My lingering questions about safety

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

While I'm happy to assume that vaping is much safer than smoking, I am still curious about some things.

I am not quite satisfied with knowing that vg/pg/nicotine are harmless. I worry a bit about the coils and wicks. What materials are in them? What happens when they are heated? Could any of them possibly release molecules or particles that might, over time, be harmful to the lungs or in the bloodstream? And the flavours... we don't know what's in any given food flavouring. We assume they're safe for ingestion, but is that enough?

Are any studies being done to address these issues?

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

In regards to the silica wicks in clearos after awhile they begin to shard/ fall apart. As for PG and VG I read 2 reports- one states PG is not completely safe while the other says VG is not completely safe
I'm sure once regulation happens there will be studies done IMO.
Your concerns are a part of the reason I had a long term goal of giving up vaping BUT given the choice between analogs and vaping it's a no brainer IMO.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

All good questions, these folks are a reliable source of info ---> CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

Go to Facts & Science then click on electronic cigarettes in the drop down box.

 

[CreepyLady]

You will find a lot of information on those topics in different sections of the forum:
Medical Research

(Great study link here) http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ofessor-igor-burstyn-minimal-health-risk.html

And here:
Health, Safety and E-Smoking

 

[CreepyLady]

All good questions, these folks are a reliable source of info ---> CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

Go to Facts & Science then click on electronic cigarettes in the drop down box.

And here!!

 

[Draymorre]

I don't believe the answers to most of your questions have been researched enough to 100% positively be answered, but after years of trying to get my wife to quit smoking, she finally has for the last 4 months after switching to vaping. And while we know the eventual outcome on smoking analogs I can tell you that the immediate benefit of switching has given my wife her taste buds back, she doesn't cough anymore, and a general happier atmosphere in the home.

I, myself, have never touched an analog but I'm very much into the building and modding of devices, so I've been very involved in her switch to vaping, doing countless hours of research so far and have many countless hours to go. For now I'm just pleased that her health has taken a drastic upswing.

 

[kennfer]

I don't believe the answers to most of your questions have been researched enough to 100% positively be answered, but after years of trying to get my wife to quit smoking, she finally has for the last 4 months after switching to vaping. And while we know the eventual outcome on smoking analogs I can tell you that the immediate benefit of switching has given my wife her taste buds back, she doesn't cough anymore, and a general happier atmosphere in the home.

I, myself, have never touched an analog but I'm very much into the building and modding of devices, so I've been very involved in her switch to vaping, doing countless hours of research so far and have many countless hours to go. For now I'm just pleased that her health has taken a drastic upswing.

You're a very good husband, your wife should be proud

 

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I suspect that the materials in the cartridges were responsible for some of the trace amounts of nasty chemicals that were found in that FDA study some years ago. I don't quite trust prefilled cartridges for that reason.

 

[grob1963]

I think that we have to wait for more complete studies to be done before we know all the facts, that said we all know about the 4000 chemicals we get from analogs, so for me it was the lesser of two evils. I can say for a fact that at lease for me I no longer wake up with that smokers cough and my chest feels great with no tightness that I used to feel when smoking 2 packs of camels per day.

 

[khaugust]

I have to agree. There's no Tar. No yellow sticky substance left where ever I go. No cough. No tightness in my chest. Good enough for me.

 

[Recon Number 54]

Health issues are usually about "risk reduction". With a few exceptions there isn't a healthcare matter where "if you do ____ you are 100% certain to get ______".

Smoking cigarettes "increases your risks of certain cancers and lung disease". But it is not 100% certain.

Switching from smoking cigarettes to vaping is not a matter of "eliminating the certainty of disease" but more about "removing the known risk factors associated with smoking by adopting an alternative nicotine delivery system that has fewer risks associate with its use".

I am all in favor of more, detailed, comprehensive and unbiased research into vaping and the ingredients involved. More information means that everyone is better informed to make their own choices in regards to their own health.

However, since the main ingredients in e-liquid are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and are routinely ingested via other products, moving from the known risk factors of smoking to the (based on current information) lower risk factors of vaping..... well, that move is what most healthcare folks would consider a "risk reduction" and a smart move.

The more that is learned, the more that we'll all know, but the risk factors of smoking are clear. Eliminating that risk factor is a smart step IMO.

 

[Abra]

Interesting...i'm at work on a 'vape break.' Smokers were asking me all about my setup, how much is it, why is it so big, and most importantly is it safe. Well i don't know if it's 100% safe but i'm certain that pack and a half of kools i smoked up until 18 days ago were not safe. My lungs feel so much better. And i can smell things! I had no idea i was missing that.
I don't intend to vape forever but i do know i'm much happier and i feel healthier now than i did 18 days ago!

 

[Clautje]

Hi Katy,

I think your question is a very valid one. I didn't start vaping till a few weeks ago; however my man has been vaping for quite a while longer and of course, the ever sceptic in me, proceeded to do a fair bit of research. The links that were shared are well known articles and I'd recommend reading them.

My main concern wasn't the vegetable glycerine but more the polyethylene glycols thus I concentrated most of my research on that.
In my research I stumbled upon a wikipedia entry that listed an LD50 mention in the hazard section when dosed in 30ml/kg on rats: PEG 400 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The PEG400/PG has been used in the pharmaceutical industry for years; although the 30ml/kg tests in rats resulted in an LD50, it was administered undiluted. A second medical report made very clear to me that there is no imminent cause for concern Elsevier

A small excerpt which speaks volumes: "The Kd of polyethylene glycol 414 between hexane and water was 0.000015, indicating that there are only 1.5 parts of polyethylene glycol 414 in hexane for 100,000 parts of polyethylene glycol 414 in water."

The studies about the effects long term that I have been able to track down in the local medical library were, to say the least, inconclusive since virtually none address the inhaling of PG in vapor form.

I am a sceptical nerd and have done extensive research (and bored you probably with some incomprehensible terms) and have not found any indication of "vaping" being more harmful than drinking a soda per day.

To address possible flavor issues; I'd suggest only purchasing flavors mixed with natural flavor extracts.

Besides the nicotine the ingredients used in e-liquids are more common in our daily food intake than we realise.

Good luck in your vaping endeavors and I hope I have been able to assist you a bit in decreasing your worries with my limitless nerdness

Edited addition:
In my enthusiastic banter I forgot to address your concern for the coils and wicks; I cannot say much about the disposable cartridges but there is a lot of choice when it comes to creating your own custom set up.
Wicks can be created from a wide variety of materials; including (but not limited to) natural cotton, the coils are made out of regular metal wire, not unlike the heating coils used on the bottom of a water heater/boiler that heats our water, and/or contains our water that we use for daily consumption (think coffee makers, tea machines, etc.).

All in all, as has been mentioned by various other vaping enthusiasts; put all the denominators against the ingredients of a cigarette and you are pretty much down to a no brainer IMO.

Cheers

 

[Daryl Glen]

My cardiologist is who turned me on to vaping. Like other people who have posted on here, it would be naive on my part to believe EVERYTHING that someone says to you, however, I do put trust in my doctor and my common sense. Vaping may not be completely safe, and there may be things about it that are bad for us that nobody knows about yet.....BUT.....the way I look at it, is that so far it has been proven that vaping is more healthy than smoking.
So, at the very least, I'm increasing my chances of being more healthy than not.
Besides that, just walking outside these days can kill you.

 

[Chrissie]

Is anything in life 100% safe? Sunshine & even the air we breath can cause cancer or other health issues.

I know I sound like a record with the needle stuck, but I've been vaping for over 5 years. I used to be a very heavy smoker & would wake up in the night coughing my guts up & even worse first thing in the morning. I could hardly walk up stairs without getting out of breath.

These days, I can take deep breaths without coughing, no more waking up in the night gasping for breath or coughing up gunge first thing & I can climb up steep hills without getting out of breath at all -& that's just for starters So many other health improvements too numerous to mention, both physical & mental.

 

[UncleChimney]

I don't believe the answers to most of your questions have been researched enough to 100% positively be answered, but after years of trying to get my wife to quit smoking, she finally has for the last 4 months after switching to vaping. And while we know the eventual outcome on smoking analogs I can tell you that the immediate benefit of switching has given my wife her taste buds back, she doesn't cough anymore, and a general happier atmosphere in the home.

I, myself, have never touched an analog but I'm very much into the building and modding of devices, so I've been very involved in her switch to vaping, doing countless hours of research so far and have many countless hours to go. For now I'm just pleased that her health has taken a drastic upswing.

Good on you for supporting your wife!!

 

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I am very happy to be vaping instead of smoking. However, I wouldn't recommend that a non-smoker take it up.

My primary concerns are along the lines of asbestos or something. for example, the silica wicks, which I have read do leave particles in the vapour. (read it on one of the forums, and saw photos of them.) Asbestos is a silicate, although I don't know if that means they would be similar in their effects on the lungs. I wouldn't vape any coils that contained asbestos, if such a thing were to exist - I would rather smoke.

However: how do I know which wicks have silicate wicks?

 

[hvac999]

My blood pressure has gone down along with cholesterol. Vaping is AT LEAST 300 times safer than analogs.

 

[HDVaper]

I worry a little bit about the silica fibers in wicks but not as much as I worried about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. I did read somewhere that IF there were a danger in using silica wicks it would take more that 20 years for the effects to be felt. So...at 66 years old...who cares.

 

[ut1205]

This is going to sound "snipy" but it is not meant to be so don't "flame" me. Had most of us been so concerned about what went into our lungs we would not have smoked analogs for years. I did for 43 years. I have yet to see a thread anywhere where some smoker picked out just one component of cigarette tobacco and tried to analyze it under a microscope. I share your concern but I know that what I'm doing now is at the most no more hazardous than my 2-2.5 pad habit plus my lungs, my wife, my walls, and my drapes all like it more.

Again, this is just my opinion but if I felt like I was just replacing one deadly habit with another just as deadly habit I think I would have to wait until long term studies were published or just try to quit it all "Cold Turkey".