When electronic cigarettes( e-cigarettes) flooded the market about a decade ago, manufacturers touted them as a low-risk alternative to cigarette smoking and even as a tool to quit smoking.
That’ s because e-cigarettes( commonly referred to as vapes and vaping) don’ t contain the same cancer-causing tar found in tobacco products. But tobacco is only one of many cancer-causing chemicals linked to l ung cancer, one of the deadliest cancers. As smoking accounts for up to 90 % oflung cancer-related deaths, it’ s no wonder why some might be
concerned about the link between vaping and lung cancer and whether vaping raisesthe same alarms.
Pulmonologist and lung specialist Humberto Choi, MD, explains what to know about
vaping and its potential link to lung cancer.
What happens to your body when you vape?
Battery-powered vape devices heat a pod of liquid, creating an aerosol mist that you inhale into your lungs. While this mist may look like harmless water vapor, it’ s not. Every time you breathe in, nicotine and other chemicals coat the inside of your lungs and enter your bloodstream.
“ Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that changes your brain chemistry,” says Dr. Choi.“ The amount of nicotine in a vape varies widely. Some devices have as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.”
The chemicals in vape liquids are also linked to lung diseases, including a 2019 outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-use-associated lung injury( EVALI). According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC), during the outbreak, more than 2,800 Americans were hospitalized, and 68 people died.