this is only when the upper end of the possible concentration for a tobacco cigarette is used in the calculations; if both averages are used, cigarettes release 5.4 times more particles than e-cigarettes.
How much more nicotine is in a cigarette than an e-cigarette?
Cigarettes appear to release around 10 times more nicotine than e-cigarettes.
What is the carbon monoxide level in e-cigarettes?
This means it was small enough to possibly be caused by ordinary fluctuations – only rising from 3.8 to 4.1 micrograms per cubic meter. For cigarette smoke, four of the organic compounds were detected, with toluene in 3.5 times higher concentrations than in the vapor tests.
How much nicotine is in the air after smoking?
The increase varied by brand, ranging from around 0.8 to 6.2 micrograms (millionths of a gram) per cubic meter.
Where was the study of nicotine e-cigarettes conducted?
The study was based in Poland , and used three popular brands of e-cigarettes in the country for testing (Colinss Age, Dekang 510 Pen and Mild M201 Pen, with tobacco flavors on each). One brand (Colinss Age) had a drastic departure from the stated nicotine level (7 mg lower than the stated dose), but the others were within 1 mg of the stated 18 mg/ml concentration. They were all fully charged (for 24 hours – according to the methodology – which is a little excessive, to say the least) before the experiment, and tested in a room with a controllable ventilation system measuring just under 40 cubic meters.
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.