Vaping more harmful than first feared and speeds up death of lung cells, experts warn

[giri26]

Vaping speeds up the death of lungs cells and may trigger lung diseases in later life, new research suggests.

E-cigarette vapour may cause inflammation and impair the activity of cells which remove potentially damaging bacteria and allergens, according to the study.

The research, published in journal Thorax, said some of the effects are similar to those seen in cigarette smokers and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Professor David Thickett, lead author from the University of Birmingham, said: "In terms of cancer causing molecules in cigarette smoke, as opposed to cigarette vapour, there are certainly reduced numbers of carcinogens.

"They are safer in terms of cancer risk, but if you vape for 20 or 30 years and this can cause COPD, then that's something we need to know about."

He added: "I don't believe e-cigarettes are more harmful than ordinary cigarettes. But we should have a cautious scepticism that they are as safe as we are being led to believe."

Many studies have focused on the chemical make-up of e-cigarette liquid before it is vaped, the researchers said.

However, they developed a procedure to mimic vaping in the laboratory, testing the effect of e-cigarette vapour condensate on alveolar macrophages extracted from the lung tissue samples of eight non-smokers.

The condensate was found to be more harmful to the cells than plain e-cigarette fluid, and the effects worsened as the "dose" was increased.

The researchers said further work is needed to fully understand the effects of vapour exposure in humans, but added: "We suggest continued caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe."

Commenting on the findings, Professor John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham, said: "This study demonstrates evidence that lung cells exposed to electronic cigarette vapour become inflamed, as would be expected given that electronic cigarette vapour contains oxidant and other pro-inflammatory constituents.

"This indicates that long-term use of electronic cigarettes is likely to have adverse effects, as is widely recognised by leading health authorities in the UK including the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England.

"However, since electronic cigarettes are used almost exclusively in the UK by current or former smokers, the key question is how this adverse effect compares with that of exposure to cigarette smoke."

He added: "The harsh truth is that smoking kills, and smokers who switch completely to electronic cigarettes are likely to substantially reduce the likelihood of premature death and disability."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/...eath-of-lung-cells-experts-warn-a3910676.html

 

[hadi123]

Vaping is such a meme! When I see elder people doing it, say 25+ year olds it just looks ridiculous. That being said, some vapes do taste nice, but thankfully I'm not into any of this smoking stuff. I don't do vaping, shisha or cigarettes.

 

[Shaddy86]

Vaping is more of a hobby than an addiction. I've been doing it for couple of years now. I make my own e-liquid now and always playing around with different vaping devices. But if I don't vape for a few days, I don't feel the urge like I used to with smoking, as my nicotine intake level is really low, 1.5-2mg, and it's mostly just done for the flavour than the nicotine. Vaping gives you the option to gradually lower your nicotine intake and eventually give up smoking altogether, an option which cigarette smoking never provided. I'd recommend all smokers to get onto the vaping bandwagon and give it a decent try. It is a much much better alternative.

 

[MenInG]

NEW DELHI: India announced on Wednesday a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes, as a backlash gathers pace worldwide about a technology promoted as less harmful than smoking tobacco.

The announcement by India came a day after New York became the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes following a string of vaping-linked deaths.

"The decision was made keeping in mind the impact that e-cigarettes have on the youth of today," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in New Delhi.

E-cigarettes heat up a liquid -- tasting of anything from bourbon to bubble gum or just tobacco, and which usually contains nicotine -- into vapour which is inhaled.

The vapour is missing the estimated 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke but does contain a number of substances that could potentially be harmful.

They have been pushed by producers, and also by some governments including in Europe as a safer alternative -- and as a way to kick the habit.

However critics say that apart from being potentially harmful in themselves, the flavours of some liquids have turned millions of children into vapers -- and potential future smokers.

The emergency legislation in New York, the second US state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes, followed a mysterious outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and sickened hundreds.

President Donald Trump´s administration announced last week that it would soon ban flavoured e-cigarette products to stem a rising tide of youth users.

Legislation is also being tightened elsewhere, and in Singapore e-cigarettes are already outlawed. In Japan, vaping and alternatives like "heat not burn" tobacco vaporisers are allowed but e-juices with nicotine are not.

China, home to almost a third of the world´s smokers, indicated in July that it wants the "supervision of electronic cigarettes" to be "severely strengthened".

Big E-Tobacco
The Indian ban covers the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage of e-cigarettes, as well as advertisements.

The government said it would "advance tobacco control efforts" and "contribute to a reduction in tobacco usage". Punishments include up to a year in prison.

Although few Indians vape at present, the Indian ban also cuts off a vast potential market of 1.3 billion consumers for makers of e-cigarettes.

"Big Tobacco" has been investing heavily in the technology to compensate for falling demand for cigarettes due to high taxes and smoking bans, particularly in the West.

In 2018 Altria, the US maker of Marlboro and Chesterfield, splashed out almost $13 billion on a stake in one of the biggest e-cigarette makers, Juul.

Big killer
According to the World Health Organization, India is the world´s second-largest consumer of traditional tobacco products, which are not covered by the new ban, killing nearly 900,000 people every year.

Some 35 percent of adults are users, although chewing tobacco -- which can also have flavours like chocolate and which also causes cancer -- is more prevalent than smoking.

India is also the world´s third-largest producer of tobacco, the WHO says, and tobacco farmers are an important vote bank for political parties.

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, an estimated 45.7 million people depend on the tobacco sector in India for their livelihood.

India also exports around a billion dollars worth of tobacco annually, and the government holds stakes in tobacco firms including ITC, one of India´s biggest companies.

"I feel it´s absolutely absurd," Aronjoy, 22, a student and occasional vaper, told AFP in a shop selling e-cigarettes.

"The government believes from my perspective that it´s alight to smoke cigarettes... which is much more injurious for our health that vaping would be."

The Association of Vapers India said the government´s move "indicates it is more concerned about protecting the cigarette industry than improving public health".

https://www.geo.tv/latest/247957-india-bans-e-cigarettes-as-vaping-backlash-grows

 

[JaDed]

Yes as absurd as it gets not to forget the finance minister banned it not health minister.

Probably coz the revenue from cigs is huge for the central govn, the taxes.

 

[sweep_shot]

I tried vaping back in 2014. I liked it but never tried it again.

Smoking is a waste of time and money.

 

[IMMY69]

Yes as absurd as it gets not to forget the finance minister banned it not health minister.

Probably coz the revenue from cigs is huge for the central govn, the taxes.

My thoughts exactly.
As well as the tax income, the tobacco lobby’s are huge

 

[MenInG]

People who vape are usually surrounded by a steam/smoke - hilarious

 

[IMMY69]

People who vape are usually surrounded by a steam/smoke - hilarious

That would be me ��

I have to stop

 

[MenInG]

That would be me ��

I have to stop

can help if you want to avoid people

 

[MenInG]

Doctors have issued a warning about vaping after a British teenager nearly died from "catastrophic" respiratory failure linked to e-cigarettes.

Ewan Fisher, who turned 19 today, was treated for the condition at Nottingham University Hospitals' NHS Trust and ended up on life support.

The teenager was under age when he bought vaping equipment from a local shop.

He had been using the device for four to five months before he was taken ill aged 16.

Mr Fisher was treated for hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) - a type of allergic reaction to something breathed in which results in inflammation of the lung tissue.

He became so ill that he was put on a type of life support - extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) - which is an exterior artificial lung that puts oxygen into the blood and pumps it around the body.

Doctors, writing in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, said the "previously well young person presented with a catastrophic respiratory illness" which put his life in danger.

Dr Jayesh Mahendra Bhatt, a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine at at the hospital trust, treated Mr Fisher.

He said: "The evidence we gathered showed that it was that (vaping) that was to blame.

"I know at least one colleague who has seen a similar case."

Scientists are becoming increasingly divided over whether vaping causes harm to health.

While evidence continues to be published on risks associated with vaping, Public Health England (PHE) stands by its claim that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking.

It says non-smokers should not try vaping, but smokers would be far healthier if they made the switch to e-cigarettes.

Doctors said in the new study that Mr Fisher, a previous smoker, was admitted to hospital following a week of fever.

He also had a persistent cough and increasing difficulty with breathing.

Mr Fisher's condition deteriorated rapidly and he developed respiratory failure.

He was put on ECMO plus intravenous antibiotics and steroids.

His condition became critical ten days later and he developed severe muscle weakness, requiring a long period of rehabilitation.

The teenager told medics "he had recently started to use e-cigarettes fairly frequently, using two different liquids, purchased over the counter".

The listed ingredients for both vaping liquids were the same apart from the unnamed flavourings.

Mr Fisher told doctors he had smoked cannabis a year previously but not recently.

He was still suffering after two months and so skin tests were taken with vaping fluid, which made his symptoms worse.

Blood samples also showed that he had more antibodies to one of the two liquids, raising the possibility this might have been the source of his reaction.

Mr Fisher eventually recovered after 14 months.

More than half the people using e-cigarettes are ex-smokers who have used vaping to help quit.

The doctors said: "There are two important lessons here. The first is always to consider a reaction to e-cigarettes in someone presenting with an atypical respiratory illness. The second is that we consider e-cigarettes as 'much safer than tobacco' at our peril."

Dr Nick Hopkinson, medical director at the British Lung Foundation, said the findings showed it was "possible the patient's illness could have been due to an allergic response to a component of e-cigarette vapour".

However, he said it can often be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis for this condition.

Dr Hopkinson added: "In Britain, 3.6 million people vape and youth use remains low.

"If this was a common problem or a significant risk we would expect many more cases.

"Advice remains that smoking carries a huge health risk and smokers need to quit if at all possible."

Rosanna O' Connor, director of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and justice at PHE, said: "We continue to keep the evidence under review, including all safety and health concerns reported to the e-cigarette regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

"However, smoking kills half of life-long smokers and accounts for almost 220 deaths in England every day.

"Our advice remains that while not completely risk free, UK regulated e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoked tobacco.

"This view is held by many across the world, including the Royal College of Physicians, Cancer Research UK, the British Medical Association and the National Academy of Sciences in the US."

The warning comes after a spate of vaping-related deaths in the US.

The number reached 18 in October with cases of illness linked to the practice topping 1,000.

More than a third of those affected were under the age of 21.

https://news.sky.com/story/doctors-...eenager-suffers-catastrophic-illness-11859638

 

[IMMY69]

Its been 7 weeks since I stopped vaping.
I am not on any patches either.

I vaped for over two years and was constantly doing it due there being less nicotine in it.
The amount of smoke I was inhaling and blowing out of my lungs..I just felt it wasn't much better then ciggies...

So after over 30 years of smoking I have finally given it up...Early days I know but so far so good.

 

[big_gamer007]

Its been 7 weeks since I stopped vaping.
I am not on any patches either.

I vaped for over two years and was constantly doing it due there being less nicotine in it.
The amount of smoke I was inhaling and blowing out of my lungs..I just felt it wasn't much better then ciggies...

So after over 30 years of smoking I have finally given it up...Early days I know but so far so good.

Good luck, remember every day is another day in positive lifestyle.

 

[IMMY69]

Good luck, remember every day is another day in positive lifestyle.

Absolutely!
I also think the numerous times, over the years, I attended the Allen Carr Institute for therapy sessions and the multiple times I read his book are all coming in to play now

Almost like a delayed reaction...

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Yes as absurd as it gets not to forget the finance minister banned it not health minister.

Probably coz the revenue from cigs is huge for the central govn, the taxes.

Thank you !!! Vaping is bad for tobacco industry and the taxes it generates for the govt. Overall the risk is much lower than smoking tobacco .Only reason tobacco is not banned is because it generates revenue and smokers die early so they are less of a burden on the economy .

 

[silentkiller187]

A boom in sales of disposable vapes has led to millions ending up in landfill, despite containing valuable lithium, the metal on which much of the high-tech economy depends, a joint investigation by Sky News and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found.

Available in a wide range of colours and flavours, the hassle-free and highly addictive pen-sized devices are the fastest-growing alternative to smoking in the UK, overtaking other types of refillable and reusable vapes for the first time this year.

Our research suggests users in the UK are throwing away around two disposable vapes every second.

The battery in the average disposable vape contains little more than a tenth of a gramme of lithium metal. But it adds up.

The number of discarded disposable vapes accounts for around 10 tonnes of lithium being sent to landfill or waste incinerators each year - enough of the metal to make batteries for 1,200 electric cars.

'It really is madness'

"We can't be throwing these materials away, it really is madness in a climate emergency," said Mark Miodownik, professor of materials and society at University College London.

"It's in your laptop, it's in your mobile phone, it's in electric cars. This is the material that we are absolutely relying on to shift away from fossil fuels and address climate issues."

Market research by Opinium for Material Focus, a non-profit recycling organisation, found 18% of 4,000 people surveyed had bought a vape in the previous year. Of those, 7% said they had bought a disposable device. This suggests around 168 million disposable vapes are being bought annually in the UK.

Just over half of users reported throwing their vapes in the bin when it runs out, rather than putting them in a waste electricals recycling bin, or returning them to the retailer.

"From producers through to us as consumers, we need to be more mindful in the decisions that we make, the products that we manufacture and the products that we buy," said Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus.

"It needs to be made significantly easier for many people to do the right thing, because most people want to do the right thing."

Are UK's top throwaway vape brands going enough?

But our investigation suggests the disposable vape producers may not even be meeting the minimum obligations to recycle their products.

The country's two leading disposable vape brands are Elf Bar and Geek Bar.

Under UK law, the products are classed as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Producers or importers of products classed as WEEE have certain responsibilities under the regulations to ensure they are recycled, including placing themselves on a register.

Our investigation found no evidence of the manufacturer or importer of Geek Bar or Elf Bar being on the WEEE register. Neither of them responded to our request for comment.

We put the findings of our investigation to the Environment Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the WEEE regulations.

In a response, it told us: "Businesses who sell electrical or electronic equipment on the UK market are required to comply with the WEEE regulations. Any business identified as failing to comply with these regulations will be subject to an appropriate enforcement response."

Disposable vapes are just one product in a growing mountain of electrical and electronic waste that is not being recycled. Previous research by Material Focus estimated there were some 500 million items of electrical waste in UK homes. The amount of valuable metals like copper, gold, and lithium that is either being hoarded or landfilled could be worth £370m to the UK economy each year, it found.

SKY

 

[daytrader]

Number of children trying vaping rises 50% in a year in 'tide of experimentation'
Experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain has increased from 7.7% last year to 11.6%, according to a survey of young people for charity Action on Smoking and Health.

The number of children trying out vaping has risen by 50% in the past year as campaigners call for a crackdown to "stem the tide of child vape experimentation".

Experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain increased from 7.7% to 11.6%, the data showed.

While the number of children who admitted trying vaping once or twice has roughly doubled in the past nine years, from 5.6% in 2014 to 11.6% this year.

The figures are based on a survey of 2,656 young people conducted in March and April this year by YouGov for charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

They will be submitted as part of the government's call for evidence on measures to lower the number of children who vape - but also ensure e-cigarettes can be accessed by adults who want to stop smoking.

When asked why they vape, 40% of children surveyed said they just wanted to give them a try, with 19% admitting they wanted to join in with others and a further 14% saying they liked the flavours.

Although it is illegal to sell vaping devices to people under 18, there are numerous social media posts from teenagers discussing flavours such as pink lemonade, strawberry, banana and mango.

...
https://news.sky.com/story/number-o...in-a-year-in-tide-of-experimentation-12882899