The Not-So Hidden Dangers of E-Cigarettes

Most Americans have endured the loss of a loved one, friend, or acquaintance to cancer caused by cigarettes, either by smoking or through the effects of second-hand smoke. And now, a new epidemic has entered our country; while cigarettes have been practically demonized in our society, e-cigarettes have grown increasingly popular, especially among our younger population. The United States Department of Health and Human Services defines e-cigarette as “a device that has the shape of a cigarette, cigar, or pen and does not contain tobacco…also called e-cigarette” (Cancer.

gov). Vaporizing e-cigarettes are a health hazard and should be strictly regulated because they typically contain as much nicotine (or more than) traditional cigarettes, minors have easy access to both the device and the refill cartridges, and there have been no studies on the long-term effects of using e-cigarettes.

Although the vape company Juul originally produced their product containing tobacco leaves without nicotine, the pioneers (also former smokers) later added liquid nicotine to the vaping liquid to attract smokers to quit smoking (Tolentino).

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Although traditional cigarettes use ammonia to release nicotine, e-cigarettes manufacturers “discovered that by adding benzoic acid to nicotine salts, which occur naturally in tobacco, they could mimic a cigarette’s rapid nicotine delivery” (Tolentino).

Based on research, nicotine is a highly addictive drug that makes quitting challenging for smokers and vapers alike and it had been used by Native Americans and introduced to English settlers who exported tobacco to England and expanded the smoking endemic. In some cases, former smokers who now vape sometimes inhale more nicotine than they did when they used conventional cigarettes (Tolentino).

Since nicotine is both a stimulant and a relaxant (Tolentino), smokers become conditioned to smoke to either wake up or relax. Smokers and vapers tend to develop an associative complex—they associate certain behaviors (such as following a meal, drinking socially, or taking a smoke break at work)—all of which make the process of quitting more difficult. The smoker or vaper must learn not to connect these daily activities with their nicotine intake.

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, “at least 75 percent of adults who use e-cigarettes also use tobacco cigarettes,” (“E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know.”) which indicates that even though a vaper intakes nicotine through an e-cigarette, he or she may double the intake of the stimulant. An electric cigarette typically contains liquid nicotine—a substance believed to be more dangerous than the nicotine found in the actual tobacco leaf (which is found in traditional cigarettes, pipes, and cigars) (“The Vape Debate”). It is also possible that using nicotine is a gateway drug to other (possibly illegal) drugs through the priming process, as stated by research conducted on animals proving that exposure to nicotine groomed the animals “to be more receptive to the effects of other drugs” (“E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know.”).

Although vape companies claim that they do not specifically target adolescents as their consumers, vaporizers are available in a variety of flavors that appeal to a young demographic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, flavors that are marketed include mango, mint, cucumber, blueberry, watermelon, strawberry milk, “candy, soda, chocolate and other appealing flavors” (“The Vape Debate”). The same institute states that “there are potentially dangerous advertisements to young people. Studies have shown that e-cigarette ads reach more than 50 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds, and they are promoting addictive habits to young people” (“The Vape Debate”).

Vaping has become omnipresent in United States’ high schools and the growing numbers of medical emergencies related to vaping have prompted various child awareness groups (school administrators, parents, health organizations) to combat the use of Juuls and other vaping devices. In an essay published in New Yorker magazine, “young people have taken a technology that was supposed to help grownups stop smoking and invented a new kind of bad habit, one that they have molded in their own image” (Tolentino). Marketing for the vape companies have not needed to advertise their products in the traditional fashion of magazines, television commercials, and billboards as social media has been the impetus for publicizing the products. Posts published on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok reach more teen consumers than any other form of broadcasting.

The omnipresence of Juul on social media has undoubtedly made kids overestimate the extent of teen Juuling—young people tend to think that their peers drink, smoke, and hook up more than they actually do. And it’s all beyond regulation: the F.D.A. can control the behavior of companies advertising nicotine for profit, but it can do nothing about teens advertising nicotine to one another for free (Tolentino).

Although the sale of vape products are regulated by government and customers must be at least twenty-one, teens have been able to circumnavigate the laws by purchasing in bulk on eBay or buying from an unlawful distributor (Tolentino). One pediatrician (Jonathan Winickoff, the former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium) interviewed for the same New Yorker article claims that how the vape companies continue to promote their product through the social media market is “absolutely unconscionable.

The earlier these companies introduce the product to the developing brain, the better the chance they have a lifelong user (Tolentino). Minors are most at risk of developing an addiction to vaping to the point where the National Cancer Institute has taken on battling teen addiction to vaping through their outreach website Smokefreeteen.gov by offering tips on how to quit, statistics about the dangers of vaping, and live chat help for teens who visit the site. These proponents for regulating teen use of vape products are up against a powerful opposition: peer pressure. Or, in many cases, young people socializing will see a peer taking a hit from their e-cigarette and ask to try it.

Because the product is relatively new (the first prototype was manufactured by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003), there are no long-term studies on the effects of vaping on the human body ('E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know.') “Tests of the liquid in some e-cigarettes have also found toxic ingredients, such as formaldehyde (a chemical that may cause cancer),” claims the National Institute on Drug Abuse ('E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know”) making vaping no better than the supposed less safe activity of smoking regular cigarettes. One notable condition that may be caused by vaping is bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as “popcorn lung,” that has been linked to one of the by-products (diacetyl, as well as formaldehyde and trace metals) of e-cigarette vapor (Tolentino).

One vape company, Juul, has taken some responsibility for possible long-term effects by “introduce-[ing] an Android app that allows users to track their nicotine intake” as well as offering vape pods with lower nicotine amounts (Tolentino). David Abrams, a professor at N.Y.U.’s College of Global Public Health stated that vaping “changes your heart rate a little bit…here’s some vasoconstriction, some possible effects on blood pressure. E-cigarettes are not harmless” (Tolentino).

Overall, the debate will continue about whether or not e-cigarettes are a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, but the future of the business and the unknown risks remain unclear. However, vaporizing e-cigarettes still remain a possible health hazard and should be strictly regulated. E-cigarettes typically contain as much nicotine as traditional cigarettes, adolescents have easy (yet illegal) access to both the device and the refill cartridges, and there have been no studies on the long-term effects.