Links Between Vaping And Cancers

Were you aware that vaping products, such as vape pens and e-cigarettes, are not as safe as they are commonly believed to be? In fact, there has been a recent spike in the number of hospitalizations in the USA which were caused directly by vaping.

What is even more concerning is the number of dangerous, and lesser-known potentially dangerous, chemicals present in vape products, some of which are known carcinogens.

In this article, we take a look at some of the most common carcinogenic substances present in vape products, as well as take a look at what the links between vaping and cancers are, as shown by recent research in the field.

Most Common Carcinogenic Substances In Vapes

While most vape products and e-cigarettes are viewed as safe alternatives to smoking by many people, the issue remains that the e-liquids in these products contain harmful chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancer in people who inhale the resulting aerosols.

Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic from the get-go, while others turn into what is known under the term of “degradation products” after being subjected to the heat of the inhalation process, while the vape or e-cigarette user inhales from the device.

Some of the degradation products resulting from the heating of the e-liquid during a vape device’s use, which then end up in the aerosol that the user inhales, include:

• Formaldehyde - A highly toxic substance, commonly used by funeral homes and trophy hunters in the process of embalming corpses of both humans and animals. Formaldehyde is also known to be carcinogenic, and is considered incredibly dangerous to ingest, not only due to the increased risk of cancers all throughout the body, but also because of the organ damage, particularly liver damage, that may likely result due to its highly toxic chemical nature.

• Acetaldehyde - Acetaldehyde is an organic compound commonly used in industrial production applications, including as a starting material in the synthetization process of butanol, dyes, plastics and synthetic rubber. It is also the substance responsible for hangovers one may experience the day after a night of heavy drinking. It is a known carcinogen, as well as a toxic substance, and may lead to organ damage throughout the body while also increasing the risk of developing cancer.

• Acrolein - Acrolein has a very morbid, yet fascinating, history. Thanks to its properties as an irritant and blister causing agent, the French used the substance during the First World War in their hand grenades and artillery shells, and nowadays it is used as a herbicide, mainly against water-based plant life such as algae. The fact that it was used as a chemical weapon in one of humanity’s deadliest conflicts should be testimony enough to its toxicity, but just in case that wasn’t bad enough, this substance is also a known cancer-causing chemical.

• Benzaldehyde - Used in the production of pesticides, as well as being used as a solvent in resins and oils, benzaldehyde is yet another chemical coming in the form of a degradation product when the e-liquid of a vape device is heated. Research has shown carcinogenic effects of this substance on lab mice when the mice ingested it.

With that being said, we will now go on and take a look at some of the recent research on the topic of the links between vaping and cancers, and what the experts have to say about the cancer-causing potential of vaping products.

Links Between Vaping And Cancers

There have been quite a few studies done in the past few years on the potential dangers posed to human health by the use of vaping products, some of these studies being specifically focused on answering the question of whether or not vaping can cause cancer.

While research is still ongoing and results are limited, what we do know for certain is that most vape devices’ e-liquids contain chemicals which themselves are carcinogenic, or which turn into carcinogenic substances when heat is applied to them during the process of using the vape to create the aerosol from the e-liquid.

While the long-term effects of vaping on the human body’s health are not yet ascertained by the researchers, current research’s findings shows us that vape products are far from dangerous, and even if they are less dangerous than smoking cigarettes, it is only by a small margin that is so. And even that is not yet confirmed.

In fact, with the apparition of vape-specific health conditions such as EVALI (E-cigarette and vape associated lung injury), which has proven fatal in quite a number of cases, the facts seem to be pointing in the opposite direction, namely to the possibility of vapes being just as, if not more, dangerous as traditional cigarette and tobacco smoking in general.

In some vape products, particularly in certain e-cigarettes, nicotine is present in the e-liquid that the device turns into aerosol, which is then inhaled. While nicotine, by itself, is not a known carcinogen, it is however known to encourage DNA changes in cells, which in turn leads to a promotion and higher risk of cancer and tumor formations.

In a number of cases, radioactive substances, such as Polonium, have been discovered in e-liquid cartridges. While it is believed these were isolated incidents, it is still better to avoid partaking in this vice entirely, rather than risk inhaling an aerosol containing a highly radioactive substance. The risk of cancer due to radiation exposure is quite high.

Conclusion

While research on the links between vaping and cancers is still relatively new and slow-going, it is worth noting that the facts which are already known, such as the presence of substances which are carcinogenic in vape products’ e-liquids and sometimes in the composition of the devices themselves, do point to there being an increased risk of developing cancer for vape and e-cigarette users.

It is therefore important to spread awareness of these facts, and stop vaping if you are already doing so. Good health is very valuable, and vaping is not worth giving up good health for.

I wish you all the best. Until next time, take care.