Good morning! It is the perfect time to wake yourself up! In other words, it is the perfect time to locate that vape, which is probably somewhere entangled under the pillow.
Many students who use nicotine-charged e-cigarettes take an average of 140 to 300 puffs per day, according to the Journal of Addiction Research and Therapy.
Increased Vaping Related Illnesses
As many people have probably read in the news, vaping related illnesses and even deaths have rapidly been appearing in reports by the CDC since March of 2019. Every state in the United States, minus Alaska, has reported citizens suffering from this mysterious illness. Victims within the District of Columbia have also been added to this count by the CDC.
What exactly is causing these illnesses?
According to Time, the usage of e-liquid made by a brand named “Dank Vapes” is spotlighted among 70% of illness reports. Other suspicions are directed towards small “pop-up-shops” that are in business for quick money. Products obtained from locations such as these are believed to have been contaminated during production. The CDC warns the vaping population to not purchase any vaping materials “off the street.”
Those who prefer vaping nicotine over THC are not off the hook, however. According to the CDC, 11% of ill patients claim to only use nicotine-based products. This information suggests that the cause of the now 1,604 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses may not be exclusively linked to THC products.
What is in a vape?
The simplicity of these ingredients at first may spark relief to the vaping audience, as vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol are consumed orally by healthy individuals every day. “Orally” is the keyword here. Neither of these ingredients has been tested or confirmed as being safe when inhaled.
The concern around inhaling these ingredients into the lungs is not yet certain. However, as Physicians Weekly points out, there are countless possible lung diseases that could result from long-term vaping. Of these possibilities, for example, is the rare lipid phenomena. This disease is the outcome of inhaling too many fatty substances over a prolonged period of time, just like the ones found in e-liquid (vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol).
The Symptoms of Regular Vaping
In addition to the possibility of irreversible lung damage, Healthline states that vaping can cause harm to other parts of the body.
One of these concerns covers the unknown aspect of chemical reactions. When the ingredients inside e-liquid are heated by the vape in order to morph into vapor, it is a possibility that they are creating hundreds of harmful chemical compounds inside of the user’s body. These chemicals are still not believed to be as plentiful as the ones located inside a single cigarette, which is equal to about 7,000 various toxins. However, they may not be the angelic, harmless solutions to your nicotine needs either.
Further Testing Needed
The FDA is needed for the testing that will give e-cigarette users both closure and accurate knowledge of potential health issues linked to vaping. The Los Angeles Times has reported that the vaping industries have been able to push back deadlines for product reviews, some even as late as 2022. Even with the campaigns of anti-tobacco groups raging, the soonest review is scheduled for May 2020.
Companies within the vaping industry claim that the industry’s smaller businesses will not be able to afford the FDA’s costly research check. The fear is that too many companies will be forced out of business.
Given the magnitude of recent proof regarding the potential life-threatening side effects of vaping, though, that might just have to be a sunk cost.