What’s the verdict on vaping?
Vaping- what is it?
Vapes (or E-Cigarettes) are battery operated devices that heat liquid containing chemicals that create aerosols inhaled into the lungs.
What’s actually in a vape?
E-Cigarettes may expose users to chemicals and toxins which are harmful to health. The main ingredient in vapes is propylene glycol. Some of the other chemicals found in vapes are the same harmful chemicals in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer or bug spray. Other toxins exposed during vaping can be formaldehyde and flavouring chemicals such as diacetyl (which has been linked to lung disease). As you’ll see below, many also contain nicotine which is not written on the label. The nicotine content is quite variable between products but can be well over the equivalent of 50 cigarettes per vaping product. The other misconception people assume is the vapour itself is water.
Are E-Cigarettes legal?
Non-nicotine e-cigarettes are currently not regulated as a therapeutic good and are legal in Australia for those over 18. The problem is that a lot of those products claiming not to have nicotine, actually do. A recent study conducted on 10 different varieties of E-Cigarettes marketed as ‘nicotine free’ found 6 out of the 10 studied actually contained nicotine. If E-Cigarettes do contain nicotine, they are technically only legal as a prescribed medication to help reduced a person’s smoking habits. There is currently not enough evidence to suggest this is actually a safe way to quit smoking.
With an increasing number of young people taking up vaping without knowing whether they contain nicotine or other chemical products, it’s easy to see there is minimal regulation in this space. For the amount of vaping products currently in circulation, it’s more likely that people are buying online from overseas or unreputable sources rather than going into their GP or pharmacist to tick off the legal box to obtain an E-Cigarette. It’s just not happening.
The muddy section of regulation
The rebranding of traditional tobacco products to a much cooler, flavour filled E-Cigarette is arguably one of the best rebrands of a product in recent history. They appeal to young people, have fruity flavours and can resemble things like pens, highlighters or USB sticks making schoolyards a nightmare to control.
A recent key researcher highlighted the risk of vaping products in Australia having “little to no regulation”. It seems like we are back to the wild wild west for a product that is somewhat unknown and not well regulated in a fast paced, internet frenzied world. With the ever evolving online platforms of Instagram and tik tok, regulation of vaping products through influencers and online marketing is almost impossible to enforce. Add to that the demographic of young people on these platforms as early adaptors to trends and you’ve got a perfect storm to make smoking seem cool again with very similar (if not the same) negative health effects.
Potentially reversing how far we’ve come
The public health policy surrounding smoking has been a huge success in the past 20 years with introduction of plain packaging, restrictions on advertising and bans on smoking indoors which has all helped reduce the prevalence of smoking in Australia. This has contributed to the continuous downward trend in tobacco use from 35% in 1985 to 11% in 2019. Current smokers are also smoking fewer cigarettes per day on average (13 in 2019 compared to 16 in 2001).
Tradition tobacco cigarette smoking is legal in Australia but its supply and consumption is heavily regulated. The advertising of tobacco is also prohibited. Transforming an image of outdated, unhealthy and a distinct smell to new claims of being part of the “public health solution” sits well within the “giving zero fucks” policy of big tobacco companies. Positioning themselves in this way is not only misguided, it is not supported in any way by large public health players such as the NHMRC and RACGP. With an increasing number of young children and adolescents taking up vaping out of curiosity, this just maximises the ‘customer lifetime value’ of smokers starting at a younger age. There is also strong research suggesting people who choose to vape are also much more likely (3x) to also take up tradition cigarette smoking too.
Bottom line
The research on the health effects of vaping is constantly evolving in such a new era. The early evidence suggests short term health effects are not great, the products contain many more harmful chemicals than first thought and current regulations are almost non existent. There is still a need for long term studies on the health effects of vaping and more regulation around the environment in which they are sold. In absence of these studies though, it’s pretty safe to say the trajectory of where it might land.
Vaping may be the next public health opponent but getting early education out in the space will help people make informed decisions.
For more information and factsheet on Vaping, click here