Vaping

Author: Deborah L. Nurmi

Date: 2022
From: Gale Health and Wellness Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, part of Cengage Group
Document Type: Topic overview
Length: 1,058 words

Full Text:

Vaping is inhaling the steam or vapor created by any type of

electronic "smoking" device. The vapor may contain nicotine
as well as other substances, flavors, and chemicals.

In 2014, vaping became the most common form of tobacco

use among people under 25 years of age. Usage increased
among teens until 2020, when fewer teens reported having
recent use of electronic cigarettes than the year prior. In
2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reported that nearly 3 percent of middle school students and
about 11 percent of high school students had used electronic
cigarettes in the past 30 days. While e-cigarettes may be an
effective way to stop smoking traditional cigarettes, the CDC
states that vaping is unsafe for youth, young adults, pregnant
women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.

Vaping began in 2007 with the introduction of the first

electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) as a form of smoking
cessation therapy. These e-cigarettes were available by
prescription only, and several brands remain a popular
prescription option to help quit smoking cigarettes.

The first e-cigarette was patented in 1965. In 2007, Chinese

manufacturer Hon Lik introduced the first version of modern
e-cigarettes. As of 2019 there were over 460 different brands
on the market and thousands of blends of vaping liquids
created by local vaping shops.
How e-cigarettes work
There are many ways to vape, but all the instruments have
the same basic components and work in the same way: they
heat a liquid until it becomes a vapor or aerosol that a person
can inhale.
The parts of any vaping machine include:
o a mouthpiece, the part you put in your mouth. This is
also the part that holds the vaping liquid, which may
include flavors, nicotine, and other additives. A small
piece of absorbent material is saturated with the
vaping liquid. That material is then placed in a small
cup and inserted into the mouthpiece.
o an atomizer. This is a tiny heating element, usually a
metal coil, that heats up, turning the vaping liquid
into a fine mist that can be inhaled. Many vaping
implements have a cartomizer or clearomizer, which
is an atomizer and a cup or cartridge for the vaping
juice in one component.
o a battery. The battery provides power to the heating
element in the atomizer. The battery is usually a
rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This is the part of
an e-cigarette that can explode or catch fire.
o a sensor. When you inhale through the mouthpiece,
the sensor activates the heater. Most e-cigarettes
have a small light to let you know when the element
has been activated.
o a solution. This liquid or juice contains ingredients
such as nicotine and flavors. Most vaping liquids also
contain a base liquid called propylene glycol to help
turn the liquid into an aerosol that can be inhaled.

Is vaping safe?
According to the CDC, most e-cigarettes produce fewer toxic
chemicals than regular cigarettes, which contain over 7,000
chemicals. For this reason, e-cigarettes may be an effective
way to stop smoking conventional cigarettes. However,
vaping aerosol has risks, too. The inhaled vapor usually
includes nicotine and other chemicals such as carbonyl
compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents,
heavy metals, and cancer-causing agents. In fact, the liquid
for e-cigarettes can cause nicotine poisoning and even death
if swallowed.

The Surgeon General of the United States reports that vaping

has risks, especially for younger people. A 2014 report from
the Office of the Surgeon General noted risks from vaping,
including:
 o nicotine exposure. Nicotine can harm a developing
brain, affecting learning, memory, and attention. The
human brain is not fully developed until around the
age of 25.
o higher risk for addiction. Using any form of nicotine,
which is highly addictive, during adolescence
increases the risk of addiction to other substances.
o harm from toxic ingredients. The aerosol from e-
cigarettes in any form contains substances such as
heavy metals that may harm not only those who are
using the device, but those exposed to the second-
hand vapor.
o increased likelihood of smoking traditional cigarettes.
For those who do not already smoke traditional
cigarettes, vaping is associated with a higher risk of
using combustible tobacco products.

In 2019, 59 people died in the United States from vaping, and

more than 2,600 people who used various forms of vaping,
primarily adolescents and young adults, from at least 28
states were hospitalized with lung injuries. Most patients
tested negative for respiratory illness, and all patients used
vaping products. In response, several jurisdictions began
implementing tighter restrictions related to vaping sales and
use.

Terms for vaping

Vaping, and the appliances used for vaping, go by many

names:
o e-cigs
o e-hookahs
o electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)
o JUULing
o mods
o tank systems
o vape pens
o vapes
o vape sticks

Is vaping regulated?
When first introduced, e-cigarettes required a prescription to
purchase and were unavailable to minors; however, since
2007, when a consumer version was introduced, vaping
became a cottage industry with shops that mix their own
blends of vaping liquids. Many of these products included
flavors, packaging, and styles specifically designed to appeal
to teens and children. But because e-cigarettes do not use
actual tobacco, the FDA had limited power to manage sales.

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration passed new rules

that add vaping liquids and vaping products to the regulations
for tobacco products. Called "Deeming Regulations," these
rules require anyone who mixes vaping liquids or makes or
modifies vaping equipment to follow the same rules as other
tobacco manufacturers and retailers. They must receive
approval from the FDA before they can make or sell liquid or
devices that deliver nicotine. These rules were fully
implemented in 2022. All 50 U.S. states also restrict the sale
of vaping instruments to adults only, and many states prohibit
vaping anywhere smoking is restricted.

Although vaping and e-cigarettes began as a way to stop

smoking traditional cigarettes, and were available only by
prescription to adults, the introduction in 2007 of modern e-
cigarettes made vaping inexpensive and easily available.
Several studies have found that, rather than replacing
combustible cigarettes, vapes have been added to many
people's smoking habits, with many smokers using both. For
young people, vaping has been found to pose serious risks
such as addiction, exposure to toxic ingredients, and a much
higher likelihood of smoking traditional cigarettes. For these
and other reasons, both the CDC and the Surgeon General
recommend that people under the age of 25 avoid vaping and
vaping products.
Resources
Websites

"5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know." Johns Hopkins Medicine.

[Link]
prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping
(accessed December 7, 2022).

"Electronic Cigarettes." Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. July 12, 2021.
[Link]
[Link]
(accessed December 7, 2022).

"The Facts on e-cigarette use among youth and young adults."

Office of the Surgeon General.
[Link]
(accessed December 7, 2022).

"Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and

Young Adults." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
November 10, 2022.
[Link]
Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-
[Link]
(accessed December 7, 2022).

"Under the influence: NIH research shows teen vaping, social

pressure on the rise." NIH MedlinePlus Magazine. November 5,
2020.
[Link]
nih-research-shows-teen-vaping-social-pressure-on-the-rise
(accessed December 7, 2022).
Organizations

American Cancer Society, 3380 Chastain Meadows Pkwy NW,

Suite 200, Kennesaw, GA, 30144, (800) 227-2345,
[Link]
.

American Lung Association, 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite

1150, Chicago, IL, 60601, (800) 586-4872, info@[Link],
[Link]
.
Source Citation (MLA 9th Edition)
Nurmi, Deborah L. "Vaping." Gale Health and Wellness Online
Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale Health and Wellness,
[Link]/apps/doc/OCBFPC663943285/HWRC?
u=west75013&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=07196e90.
Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.

Gale Document Number: GALE|OCBFPC663943285