THE HEALTH RISKS OF USING E-CIGARETTES
THE HEALTH RISKS OF BEING EXPOSED TO E-CIGARETTE VAPOR (ECV)
Exposure to ECV is happening in our schools. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “JUUL (pronounced “jewel,”) is the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the United States, JUUL is being used by students in schools, including in classrooms and bathrooms. JUUL’s nicotine liquid refills are called “pods.” According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod can contain as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.
Some e-cigarettes look like other items commonly used by youth, such as pens and USB flash drives. Larger e-cigarettes such as tank systems, or “mods”, do not look like other tobacco products.
In 2020, the CDC and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), data showed that at least 3.6 million U.S. youth, including about 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students , used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25, impact learning, memory and attention, and increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.
E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless It can contain harmful substances, including nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, Volatile Organic Compounds, ultrafine particles, flavorings that have been linked to lung disease and heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.” Source: CDC.gov/e-cigarettes.
According to James L. Repace, MSc, visiting Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine and Repace Associates Inc., “E-cigarette vapor”(ECV), means “The emission of aerosols and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are emitted during consumption of e-cigarettes.”
A study titled, Metal Concentrations in E-Cigarette liquid and Aerosol Samples: The Contribution of Metallic Coils, was published in Environmental Health Perspectives in February, 2018 Volume 126, Issue 2. The study concluded,
“Our findings indicate that e-cigarettes are a potential source of exposure to toxic metals (chromium, nickel and lead) and to metals that are toxic when inhaled (manganese and zinc). Markedly higher concentrations in the aerosol and tank samples versus the dispenser demonstrate that coil contact induced e-liquid contamination.
The metals detected in c-cigarettes have been associated with multiple adverse health effects under chronic conditions of exposure. Pb (lead) is a major neurotoxicant both for children and aging populations and is also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney disease (Navas-Acien et al. 2007; Fadrowski et al. 2010), diseases that are a major motivation for smokers to quit.
Pb (lead) is especially of concern because it cannot be easily excreted from the body and because the health effects have been observed at low levels of exposure with no evidence of a threshold (Lin et al. 2006. Any unnecessary lead exposure should be avoided.
In addition, Cr (Chromium) and Ni (nickel) are established inhalation carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). (LARC 2012a. 2012b). The U.S. EPA has stated that the classification of Cr(V1) as a known human carcinogen raises a concern for the carcinogenic potential of Cr (III) because of the possible oxidation of Cr (III) to Cr (VI) within the oxygen-rich environment of the lungs (U.S. EPA 2000b). Therefore, even though we did not speciate our sample for the Cr oxidation state, these results can be of concern.”
Published by the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information. See:https://doi,org/10.1289/EPH2175
“Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) are emitted during consumption of e-cigarettes. Exposure to VOCs imposes a threat to human health, particularly to those with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.” James l. Repace.
This Newsletter is dedicated to being a voice for people with disabilities, particularly for those with respiratory conditions. Please share this information titled E-cigarettes and youth: What Parents Need to Know, available at CDC.gov/e-cigarettes.