According to scientists, there is one flavour of vape that damages your lungs more than any other. The latest research reveals that mint flavoured vapes produce more toxic microparticles compared to menthol-free liquids, leading to poorer lung function and shallower breathing for mint vapers than other smokers.
This information comes as the US Food and Drug Administration puts continued pressure on cigarette manufacturers to ban menthol in regular tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars. However, the vape market is rapidly expanding, with mint flavours being amongst the most popular with the 2.5 million young people who smoked e-cigarettes in 2022. Medical researchers are struggling to keep up with this booming market.
Senior author Professor Kambez Benam at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has cautioned that many people, especially young adults, erroneously assume that vaping is safe. Even nicotine-free vaping mixtures contain many compounds that can potentially damage the lungs. The main message that needs to be emphasized is that just because something is safe to consume as food does not mean that it’s safe to inhale.
“Switching to e-cigarettes may be a better, safer alternative for someone who is trying to quit smoking regular tobacco products. But it’s important to have full knowledge of e-cigarettes’ risks and benefits before trying them,” Professor Benam added.
The University of Pittsburgh has developed a “vaping robot” to measure the health-toll of different flavours. The robot mimics the temperature, humidity, puff volume and duration of smoking, which is then used to simulate healthy breathing patterns against diseased ones in order to predict the toxicity of the e-cigarettes for the lungs.
Previously, investigations into e-cigarette toxicity were hampered by testing methods that took weeks or even months to produce clinically relevant data. In traditional methods, animals or living cells grown on a flat surface were used to analyse the safety and biological impact of aerosol products.
However, mice and rats have different nasal passages to humans, which prevents them from taking an active breath through the mouth, similar to how you would puff on a cigarette. In the test-bunnies, cell systems are either directly exposed to e-liquid on contact or blasted with continuous aerosols. But, neither account for human breathing patterns.
Using the robot, scientists can measure the size and number of vape particles and compare how these vary between the different flavours. The numbers can be engineered and then applied to “lung-on-chip” devices, which quickly yield high-quality data indicating potential toxicity.
The latest study shows that menthol additives could be just as dangerous as vitamin E acetate, which is strongly linked with lung injury in e-cigarette and vape users. This means that mint-flavoured vapes could be as dangerous as cannabinoid vapes that have been strongly linked to lung injury.
In conclusion, vaping has been promoted as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco products. However, the latest research highlights the dangers associated with mint-flavoured vapes, as they produce more toxic microparticles compared to menthol-free liquids. People, especially young adults who haven’t smoked before, need to have full knowledge of the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes before trying them.
FAQs:
Q: Is vaping harmful?
A: Vaping can be harmful, especially if the mint-flavoured vapes are used. The latest research shows that mint flavoured vapes produce more toxic microparticles compared to menthol-free liquids, leading to poorer lung function and shallower breathing for mint vapers than other smokers.Q: Are e-cigarettes safer than traditional cigarettes?
A: While e-cigarettes may be a safer alternative to smoking tobacco products, they are not completely safe. Even nicotine-free vaping mixtures contain many compounds that can potentially damage the lungs. It’s important to have full knowledge of e-cigarettes’ risks and benefits before trying them.Q: Can switching to e-cigarettes help quit smoking?
A: Switching to e-cigarettes may be a better, safer alternative for someone who is trying to quit smoking regular tobacco products. However, it’s important to have full knowledge of e-cigarettes’ risks and benefits before trying them.Q: How does the “vaping robot” work?
A: The “vaping robot” developed by the University of Pittsburgh precisely mimics the temperature, humidity, puff volume and duration of smoking. It simulates healthy breathing patterns against diseased ones in order to predict how toxic the e-cigarettes are for the lungs.Q: Why is it important to ban menthol in regular tobacco products?
A: The US Food and Drug Administration is putting continued pressure on cigarette manufacturers to ban menthol in regular tobacco products including cigarettes and cigars. Doing this, the agency is attempting to reduce the number of preventable deaths.Q: Why are medical researchers struggling to keep up with the vaping market?
A: The vape market is rapidly expanding, with new flavours and devices being introduced regularly. Medical researchers are struggling to keep up with this booming market and its potential health implications.