Sep 1, 2018 Blowing Smoke

Vaping and the potential dangers it poses to those who try it

Creme Brulee, Peach, Fruit Medley. As flavors go, these are infinitely more appealing than, say, nicotine, tar, and filters. And that's just one way makers of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems, also known as ENDS, are trying to convince us that vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking. They also omit some key information from their messaging, misleading the public and potentially creating new smokers from people who would have never considered picking up the habit in the first place.

"When you pick up one of these devices, you need to be aware of what you're inhaling into your lungs," says Dr. Adam Rowen, a Pulmonary Medicine specialist and President of the Trinitas Medical Staff. "It's an attractive flavoring, yes, but it's also a combination of substances like nicotine and propylene glycol. We don't yet know what might be the long-term effects of inhaling them."

Detective Michael Dubitsky and Detective Sergeant Matthew Nazzaro of the Cranford Police Department's Juvenile Bureau have made the increased interest in vaping a primary focus of their education and action initiatives in the Union County suburb. "Think of what's sometimes known as 'popcorn lung,'" says Detective Dubitsky. "For a long time, we didn't know how harmful a chemical like diacetyl (which gives microwave popcorn its rich, buttery flavor) could be. Now we know that long-term exposure has serious bronchial effects. People say vaping is a harmless alternative to cigarettes, but we have no way of knowing with any real certainty."

Dr. Rowen points to a recent report from the National Asthma Resource Center showing that vaping can introduce unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese and nickel into the lungs due to the heating of a metal coil, which warms and helps aerosolize the liquid. Among many detrimental health effects, including damage to the liver, immune systems, cardiovascular system and even the brain, is still a risk of developing cancer due to repeated exposure.

"Manufacturers may want us to believe that ENDS don't contain the volume of carcinogens that tobacco smoke produces," he says. "But studies like the one by the Asthma Resource Center show these devices still introduce irritants into the airways, which causes coughing and many other bronchial issues."

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), propylene glycol is safe to eat. It can be used, for example, as an additive to ice cream and frozen desserts. It can be found in small amounts in liquid sweeteners, soda, and whipped dairy products. However, it's also the primary ingredient in automobile antifreeze and the de-icing foam used on airplanes, and its atomized form is what "vapers" pull into their lungs with each puff.

According to the FDA, it's important to note that while e-cigarettes, Juuls, and similar devices have been marketed as cigarette alternatives, they are not approved smoking cessation products. Patches, gums and lozenges are still the only approved products that don't require prescriptions. Many ENDS are categorized by the FDA as tobacco product, which should give pause to anyone thinking of using these devices to kick a tobacco habit.

In fact, Dr. Rowen notes, "these devices can act as gateway drugs to smoking actual tobacco products."

Detective Nazzaro agrees. "Vaping products and systems are not FDA-approved to help people quit smoking," he says. "And, in fact, it's working in the opposite direction with today's kids."

Vaping Among Minors, a Troubling Trend
Detectives Nazzaro and Dubitsky host regular presentations for children and parents about the dangers of vaping, and have immersed themselves in learning as much about the products and devices as possible. "A Juul starter pack," Detective Dubitsky explains, "including the device and liquid pods, contains the equivalent of 200 cigarette puffs. That's more than enough to form an addiction just from the starter pack."

Juuls, which are vaping devices manufactured to look like everyday items such as flash drives and lipstick tubes, are easy to conceal and can be charged via a computer's USB port. This ease of concealment and operation, combined with enticing flavors and marketing tactics straight out of the 1950s and '60s tobacco industry playbook, is creating what Detective Nazzaro calls "a shifting dynamic on what kids choose to put into their bodies."

"Vaping isn't a fad," he says. "It's creating a generation of kids addicted to another substance."

Various studies from Monitoring the Future indicate a vaping trend that's beyond troubling: exponential growth among teens and pre-teens around the country. Detectives Nazzaro and Dubitsky use these figures when addressing groups about the prevalence of vaping in schools. While the rate of eighth graders who admitted to smoking cigarettes has dropped from 4.5% in 2014 to less than 2% today, 6.6% of today's respondents say they've vaped. That number rises to 13% among high school sophomores, and one out of every six seniors says they've vaped at least once.

"We thought we were raising the generation that could end smoking," Nazzaro says. "But vaping has created a whole other problem we need to combat."

Zack Martini, a graduating senior from Springfield, has seen this firsthand. "My freshman year, few if any people had vaped," he says. "Over the last 2 to 3 years though I've noticed a huge increase at my school. I don't think people are doing it to be 'cool' either. Rather, they've become addicted to the high levels of nicotine."

As Detective Nazzaro points out, ENDS bring with them the same risks as cigarettes when it comes to nicotine addiction. "When kids are caught in school before 3PM with a Vape, it's almost that they can't get from one period to another without vaping," he says. "Nicotine is an addictive stimulant. At a certain point, kids start having heart palpitations because they've been vaping, and that's a real danger."

The bottom line is that vaping isn't a safer or "cleaner" alternative to smoking. It's simply an alternative, one where the long-term effects are unclear. As a community, we can end vaping before it becomes an epidemic. To get the facts, visit www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts.

NOTE: This article originally appeared in EDGE Magazine.

Contact Information

Doug Harris
908-994-5138
dharris@trinitas.org

Yolanda Fleming
908-994-5139
Yfleming@trinitas.org