Nicotine and Other Substances in E-Cigarettes: Part 2

Nicotine is an insecticide. It is a colorless or yellowish oily substance that comes from tobacco, or can be made synthetically. It is a stimulant. It jacks up your heart rate, sends a rush to the brain as it kicks off the dopamine and causes a rush of pleasure. And when the nicotine leaves your body, you begin to “crash”. So you need another hit to feel “allright” again. It’s a vicious cycle. This is the how and why of how we get hooked.

What else is found in e-cigarettes?

1. “Fun”Flavorings: This is the big appeal of vapes, especially the ones that teens love. Check out the most popular flavors and it will be no surprise these products are created to attract young people. Here are the most popular:

Blue Raz Cotton Candy.

Peach Green Tea.

Pink Spot.

Black Mamba.

Frozen Lime Drop.

Rip Tide.

Swagger.

Peach Pit Tobacco

2. Diacetyl is a food enhancer (first found to enhance the flavors in popcorn). In this case, this substance enhances the “fun flavors” listed above.

3. Formaldehyde- which can cause lung and heart disease. Remember the foraldehyde scare years ago which connected this substance to birth defects? Is this something we want our children to be ingesting? Now, I am not claiming that this will cause birth defects, but that was the effect years ago when people ingested it. So, it seems dangerous to me!

4. Acrolein - which is most often used as a weed killer. Do you really think that if inhaled in your lungs that it won’t be harmful?

5. Vitamin E acetate - that is suspected to be the culprit in the lung diseases associated with vaping. When delivered in liquid form it creates a toxic gas called ketene. Ketene gas is harmful to the lungs, and in high quantities can cause death.

No wonder cigarettes can cause the throat to feel raw and lungs to hurt and feel tight! A study of saliva samples taken from a small group of E-cigarette users shows changes in the DNA of their oral cavities by the release of harmful chemicals, raising the potential for the risk of cancer. In the next blog we will explore the potential harm to one’s lungs.