Now that you know vape liquid most definitely contains harmful chemicals and other substances, it's time to take a look at the harmful side effects of vaping. It's important to note that although the dangers of vaping apply to all ages, it can be particularly dangerous to engage in these activities as a child, teen or young adult.3 Let’s explore the risks.
Nicotine can be extremely addictive and can make quitting vaping or smoking much harder. But nicotine is also harmful in and of itself, regardless of the chemical compounds present in the vape liquid along with the nicotine. Nicotine can cause:4
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate
- Increased risk of psychiatric disorders
- Narrowing of the arteries
- Increased risk of heart attack
- Gastrointestinal distress
In adolescents and young adults, nicotine can be particularly harmful. Because the human brain is still undergoing significant development, exposure to nicotine at those ages can interfere with how synapses form in the brain. This can cause adverse effects on the areas of the brain that involve learning and attention.3
In addition, nicotine exposure early in life can result in:3
- Mood disorders
- Permanent suppression of impulse control
- Increased risk of addiction to other drugs, including cocaine
The clinical term for popcorn lung is bronchiolitis obliterans (BO).5 It’s one of the side effects of vaping that can cause permanent damage to your health. This complication gets its colloquial name from an incident in which workers at a microwave popcorn factory developed the condition after breathing in diacetyl — a chemical that was used to flavor popcorn, and which is also present in vape aerosol.5
When inhaled, diacetyl can cause scarring of the small air sacs in the lungs, causing the airway to thicken and narrow. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Although diacetyl was removed from microwave popcorn, it remains present in most e-cigarette brands, which means that vape users are inhaling this chemical directly into their lungs.5
Popcorn lung is not reversible. Once the damage is done, it’s often there for the rest of your life.5
Popcorn lung isn't the only vaping side effect involving the lungs. EVALI (which stands for e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury) first popped up on the public health radar in 2019 when doctors began noticing lung injuries in vape users. These injuries were described as being similar to chemical burns within the lungs.6
Within a year, EVALI had resulted in nearly 3,000 hospitalizations nationwide and 68 deaths. Patients continue to show up at hospitals complaining of mysterious respiratory symptoms connected to vape use. Symptoms often include:6
- Flu-like symptoms (e.g., chills, cough, vomiting and fever)
- Shortness of breath
- Chest, abdominal and stomach pain
- Weight loss
Research is ongoing, but it’s believed that vitamin E acetate may be the leading culprit for EVALI. Although vitamin E is safe to consume and apply topically to the skin, it can be deadly when inhaled.6
About 96% of people who develop EVALI need to be hospitalized and often require mechanical ventilators because they have trouble breathing on their own.5 But even once they are released from the hospital, patients aren't necessarily in the clear. Some reports indicate that EVALI patients have developed post-discharge relapses and even died from the condition after leaving the hospital.6
The surest way to protect yourself from this deadly lung condition is to avoid all vape products — both e-cigarettes and vapes containing THC (a compound found in cannabis).6
Cigarettes got their nickname — “cancer sticks” — for good reason. E-cigarettes might contain fewer chemicals than cigarettes, but that doesn’t mean they won’t cause cancer, too. In fact, one chemical that e-cigarettes may contain is formaldehyde,7 the same chemical used to embalm corpses.8
Formaldehyde forms in e-cigarettes when the vape liquid overheats or when insufficient quantities of the vape liquid reach the heating element.6 People who are routinely exposed to formaldehyde are at an increased risk of several types of cancers, including myeloid leukemia and rare cancers of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx.8
For a young adult with their whole life ahead of them, the potential vaping side effects might not seem like an immediate problem. If you feel youthful and healthy, without the health problems commonly associated with older age, it can be hard to feel very concerned about what might happen to your health farther down the road. Yet, vaping doesn’t just lead to long-term health problems — it can cause serious, life-changing injuries in the blink of an eye.
There have been incidents when defective e-cigarette batteries have exploded in users’ faces, causing disfigurement and even death. The batteries have also been known to explode while charging, posing a risk of house or car fires. Even inside users’ pockets, e-cigarette battery explosions can cause severe or even fatal burn injuries.9
One study from George Mason University found that more than 2,000 people visited emergency rooms throughout the U.S. during a two-year period because of e-cigarette battery burns and explosions.9
One man, 38-year-old Wake D'Elia, was using an e-cigarette when the battery exploded and killed him instantly. The battery exploded with such force that the metal part of the e-cigarette lodged inside D'Elia's skull.9 His story is just one of many, and learning about the human stories behind the statistics may help convince you to stay away from e-cigarettes.
