how far is second hand smoke from vape

Can You Breathe secondhand vaping smoke?

Secondhand Vaping Just like people around smokers can breathe in cigarette smoke, it’s possible to breathe in e-cigarette aerosol if you’re around someone vaping. This is called secondhand vaping, and there isn't a lot of published research yet on how inhaling this aerosol affects the body, especially among adolescents.

Is secondhand vape smoke from vapers real?

If you encounter people vaping inside a house, all of the secondhand vapor you see comes out of the mouths of the vapers in the room. There is no side stream “vape smoke” like there is side stream tobacco smoke from cigarettes-no constant emission of vapor pouring from the device when it’s not being used. The user has to inhale to produce vapor.

How common is secondhand smoke from e-cigarettes?

While we don’t have nationwide stats on adults’ exposure to e-cigarette aerosol, we do know that in 2017, more than half of U.S. middle and high school students reported exposure to secondhand smoke or vape.

What do you need to know about secondhand smoke?

Secondhand Smoke Explained 1 The distinction between sidestream and mainstream smoke. 2 Secondhand smoke myths. Most people think they have done everything possible to protect themselves... 3 Despite being extremely careful, people still involuntarily breathe in... 4 Effects of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoking carries most...

What are the symptoms of second hand vaping?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, potential symptoms of exposure to secondhand vaping aerosol may be similar to symptoms of exposure to any airborne pollutants and can include: Coughing or wheezing. Respiratory infections. Inflammation in the throat. Reduced lung function.

What is a vape?

Vapes—short for “vaporizers”—come in all shapes and sizes. Some are smaller and may look like traditional cigarettes or USB storage devices. Others are larger and can look more like a science project than a smoking apparatus. Despite the differences in appearance, the technology behind most vapes is relatively similar.

What is vaping juice?

Most devices are powered by a rechargeable battery that is used to heat the vaping liquid, turning it to an aerosol that vapers then inhale. Vaping liquids, also called e-juice or vape juice, come in a wide range of flavors—many of which may resemble desserts, fruit or candy—and contain varying levels of nicotine.

Why is vaping good?

Vaping advocates promote vaping as a safe alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes for three reasons: 1 There is no combustion, or burning, involved in vaping, meaning that people that vape “smoke” is free of many carcinogens found in cigarette smoke. 2 Vapes do not create the harmful tar that causes cigarettes to be so hazardous to public health. 3 Vape liquids may not contain the wide range of dangerous chemicals present in traditional cigarettes.

Do vapes emit nicotine?

When used, vapes can emit significant amounts of nicotine into the air, though not always as much as traditional cigarettes. However, the nicotine levels in the secondhand vapors from e-cigarettes are high enough to cause potential involuntary nicotine exposure to non-vapers in the same room ( Czogala, et. al, 2014 ).

Is second hand smoke harmful?

Fortunately, e-cigarettes do not emit vapor when they are not being used. Moreover, studies have found that secondhand exposure to these vapors is not as harmful as secondhand ...

Is vaping safe in public?

For these reasons touted by vape advocate s and manufacturers, many people feel comfortable vaping in situations where smoking cigarettes would be strictly prohibited, such as inside public buildings and in close proximity to other people. However, secondhand exposure to vaping aerosols may not be as harmless you think.

What We Know about Vaping

A substantial amount of scientific and medical research into vaping and its possible risks has emerged in recent years, and practically all of it supports vaping in terms of being far healthier than smoking and carrying almost none of the risks.

What about the Nicotine in Vapor?

Nicotine is an addictive substance, and it’s why people find it so hard to quit smoking, but is it actually harmful to smokers and those who may accidentally inhale their smoke? While ideally it would be great not to want nicotine — the reason many people vape is for the flavor alone, and many choose to vape without nicotine in their e-liquid — it turns out that it’s not all that hazardous to human health, at least compared to everything that’s found in tobacco..

What are the factors that affect second hand vaping?

The amount and type of toxins released into the air around vapers can depend on a wide variety of factors, including the brand of vaping fluid, the voltage of the vaping device, the number of people vaping at the same time, and how frequently or intensely they’re vaping.

How does an e-cigarette work?

E-cigarette devices use metal coils to heat the vaping fluid, and over time, small amounts of metals can sometimes get into the aerosol after repeated use at high temperatures. 6 . While the person vaping will breathe in the full brunt of these toxins, some will be exhaled into the air.

What is the purpose of diacetyl in vaping fluids?

Diacetyl is a common food additive that is sometimes included in vaping fluids to add a rich, buttery flavor (ex. butterscotch or caramel). It’s been linked to a serious lung disease known as “popcorn lung,” which was first seen in individuals working in a popcorn factory where diacetyl was used. 5 .

How many states are banning smoking in 2020?

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, as of January 2020, 19 states and over 900 municipalities have included e-cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices in their laws and policies banning smoking in certain environments, such as schools or workplaces. 11 .

Does vaping hurt your lungs?

Short-term studies didn’t find evidence that secondhand vaping hurts lung function , with one notable exception. Researchers found that people who were around vaping aerosol showed increases in the serum cotinine, which is a marker that someone was exposed to nicotine (an ingredient often found in e-cigarettes). 7  Given the long list of health risks posed by nicotine, more research needs to be done on how this exposure could affect someone’s lungs long-term like it can with secondhand smoke.

Can vaping affect non-vapers?

It’s still not clear how the toxins found in secondhand vaping can affect the health of non-vapers, especially long-term. The limited research available so far has largely focused on immediate health effects. That said, there are some concerns about how repeatedly inhaling e-cigarette aerosol over an extended period of time could affect bystanders’ long-term lung function and risk of allergic reactions.

Is vaping dangerous for kids?

Another potential risk posed by vaping indoors is allergic reactions, especially among children. According to research, roughly 8% of U.S. kids have food allergies. 8  Nuts (a common food allergy) are sometimes used to make added flavors in vaping fluids. If a child ingests or touches fluids with an allergen in it, they could have a reaction. This, however, is only a theoretical risk for now, as little research has been done on the topic.

What to do if you're exposed to secondhand vapes?

And if you're exposed to secondhand vape because someone you love smokes or vapes, talk to them about quitting.

How much has the use of vapes increased in the past year?

The usage of these electronic smoking devices—AKA e-cigarettes or vapes— has skyrocketed in the past year or so. Among high school teens, for example, there’s been a 78 percent increase in vape usage between 2017 and 2018, a report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found. And there’s reason to be concerned even if you’re not vaping: Just like cigarettes, e-cigarettes (whether they contain nicotine, marijuana, or something else) emit toxic secondhand aerosol.

How many brands of e-cigarettes are there?

Research on the impact of secondhand aerosol inhalation is still in development, and it doesn’t help that there are over 460 brands of e-cigarettes on the market. “Because these are not regulated, we don’t know exactly what chemicals are even in each kind,” says Dr. Rich.

What are the chemicals in e-cigarettes?

In fact, at least 10 chemicals identified in the aerosol emitted by e-cigarettes are on California’s Proposition 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxins, including nicotine, formaldehyde, lead, and toluene (a compound associated with paint thinners). Further, there might be dangers we're still not aware of.

When did California ban smoking?

In 1995 California was the first state to ban smoking in the workplace, and has been a major player in leading the charge against protecting residents and visitors from harms of secondhand smoke through an array of smoking bans that include everything from e-cigarettes and cigarettes to marijuana and hookah.

Is smoking a cigarette legit in 2020?

Bloomberg. In 2020, witnessing someone smoke a legit cigarette —something you hardly see anymore—feels like a blast from the past. But look around next time you’re at a bar, in a park, or even on the sidewalk, and you might spot people discreetly puffing from sleek devices that look like fancy pens or USBs.

Can you smoke second hand vape?

The problem with secondhand vape is that the only way to avoid the health risks is to, well, totally avoid the exposure. “If you can smell it, you’re being exposed,” says Suzaynn Schick, PhD, an environmental scientist at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco. In many cases, the best you can do is remove yourself from the situation. At your home or in your car, set the expectation of a smoke-free environment.

What is the difference between e-cigarettes and vapor?

E-cigs heat e-liquid with a small metal coil housed in an atomizer , and the heat turns the e-juice into the vapor you see. E-cigarette vapor doesn’t have any carbon monoxide or tar, and the particles in the aerosol are liquid rather than solid. Dangerous chemicals and metals are found in vapor, but only in tiny quantities.

Can nicotine be deposited on surfaces?

“Nicotine from exhaled vapour can be deposited on surfaces, but at such low levels that there is no plausible mechanism by which such deposits could enter the body at doses that would cause physical harm,” Royal College of Physicians researchers noted in that organization’s comprehensive 2016 review of e-cigarette science.

Can you vape inside a house?

If you encounter people vaping inside a house, all of the secondhand vapor you see comes out of the mouths of the vapers in the room. There is no side stream “vape smoke” like there is side stream tobacco smoke from cigarettes—no constant emission of vapor pouring from the device when it’s not being used.

Is nicotine in vapor residue?

But there’s not much nicotine left in the settled residue. According to a 2016 University of California-San Francisco study, 93.8 percent of the inhaled nicotine is retained by the user, and is not part of the exhaled vapor.

Does vaping affect indoor air quality?

But vaping (which was being done in 43 of the homes) had no measurable effect on the indoor air quality. Even studies of the air in vape shops have shown that levels of toxicants are below occupational exposure limits.

Is vaping dangerous?

However, we do know enough about the likely health risks of vaping—based on the safety profiles of the chemicals involved—to understand that vaping almost certainly doesn’t pose risks to users as great as those of combustible cigarettes. We may actually know more about the risks to bystanders than to vapers themselves.

What is second hand smoke?

What is secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke (SHS) is any smoke not inhaled by a smoker that is instead inhaled by non-smokers, which can lead to the development of heart or lung disease, even cancer. The burning of any tobacco product, whether outside or in the home, creates secondhand smoke, which is a serious threat to the health of anyone exposed to it.

What is a health risk associated with secondhand smoke exposure to infants and children?

What is a health risk associated with secondhand smoke exposure to infants and children? Through prevention, adults can limit their exposure to passive smoke from burning tobacco. Children cannot. Exposure does not only affect adults and unborn children but affects children after they are born. Children are highly sensitive to the toxins found in tobacco and getting exposed to these carcinogens can cause the following physical and mental health problems.

Is second hand vaping harmful?

This study from the Royal College of Physician is quick to dispose of any claim that secondhand vaping is associated with any harm to the health of nonusers. In this report, the authors agree that users of e-cigs exhale a vapor that may be inhaled by others, leading to passive exposure to nicotine.

Is it safe to smoke passively?

The health risks of passive smoking, like developing heart disease, increase proportionately with the amount of smoke you are exposed to, although there is no safe level of exposure, which is why prevention is key. Vaporizers are not a viable alternative since there is no consensus on whether the effects of the vapor emitted from them is completely safe or free from toxins.

Is nicotine bad for vaping?

They argue that e-cigarette cartridges may contain toxic amounts of nicotine which might pose dangers to children when they are kept or dispose d of un safely. Others argue that nicotine on indoor surfaces can lead to thirdhand exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and skin long after the aerosol has cleared the room.

Is second hand smoke bad for you?

While the rate of some at which a non-smoker is exposed to smoke is lower than that of a smoker it is by no means negligible and still poses a threat to their health .

It Is Vapour, Not Smoke.

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