significantly reduced.
Although during the vaping process, when the liquid is heated
over a coil to produce vapour, there is some decomposition of
these liquids to other compounds which maybe harmful. I stress
maybe as there simply isn’t enough research to back that up or
refute it.
In comparison to cigarettes, the exposure to harmful chemicals is
massively reduced in vaping. It is safe to say e-cigarettes instead
of smoking is a significant harm reduction alternative. Previous generations of e-liquids were found to contain small
quantities of Diacetyl and this is where some worries of e-cigarette
users developed. However, as per the Tobacco Products Directive
(TPD), Diacetyl is no longer permitted in the manufacturing of
e-liquids (since 2016).
As of this moment there is no good evidence to suggest that
e-liquids cause popcorn lung and currently there are no reports
of people suffering this disease from the use of e-cigarettes,
according to Cancer Research UK.
Myth: Vaping gives you popcorn lung.
Fact: What is popcorn lung? Obviously, you are not going to have
big lumps like popcorn forming in your lungs. Yet this terminology
came from those who worked in popcorn factories where the
ingredient Diacetyl was used to give a butterscotch flavour.
Those workers were found in clusters to develop this particular
lung disease from chronic exposure. It is not cancer, rather it is a
disease that causes obstructions in the lung due to inflammation
and has associated symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. About the author
Dr Richard Cunningham has a PhD in medicinal chemistry from
Queen’s University Belfast where he also worked as a post-
doctoral researcher before working as an assistant professor in the
US at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama.
Among his areas of expertise are organic synthesis, nucleosides,
nucleotides, cellular biology, vitamins, aminoglycosides, drug
delivery, phosphorous chemistry and chemical analysis. He is
now the director of quality at Liquid Sciences LLC in the UK.
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