Vaping FAQs

is there secondhand smoke with vaping

by Prof. Mattie Lehner MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Electronic smoking devices (ESDs) do not just emit “harmless water vapor.” Secondhand aerosol (incorrectly called vapor by the industry) from ESDs contains nicotine, ultrafine particles and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer.Oct 7, 2022

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 vape smoke bad for You?

Those with pre-existing lung or breathing conditions are also at a greater risk: If you have asthma or a related condition, the effects of secondhand vaping may be heightened. The aerosol in vapor can cause throat and respiratory irritation, so if you're already feeling a little sick or have a sore throat, you could feel much worse.

Is second hand vape smoke bad/harmful?

Along with nicotine, nonvapers are also exposed to ultrafine particles from secondhand vape aerosol, which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease . Secondhand vape aerosol also contains several known carcinogens that may increase the risk of certain cancers.

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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.

What is the compound that is absorbed by the lungs?

Formaldehyde: This is a compound created when solvents like propylene glycol and glycerin are heated up by the vaping device. It’s readily absorbed by the lungs and can be toxic—possibly even cancer-causing—in high doses. 3

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 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 .

What is acrolein in e-cigarettes?

Acrolein: This is a compound made when glycerin is heated by the coils in an e-cigarette. It can irritate the respiratory tract, including the delicate tissue of the lungs. 4

Is vaping bad for you?

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. The aerosol produced by electronic cigarettes and other aerosolizers can still contain potentially dangerous toxins, including nicotine. We don’t yet know how these toxins affect the body long-term, particularly for young children who are exposed to vaping aerosol for many years and during crucial periods of development.

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.

How many pediatric specialists are there at UH Rainbow?

UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s dedicated team of more than 1,300 pediatric specialists uses the most advanced treatments and latest innovations to deliver the complete range of pediatric specialty services for 750,000 patient encounters each year. Learn more about UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital or find a pediatrician close to home.

Is vaping bad for kids?

You’ve probably heard about the health risks of secondhand smoke. Now there’s growing evidence that being around vaping is also risky for kids.

Does nicotine affect children?

In a paper in the journal Pediatrics, doctors looked at how nicotine from e-cigarette aerosol may affect children. Reviewing past research, they found that nicotine can harm the nervous, respiratory, immune and cardiovascular systems.

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.

Can second hand vaping cause respiratory irritation?

Those with pre-existing lung or breathing conditions are also at a greater risk: If you have asthma or a related condition, the effects of secondhand vaping may be heightened. The aerosol in vapor can cause throat and respiratory irritation, so if you're already feeling a little sick or have a sore throat, you could feel much worse.

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.

Why is it harder for teens to remove themselves from social situations?

Teenagers are typically much more impressionable to peer pressure than their older counterparts, so it's harder for many of them to remove themselves from social situations that pose a health risk. Personally, I was already so embarrassed by just being in middle school that I can't imagine speaking up if I saw someone using an e-cigarette.

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.

What is the compound that is created when propylene glycol and glycerin is heated up in?

Formaldehyde: a compound created when propylene glycol and glycerin is heated up in e-cigarettes. It’s absorbed by the lungs and can be toxic.

How many people die from lung cancer from second hand smoke?

In addition, secondhand smoke causes 7,300 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers every year in the United States. It also is attributed to more than 8,000 deaths from stroke each year.

How many chemicals are in second hand smoke?

Todd A. Mahr, MD: Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and smoke that is breathed out by smokers. It contains about 7,000 chemicals, of which hundreds are toxic and 70 can cause cancer.

What metals are used in vaping?

Lead, nickel, tin or other heavy metals: they help heat the vaping liquid. Small amounts of these metals can be aerosolized and inhaled.

Where is the allergy and asthma network?

Have a medical question? Email editor@allergyasthmanetwork.org or write to Ask the Allergist, Allergy & Asthma Network, 8229 Boone Bl vd., Suite 260, Vienna, VA 22182.

What is the chemical that irritates the lungs?

Benzene : a colorless, sweet-smelling organic compound that can irritate the lungs (it’s found in car exhaust).

Can second hand smoke cause respiratory problems?

Secondhand smoke can cause respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. It can also lead to acute lower respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

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.

Is secondhand vapor dangerous?

In Public Health England’s updated 2018 evidence review, the agency’s experts analyzed several new studies of passive exposure that had been published since the original 2015 PHE e-cig report. They concluded—again—that “to date there have been no identified health risks of passive vaping to bystanders.”

What is the order of magnitude of burstyn?

Orders of magnitude are multiples of 10—so, 10 – 100 – 1,000 – 10,000 , and so on. What Burstyn means is that the exposure to toxic chemicals in secondhand vapor is so slight as to pose no real threat. Whatever the risk may be to the users themselves, it is 10 or 100, or even 1,000 or 10,000, times lower for the bystander.

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.

How many students were exposed to SHA in 2017?

No significant differences in the overall prevalence of indoor or outdoor exposure to either SHS or SHA, any SHS, or any SHA were observed between 2015 and 2017 ( Table 1 ). In 2015, 56.7% of students (14.7 million) reported exposure to either SHS or SHA, 52.6% (13.7 million) reported exposure to SHS, and 25.2% (6.6 million) reported exposure to SHA in a public place on one or more of the past 30 days. In 2017, 55.1% of students (14.3 million) reported exposure to either SHS or SHA, 50.5% (13.2 million) reported exposure to SHS, and 25.6% (6.7 million) reported exposure to SHA in a public place on one or more of the past 30 days.

What is the APR of SHA and SHS?

Female students were more likely than male students to report exposure to both SHS and SHA (aPR = 1.58); SHS only (aPR = 1.40); and SHA only (aPR = 1.22) (Table 2). Compared with middle school students, high school students were more likely to report exposure to both SHS and SHA (aPR = 1.27); SHS only (aPR = 1.16); and SHA only (aPR = 1.54). Non-Hispanic black students were less likely to report exposures to both SHS and SHA (aPR = 0.57); SHS only (aPR = 0.74); and SHA only (aPR = 0.61) than non-Hispanic white students.

What is the National Youth Tobacco Survey?

Data came from the 2015 and 2017 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a school-based survey of US students in grades 6 through 12. Past 30-day exposure to SHS and SHA in indoor and outdoor public places was assessed. The prevalence of exposure was assessed overall and by covariates for each year. We used adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) to assess determinants of exposure.

What are the other tobacco products?

g Other tobacco products were cigarettes; cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars; chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; pipe filled with tobacco; bidis; snus; dissolvable tobacco; or hookah or waterpipe. Current users reported use of ≥1 of these products on ≥1 days of the past 30-days. Noncurrent users reported using all tobacco products on 0 days.

How many people were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2017?

In 2017, over 14.3 million youth were exposed to secondhand emissions from tobacco products in public places.

How long does it take to respond to a secondhand aerosol?

Response options were 0 days, 1 or 2 days , 3 to 5 days, 6 to 9 days, 10 to 19 days, 20 to 29 days and all 30 days. Respondents who recorded a response other than 0 days were considered exposed to SHS. Secondhand aerosol exposure.

How many students in the US are exposed to secondhand tobacco?

In 2017, more than half (55.1%, 14.3 million) of US middle and high school students reported exposure to secondhand tobacco product emissions in indoor or outdoor public places. E-cigarette use may complicate the enforcement of existing smoke-free policies and contribute to the renormalization of tobacco use behaviors. Continued efforts are warranted to reduce the social acceptability of tobacco product use and protect bystanders from all tobacco product emissions.

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