E-cigarettes may be even more harmful than previously thought.
When you think of the flavors of popcorn and caramel, you may find you’re remembering childhood visits to the circus or a baseball game. Today, those two popular flavors are being exploited to get kids hooked on vaping—and the consequences are life-shattering. The chemicals diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione are found in each of those flavorings and actually work to destroy an inhaler’s lung function.
We’re frequently telling you about the harmful effects of vaping, but this is a danger we haven’t explored previously. The info comes from a study published in Scientific Reports by researchers in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Ironically, that report comes on the heels of British research that found that e-cigs are twice as effective at helping smokers quit as nicotine gums or patches. Yeah, but the question is, “At what cost?”
So, maybe it’s time for the FDA and the Department of HEW to take seriously the epidemic of e-cigarette use among our youth (and among cigarette smokers who think it’s a healthier alternative). They should listen to the American Lung Association’s report on the serious health hazards of e-cigs, which blasted local and federal governments for failing to keep kids away from e-cigs.
Let’s see a real campaign to have age-restricted (21) access to e-cigs and tobacco (we say online too!). And the government should provide additional funding for tobacco and vape prevention and safe cessation treatment options (seems gum, patches, medication and support groups are the smart choices).
Medically reviewed in August 2019.
