The use of e-cigarette, or vaping, is an emerging phenomenon in Malaysia. Despite the negative health risks associated with vaping, it is a huge and lucrative industry in the country, whose illegal market alone amounted to RM2 billion in year 2019 and has doubled since the previous year. As a matter of fact, Malaysia is the second largest exporter of vaping and electronic cigarette products in the world.
The country also does not lack vaping enthusiasts. A study on 1,302 university students from six universities in Malaysia revealed that 74.9% of them vaped. What’s worrying about the results of this study is that a whopping 92.1% of these e-cigarette users do not believe that e-cigarettes can impact negatively on one’s health.
What exactly is vaping?
Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by heating a liquid in an e-cigarette device to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs. The term is used because e-cigarettes do not produce tobacco smoke, but rather an aerosol, often mistaken for water vapor, that actually consists of fine particles.
What does an e-cigarette contain?
The liquid inside the e-cigarette device (‘vape juice’) contains various types of chemicals, including nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoid (CBD) oils, and other substances, flavorings, and additives.
Is it true that vaping helps you quit smoking?
Many e-cigarette sellers even claim the devices can help people quit smoking. However, there is no substantial evidence that can support the use of vaping in helping one to quit smoking. Research suggests that users are more likely to continue smoking along with vaping, which is referred to as “dual use.” Dual use of both vaping and smoking increases the risk of heart disease more than smoking alone.
Image credit to https://twitter.com/drfaizibrahim/status/950721655797571584
If you would like to quit smoking, talk to a pharmacist or doctor for effective ways for smoking cessation.
Is vaping safer than smoking?
The primary reason vaping rises to fame is the claim that it is better than smoking. While it’s true that e-cigarette aerosol doesn’t include all the contaminants in tobacco smoke, it still isn’t safe.
For starters, vaping still contains nicotine, the same highly addictive compound that exists in tobacco. That’s why vaping is equally addictive as smoking. Nicotine has been shown to be harmful to brain development among teenagers, children and foetuses in women who vape while pregnant.
The vape juice in the e-cigarette can be dangerous, as there have been reports of children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing or absorbing the liquid through their skin or eyes.
E-cigarette vapor includes potentially harmful substances such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to a serious lung disease), cancer-causing chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. Users breathe in these toxic chemicals, and it can also have negative impacts on the health of nearby non-users. Vaping also worsens asthma.
In the United States, there was a national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) since last year, which has caused a total of 2,807 hospitalised or death cases. Reports confirmed that THC in e-cigarette is linked to these lung injuries.
💡 THC is the psychoactive mind-altering compound of marijuana that produces the “high.”
As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends people to not use THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping products, particularly from informal sources like friends, family, or in-person or online dealers.
The injuries and deaths are also believed to be linked to other additives in the vape juice, which is vitamin E acetate. It usually does not cause harm when ingested as a vitamin supplement or applied to the skin. However, previous research suggests that when vitamin E acetate is inhaled, it may interfere with normal lung functioning.
Hence, CDC advised that Vitamin E acetate should not be added to any e-cigarette, or vaping, products. Additionally, people should not add any other substances not intended by the manufacturer to products, including products purchased through retail establishments.
