2023-05-08 04:15:00
Vaping is not without risk, especially for mint lovers. According to a recent study published in Respiratory Research, the menthol liquid intended for electronic cigarettes would generate more toxic microparticles than products without menthol.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) were able to collect these results via “a vaping robot”. It is thus able to imitate human breathing and vaping behavior. It was also able to measure the size and number of product particles depending, in particular, on their composition.
An analysis of vaping patient records also showed that users of the menthol flavor breathed less deeply and had impaired lung capacity. This is regardless of age, gender, number of years of smoking and whether or not nicotine or cannabis is used in vaping products.
Dangerousness compared to vitamin E acetate
“Many people, especially younger people, are convinced that vaping is safe. But even without nicotine, the vapors contain potentially dangerous components for the lungs”, says Dr. Kambez H. Benam, study director, associate professor in the Department of Respiratory, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Pittsburgh.
“Just because a food is good to eat doesn’t mean it’s good to inhale”he summarizes.
In a previous study, Dr. Benam’s team had highlighted the toxicity of vitamin E acetate. If larger analyzes are needed, the results of the present study suggest that the mint flavor could be as dangerous as vitamin E acetate.
This generates microparticles capable of traveling deep into the lungs and getting stuck in the narrow airways and/or stuck to the walls of the bronchi and trachea.
Vitamin E acetate was implicated in 2019 in causing lung damage, sometimes fatal, in e-cigarette users in the United States.
Flavors already in question
“E-cigarettes can be a good alternative for someone trying to quit smoking. But it is important to know the risks and benefits before trying it,” emphasizes Dr. Kambez H. Benam.
According to figures put forward by the National Cancer Institute, in 2020 in France, 34.7% of metropolitan French people have already tried it, 5.4% said they currently vape (compared to 3.8% in 2017) and 4.3 % used it daily.
As a reminder, the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) demanded on February 13 the banning of flavors in vaping products, accusing them of targeting the younger generation.
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