A study warns of the risk of using e-cigarettes

There is no such thing as safe or even less useful cigarettes. All cigarettes, regardless of whether they have special filters or any other feature, are harmful. This includes the so-called electronic cigarettes. Until recently, they were thought to be completely safe, but apparently that’s not quite the case.

There are simply too few studies to study the effects of e-cigarettes on human health. And the results obtained so far are not very encouraging. When inhaling the smoke from electronic cigarettes, we inhale tiny particles that have the property of irritating the fine tissue of the lungs and could cause diseases in the future.

Actually, electronic cigarettes are nothing new. They have been available for over a decade now, but have only become quite popular recently. When smoking traditional cigarettes, we ingest over 600 ingredients, 69 of which are carcinogenic.

Instead of dried tobacco leaves, however, e-cigarettes simply use nicotine so that smokers can satisfy their addiction without inhaling exhaust fumes. The electronic device uses a battery that heats the liquid from nicotine and flavor and when inhaled creates a feeling as close as possible to smoking a real cigarette.

The latest models of electronic cigarettes make it possible to adjust the voltage from the battery, and from there to adjust the power of the heater. At higher heat, the cigarette releases more nicotine and thus creates a sensation of smoking stronger cigarettes. Unfortunately, the higher heat also affects the glycerin and propylene glycol used as solvents and turns them into carbonyls like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which are also found in cigarettes.

For example, one of the recent studies done this year shows that when smoking an e-cigarette and at a battery voltage of 3.2 to 4.8, e-cigarettes take in about as much formaldehyde as smoking. of normal cigarettes.

Under normal conditions, the human body produces formaldehyde during metabolic processes, but on the other hand, this substance is considered carcinogenic when inhaled. However, the same study shows that at a lower battery voltage, e-cigarettes release up to 800 times less formaldehyde than regular cigarettes.

While this sounds relatively safe, the size of the vapor particles and the way they enter the lungs make e-cigarettes a risk factor for disease. The particles in cigarette smoke are 0.3 to 0.5 microns in size. Tests show that the particles in e-cigarettes are between 0.18 and 0.27.

About 40% of these particles can penetrate unusually deep into the lungs and lodge in the alveoli, where they can exert their harmful effects. Even if the particles themselves are not toxic, their very getting stuck in the lungs is already a problem that can cause health problems.

However, since electronic cigarettes are a relatively new phenomenon, it is necessary to pass time and do a number of studies in order to clearly report what exactly is their effect on the body. So far, there is evidence that e-cigarettes actually have fewer downsides than traditional cigarettes, but even that is saying a lot because they are also a pretty bad option.

Even if smoking e-cigarettes is less dangerous, that does not make them safe. However, it is important that much more and more detailed studies are done in the near future to analyze the impact of e-cigarettes on the person who smokes, as well as on passive smokers, because it is a fact that the popularity of these cigarettes continues to grow .