Secondhand vaping is exactly what it sounds like: if you're near a person breathing out vapor from an e-cigarette, you generally breathe in the same air that they're exhaling and can inhale the same vapor. When you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette, you're "secondhand vaping." Getty Images
What is secondhand vaping and how does it work?
Secondhand vaping is exactly what it sounds like: if you're near a person breathing out vapor from an e-cigarette, you generally breathe in the same air that they're exhaling and can inhale the same vapor. When you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette, you're "secondhand vaping."
What is second hand vapor and how is it dangerous?
What is second hand vapor? Second hand vapor is the vapor (which is technically aerosol) exhaled into the atmosphere by a vaper. Like second hand smoke, it lingers in the air long enough that anyone in the same room, assuming it’s small enough, is likely to inhale some of the exhaled aerosol.
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.
What are the effects of secondhand vape aerosol?
Animal and human studies, notes that 2017 study, have found that fetal nicotine exposure can have adverse effects, including: Secondhand vape aerosol contains flavorings, such as diacetyl, a chemical that may impair the function of cilia in the airway.
Is second hand vaping harmful?
Yes, second and third-hand smoke and vaping aerosols contain harmful, toxic and cancer-causing chemicals that can be breathed in. They can go into the body through the skin. These chemicals can be swallowed, as many children put their hands or other objects into their mouths.
What does second hand vaping mean?
First-hand smoke or vapour – inhaled by the person who smokes or vapes. Second-hand smoke or vapour – smoke or vapour that is exhaled (mainstream smoke or vapour) or the smoke that comes from the end of a burning cigarette (sidestream smoke)
Does vaping in the house affect others?
There's evidence that nonsmokers exposed to secondhand vape aerosol absorb similar levels of nicotine as people exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke. Along with nicotine, nonvapers are also exposed to ultrafine particles from secondhand vape aerosol, which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
How long does vape stay in the air?
While particles from conventional cigarette smoke linger in the air for upwards of 45 minutes, researchers found that those stemming from e-vapor products evaporate within seconds, even indoors.
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 .
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.
Is vaping a toxin?
Toxins Found in Vaping Aerosol. Vaping doesn’t produce as many harsh chemicals as smoking, but research suggests it still likely contains pollutants. Some ingredients found in vaping aerosol include: Formaldehyde is a compound created when solvents like propylene glycol and glycerin are heated up by the vaping device.
What does second hand vaping sound like?
Secondhand vaping is exactly what it sounds like: if you're near a person breathing out vapor from an e-cigarette, you generally breathe in the same air that they're exhaling and can inhale the same vapor. When you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette, you're "secondhand vaping.". Getty Images.
Can you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette?
When you breathe the same air as someone using an e-cigarette, you're "secondhand vaping.". And you don't have to be in super confined quarters with the vaper to still experience the negative side effects. A study from 2014 showed that indoor air quality was impaired when people in a ventilated room used e-cigarettes.
Does vaping harm the lungs?
The vapor can also harm bystanders ' lungs and contribute to lasting damage ...
Does vapor contain nicotine?
Another study from 2018 found that the vapor not only contains nicotine, but also heavy metals, aldehyde and glycerin, even though vaporizer companies try to paint these products as healthier in every way. These chemicals contribute to the health risk posed by secondhand vaping.
Is vaping a teenager phenomenon?
E-cigarettes are becoming more and more of a teenage phenomenon. With more teens than ever now vaping, it seems like the younger folks who are more at risk. A third of high-schoolers and middle-schoolers reported that they were exposed to vaping aerosol in 2018.
Can you vape with your friends?
If you really want to avoid the negative health effects of secondhand vaping, you may just want to not hang out with your friends while they're using e-cigarettes. Or, if you're reading this and you are an e-cigarette user who's not ready to give it up yet, at least don't vape around other people (especially kids).
Can you vape in your car?
Getty Images. Besides avoiding vapers while they partake, you can set ground rules for your own personal spaces. Tell people you would rather they not vape in your car, home or anywhere else that you have some sway.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Is second hand smoke the same as second hand tobacco?
And secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same cancer-causing substances and toxic chemicals as secondhand tobacco smoke (like ammonia and hydrogen cyanide), according to research published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. Secondhand aerosol is also dangerous.
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.
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.
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.
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.
