Potential Health Effects of Secondhand Vaping
- Secondhand Vaping and Lung Function Short-term studies haven't found evidence that exposure to secondhand aerosol from e-cigarettes hurts lung function, with one notable exception. ...
- Allergies Another potential risk posed by vaping indoors is allergic reactions, especially among children. ...
- Secondhand Vaping as a Gateway ...
- A Lot of Unknowns ...
What are the risks of secondhand vaping?
1 Secondhand Vaping and Lung Function. Short-term studies didn’t find evidence that secondhand vaping hurts lung function, with one notable exception. 2 Allergies. Another potential risk posed by vaping indoors is allergic reactions, especially among children. ... 3 Secondhand Vaping as a Gateway. ... 4 A Lot of Unknowns. ...
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.
Is vaping harmful to “accidental vapers”?
We may actually know more about the risks to bystanders than to vapers themselves. Based on standards for workplace exposure to inhaled chemicals and metals, scientists can estimate whether the toxic constituents present in “secondhand vapor” might make vaping harmful to “accidental vapers.”
Is vape smoke harmful to your lungs?
Similar, e-cigarettes or vapes have also been identified by the American Lung Association to have irreversible damage to the lungs and can increase the likelihood of lung disease. Is Vape Smoke Harmful? As we discussed earlier, there are many concerning health effects that can form from vape smoke due to the composition of the smoke.
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
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 ...
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 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.
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).
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 is vaping smoking?
This new innovate smoking method called vaping is through the use of electronic smoking devices (EDS) that heat and vaporize a solution that contains nicotine.
What chemicals are in vaping smoke?
The identified chemicals that are found in the vapor fumes of vaping smoke includes acetaldehyde, ...
Can You Be Allergic to Vapor Smoke?
When it comes to any type of smoke or vapor emission in the air it can trigger allergy and/or asthma symptoms in those who suffer from these conditions. Due to the composition of the vapor – chemicals, ultra-fine particulate matter, and odors – the vapor can act as an allergen in the air that will spark a bout of potential allergy symptoms. This allergic reaction can be sparked either through inhalation of the vapor through the use of the e-cigarette or even through second hand vapor smoke exposure.
How do you inhale vape smoke?
Conversely, the direct lung form of inhalation is when you quickly breathe in vapor directly to your lungs and quickly exhale the vapor out almost immediately. However, no matter the form of inhalation for the vapor smoke there will undoubtedly be some risk to the health of the human who is breathing in this vapor smoke.
How does vapor smoke work?
Smoke is produced from a combustion of fire that has burned substances like wood, leaves, building, and tobacco. This is not the case for vaping, as it produces a cloud of vapor through the heating of e-liquids with an atomizer that is placed in a small metal coil in the vaping device. This vapor produced from the e-cigarette does not contain any carbon monoxide or tar, however, there are dangerous chemicals and metals found in vapor, but in small amounts. Therefore, the overall effects of second hand vapor smoke on human health is significantly less than that of cigarette smoke, but the health risks are not completely eradicated in vapor smoke.
What is second hand smoke?
Second hand vapor is any type of smoke that is inhaled into the air space as a vapor that can affect others in the surrounding area of the vapor. This type of vapor lingers in the air for a long period of time, long enough that anyone in the vicinity is likely to inhale this smoke, exposing themselves to the potential hazards in the smoke vapor.
How does electronic cigarette work?
Unlike cigarettes that work by one use and is triggered by flame ignition, e-cigarettes run on batteries and heat up the nicotine, flavorings , and other chemicals found in the vape.
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.
Can kids avoid second hand vapors?
Holladay says sometimes it can be difficult for kids to avoid the second-hand vapors.
Can vaping affect you long term?
The long-term effects of vaping are not known, so doctors urge young people to stay away from areas where they might breathe in vaping fumes.
Is vaping a disturbing trend?
It is a disturbing trend, and concerns over second-hand exposure are rising. A national youth tobacco survey showed a third of middle and high school students are exposed to vaping aerosols.
Is vaping a health risk?
But some of the medical experts we heard from insist, even passive exposure to vaping can pose a health risk.
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.
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