There are two parts to vaping, the actual vaporizer itself, and the juice that goes into it. The vaporizers, and juice both originated in China. In the early days of this industry there was no labeling on e-cig juice, so you had no idea what it contained, and the chemicals were so bad that they rivaled the ones Big Tobacco had spent billions of dollars on to keep us addicted to cigarettes. Many were made in extremely unsanitary conditions. To make it even worse, the vaping industry was flourishing, with huge opportunities to buy liquids for a tiny amount of money and sell them for huge profits. There were no rules, and no one overseeing this wild new industry. People that had absolutely no background in lung health were competing to see who could make the best flavors, strongest nicotine, etc. I think we have all seen the headlines on what happened next.
Fast forward to today with many companies trying to get it right, and truly help people quit smoking. You still have a vaporizer, and juice. The vaporizer can be dangerous if, in the process of heating the juice to form a vapor, you are heating glues and plastics into your lungs from it. There are some available that are tested to insure that they do not use dangerous adhesives, and use glass or ceramic instead of plastic. In this case, the vaporizer is just a vaporizer, and what you put into it will determine how safe it is.
The ingredients in vapes vary based on the flavor and brand, which has made tracking down the exact culprits for vape-related illnesses a difficult task. Where is the nicotine coming from? Was it heavily sprayed with pesticides? What chemicals are used to enrich or hold flavors in? This industry has gone crazy over flavorings. The problem with that is most of the flavorings used are perfectly safe for baking, not inhaling.
In a study, led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre in the United States, they tested flavored nicotine-free e-liquids. They found that Exposure to the e-cigarette flavoring chemicals and e-liquids led to higher production of two well-established biomarkers for inflammation and tissue damage mediated by oxidative stress. Furthermore, many of the flavoring chemicals caused significant cell death — with some flavors being more toxic than others.
The craziness of this industry is what lead me to create my own product, Beast Relief, made with all natural ingredients. NO nicotine and NO chemicals, so I could finally quit smoking for good. Beast Relief is available in an easy to use Nano Mist spray in absolutely yummy flavors. Everything we produce undergoes a safety evaluation by a Naturopathic physician with a degree in biochemistry.
It is never my intention to tell anyone what to do. I am simply here to educate and help.
Stay well and be kind to yourself. You are an important part of our world!