IT’S JUST SIMPLE WATER VAPOR, so it can’t be harmful. Vaping is a much healthier alternative than smoking conventional cigarettes. Vaping can be a good smoking-cessation tool.
Sound familiar? Most of us have heard these and similar claims used to either promote or justify the habit of vaping. But are they true? According to Charu Trivedi, MD, of The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers, there’s more fiction than fact behind these statements.
Take the “harmless water vapor” claim, for example. “In reality, vaping liquids contain a lot of different chemicals, many of which are known to be harmful,” Dr. Trivedi says. “One of these chemicals is nicotine, which is not only highly addictive but also potentially harmful to the developing brains of adolescents. In fact, more than 90 percent of vaping liquids contain nicotine, but they don’t always tell you it’s in there. Also, many of the flavorings in vaping liquids contain harmful chemicals, some of which can cause injuries to the lungs, throat, sinuses, and nasal cavity.”
The headline-grabbing cases of severe lung illness related to vaping that occurred across the nation just a few short years ago (resulting in 2,800 ICU admissions) should underscore the potential risks of this habit. Many, though not all, of these acute cases, involved the vaping of illicit products containing THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) and vitamin E acetate. However, many other chemicals and components commonly present in store-bought vaping liquids have also been shown to pose significant health risks.
Still, vaping must be a healthier alternative than traditional cigarette smoking, right? Not so, Dr. Trivedi warns. “We don’t have a proven solid link between vaping and cancer risk yet as we do with cigarettes, but animal studies have shown that long-term exposure to vaping aerosols causes irreversible DNA damage in mice. We also know that the same chemicals known to cause multiple cancers in tobacco smokers are present in vaping liquids as well,” she comments. Furthermore, the prevalence of
Furthermore, the prevalence of vaping is strikingly high in our nation. Currently, one in 20 Americans vapes, and of those who vape, one in every three does so on a daily basis. Even more worrisome is the fact that most people who vape are younger, often having started the habit while in middle school.
Another point Dr. Trivedi emphasizes is that people who vape tend to inhale and exhale the product in a different manner than cigarette smokers do, which can have adverse health implications. She notes, “When smoking, people tend to exhale through the mouth, but when they vape, they tend to take deeper puffs and exhale through the nose. As a result, the vapor passes through the entire respiratory tract, including the sinuses, throat, nasal cavity, and lungs.”
In addition to severe, acute lung injury, other health issues that Dr. Trivedi says can be associated with vaping include chronic breathing issues such as COPD and asthma, heart and lung development issues in teens, premature birth or low birth weight in infants of mothers who vape, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Vaping even falls short as a tool for helping cigarette smokers kick the habit. Dr. Trivedi states, “The FDA, CDC, and other major health organizations recommend against using vaping products for smoking cessation because they haven’t found any benefit.”
Dr. Trivedi’s advice with regard to vaping is the same as her advice on tobacco smoking: Don’t even start. “Vaping liquids have all the same bad stuff that cigarettes have, and while not much is known now about the long-term health effects of vaping, we will know a lot more in about 20 to 30 years. Why take the risk? I don’t recommend anyone vaping or smoking at all,” she says.
The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers, located at 4126 N. Holland Sylvania Road, Suite 105, also provides imaging, laboratory, chemotherapy, specialized pharmacy, and IV services. The cancer center consists of 8 medical and 3 radiation oncologists along with 11 nurse practitioners and 4 research nurses. The cancer center also has satellite centers in Maumee, Napoleon, Bowling Green, Wauseon, and Monroe.
The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers has earned Patient-Centered Specialty Practice recognition and Oncology Medical Home recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Oncology homes align systems and resources with coordinated care focused on cancer patients and their needs. This reduces fragmentation, supports shared decision making, and improves the patient experience. They are the first oncology practice in the state of Michigan and the second oncology practice in the state of Ohio to receive this recognition.
For more information, please call The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers at 419-479-5605.
