There are more people vaping than ever before – and to health experts, that’s a cause for concern.
There’s increasing evidence vaping is bad for your health, with the government so concerned it recently outlawed the purchase of nicotine vapes without a prescription.
But many people believe vaping is safer than smoking, and it’s not uncommon to walk down the street and see someone vaping – and get a whiff of flavoured smoke as you pass.
Fewer Australians than ever now smoke tobacco daily, at just 11 per cent in 2019, according to the three-yearly National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
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But vaping is on the rise, with 2.5 per cent of survey respondents saying they’re current e-smokers and 11.3 per cent who have tried e-cigarettes compared with 1.2 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively in 2016.
At the same time, a growing body of evidence shows vapes can contain a host of toxic chemicals and nicotine – which is highly addictive.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid warned last year: “Vaping is not the risk-free version of smoking that some would have us believe.”
So if e-cigarettes containing nicotine are so harmful and even illegal to posses in some states, why are more Australians now vaping?
What’s the difference between vaping and smoking?
Regular smoking involves inhaling smoke and small particles from burning tobacco leaves. Those small particles contain a highly addictive chemical called nicotine.
When absorbed by the blood in small doses, nicotine travels to the brain and activates receptors that release dopamine – this is what makes smoking so addictive.
Vaping involves inhaling an aerosol of chemicals, heavy metals and particles from flavoured liquid – known as e-liquid – that has been heated by a battery-powered device.
Vapes don’t always contain nicotine, but some marketed as nicotine-free do in fact contain the chemical.
A 2019 study published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed 60 per cent of e-liquids labeled “nicotine-free” did contain nicotine.
“E-cigarettes and e-liquids can be labelled incorrectly, and sometimes they are deliberately labelled wrongly so that the retailer doesn’t get into trouble for selling an illegal product,” Quit Victoria director Dr Sarah White told 7NEWS.com.au.
Another 2021 study found six out of 65 e-liquids analysed contained trace amounts of nicotine – but all 65 contained one or more potentially harmful chemicals.
One such chemical was benzaldehyde – found in all but four e-liquids tested – which can reduce a person’s ability to fight off lung infections.
Molly Magennis – 7news.com – 2022-07-23
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