Vaping has become a common sight, especially among teens and young adults. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday alerted people about a significant health risk posed by vaping. So, what exactly is vaping, what are the ingredients used in these devices, and the potential health risks associated with them?
What Is Vaping?
Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling vapour produced by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or a similar vaping device. Simply put, smoking e-cigarettes is called vaping.
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid (e-cigarette liquid or e-liquid) to create an aerosol that is then inhaled. E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Some resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, while others are designed to look like pens or USB flash drives.
What Goes Into Vapes
There is a constant introduction of new products, each with its own list of ingredients that are marketed as smart alternatives to smoking.
Primarily, ingredients include nicotine, flavouring chemicals, and the liquids that carry them – mainly propylene glycol and glycerine. There are also volatile organic compounds, particulate matter and carcinogens (agents that can cause cancer). Research has also found 2-chlorophenol (often used in disinfectants and pesticides and classified globally as 'harmful if inhaled') in about half of e-liquids users buy to top-up re-fillable e-cigarettes.
The process of heating e-liquids to create an inhalable aerosol also changes their chemical make-up to produce degradation products. These include:
Formaldehyde - a substance used to embalm dead bodies
Acetaldehyde - a substance that contributes to a hangover after drinking alcohol
Acrolein - used as a chemical weapon in World War I.
These chemicals are often detected in e-cigarette samples. However, due to different devices and how the samples are collected, the levels measured vary widely between studies.
Dangers of Vaping
The substances used in vapes can pose serious health risks. Vapes can contain potentially harmful and addictive substances, such as nicotine and flavouring linked to lung disease.
The aerosol produced by e-cigarettes contains a variety of harmful chemicals that can irritate the lungs and damage lung tissue.
The nicotine in e-cigarettes can raise blood pressure and heart rate, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. It can harm the developing brain, leading to problems with memory, concentration, and learning.
The WHO says that vaping increases your risk of seizures, typically within 24 hours of doing it.
Vaping increases your risk of seizures, typically within 24 hours of doing it.
Don't let #vaping harm your health. pic.twitter.com/am1A7RxaXlApril 8, 2024AdvertisementGovernment Measures Against Vaping
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act came into force in 2019.
The health ministry directed all producers, manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, advertisers, and transporters including couriers, social media websites, online shopping websites, shopkeepers/retailers etc. not to directly or indirectly produce/manufacture/import/export/transport/sell or distribute or store e-cigarettes, whether as a complete product or any part thereof.
Despite heavy penalties and imprisonment, e-cigarettes are widely available across a range of sources, including tobacco vendors, general stores, and online providers.
What Think Tank Study Reveals
In 2023, a study titled 'Ideas for an Addiction-Free India' was conducted by the Think Change Forum (TCF), an independent think tank. The survey covered 1,007 students in public schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru.
A total of 96% of students in the age group of 14-17 years, who took part in the survey, did not know that vapes and similar electronic devices were banned in India.
A staggering 89% of children in the age group of 14 to 17 years in grades 9 to 12 were unaware of the harmful effects associated with 'vaping' and similar electronic devices, the study found.
Among those who were not aware of the harmful effects of vaping, 52% perceived vaping as "completely harmless" and viewed it as a "cool" and "fashionable activity". Another 37% considered it "moderately harmful" but lacked understanding about the nature of the harm. Only 11% of the children correctly identified vaping and other electronic devices as harmful, the study found.
(with PTI inputs)
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