Merck Manuals Details Key Facts About Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping

Physician compares the dangers of smoking and vaping in recent editorial

News provided by

Mar 23, 2021, 11:44 ET

KENILWORTH, N.J., March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new editorial on MerckManuals.com, Judith J. Prochaska, PhD, MPH, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, spells out five things to know about e-cigarettes and vaping. She offers important perspectives on how the popularity of vaping is impacting nicotine use nationwide, particularly among children.

1. Vaping E-cigarettes is Less Harmful than Smoking Cigarettes but Still Not Safe or Healthy.

Few things are as dangerous as smoking a traditional combustible cigarette. Cigarettes cause death in two out of three long-term users. If the comparison is to cigarettes, then e-cigarettes are likely less hazardous on a per unit basis, but that doesn't mean vaping is safe or healthy.

2. The Flavors in E-cigarettes Hook Kids and Can Damage Cells in the Lungs.

The CDC reports that among teens vaping nicotine in the past month, 83% used a non-tobacco flavored product. Several of the chemicals used to create certain flavors such as pulegone (mint) and diacetyl (creamy flavors) have been shown to damage cells in the lungs.

3. The Long-Term Effects of Vaping are Unknown.

Although documented effects of nicotine vaping include chronic cough, bronchitis, asthma exacerbation, and pneumonia, e-cigarettes haven't been around long enough for researchers to determine the long-term risks associated with their use.

E-cigarette devices also can be used to vape other substances, including cannabis and other drugs, and even less is known about those health effects. Some cannabis vaping liquids contain vitamin E acetate, which was linked to lung diseases that resulted in a string of hospitalizations and deaths in late 2019, prompting statements from the Centers for Disease Control.

4. Nicotine is More Dangerous for Young People.

Nicotine, whether smoked or vaped, presents a danger to the developing brain. Exposure to nicotine in adolescence can alter the brain, which continues to develop until the mid-20s. E-cigarette companies also have continued the tobacco industry's long tradition of targeting their marketing efforts at teens and young people.

5. Quitting Nicotine can be Hard – And Absolutely Worth It.

The best way to avoid nicotine addiction is to never smoke, vape, or use other tobacco and nicotine products in the first place, particularly during childhood and adolescence when the brain is still developing.

For those looking to quit smoking or vaping, or to support a loved one's efforts, there are a number of great resources. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for quitting advice, referrals to local programs, and in some areas, free cessation medications. Visit the website Smokefree.gov for information, smartphone apps, chat, and text features to become free of tobacco products and vapes. The Truth Initiative offers a text-based quit-vaping program for teens, young adults, and parents with information at truthinitiative.org/quitecigarettes or text "DITCHJUUL" to 88709.

Read more about the dangers of vaping and other forms of nicotine use in Dr. Prochaska's editorial on MerckManuals.com.

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a global initiative with the goal to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. The Manuals achieved that goal, and today its medical information is available in more than 241 counties and in nearly a dozen languages. It's continuing its ambitious mission through outreach, education and creating new reliable medical resources. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:
For Consumers in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook
For Professionals in the U.S. and its territories: Twitter and Facebook

About Merck

For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Merck Manuals