Category Archives: Vaping

People hold banners as they protest against the New York City Council vote on legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes outside City Hall on November 26, 2019 in New York City. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images hide caption

People hold banners as they protest against the New York City Council vote on legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes outside City Hall on November 26, 2019 in New York City.

The Biden administration says Americans now have access to the tools they need to protect themselves from COVID, as a new spike in cases begins. Deaths have remained low so far and the administration recognizing the political realities has not pushed for new restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is moving ahead on a suite of initiatives aimed at reducing smoking and vaping the latest, surprisingly apolitical chapter in a public health crusade that's notched hard-fought wins over many decades.

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Vaping, COVID, And The Biden Administration's Approach To Public Health : The NPR Politics Podcast - NPR

A Ramsey County ordinance passed Tuesday will ban tobacco use on county property.

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners passed the ordinance, which will take effect on Aug. 26., on Tuesday.

The ordinance bans smoking and vaping commercial tobacco on property owned, rented, leased or contracted by the county. It includes indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as private vehicles parked on county property.

Similar ordinances have been passed by 27 cities, counties and townships in the state, the county says.

Ultimately the objective of this ordinance is to protect the overall health of Ramsey County residents from the negative effects of commercial tobacco while in public places and places of employment, Ramsey County Public Health Director Sara Hollie said in a statement.

Members of the public passing through outdoor locations owned by the county are exempt from the ordinance, whichwill replace the 2015 Ramsey County Clean Air Ordinance.

But while it's banning tobacco use on its grounds, the county is also reducing the penalty for infractions to limit the impact on people from "historically marginalized backgrounds." The penalty for unlawful tobacco use is being reduced from $300 to $50.

Traditional tobacco used by Native Americans for ceremonial purposes is excluded from the ordinance.

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Ramsey County bans smoking, vaping on its property - Bring Me The News

Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

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If you walk inside a smoke shop in New York looking for a vape that tastes like candy, you might think youre out of luck. Flavored e-cigarettes have not been allowed in the U.S. since the Food and Drug Administration banned them two years ago. The only choices visible behind the clerk are menthol and tobacco, made by large corporations such as Juul and still allowed by the FDA. But to taste the full rainbow of nicotine flavors out there, you just need to ask: Do you have Air Bar?

Out come the boxes, hidden under the counter or in the back, full of disposable vapes in varieties from Aloe Blackcurrant to Watermelon Apple Ice. A lot of the names end in ice, which usually indicates the addition of menthol or synthetic coolants to make the vegetable glycerin containing nicotine taste cool after its been heated to 400 degrees through a metal coil. You can even get pudding flavor, if you like that. But if you want to know more about this company thats putting lab-made nicotine and a slurry of other chemicals in your lungs, you are out of luck. No one knows who really owns it.

Air Bar is controlled by Shenzhen Goldreams Technology Co., Ltd, an LLC out of Chinas tech-industrial hub, which has become the global capital of vape manufacturing. (Two more disposable-vape brands also operate out of the building that Shenzhen Goldreams calls its headquarters.) Legal documents show that in the United States, Air Bar is marketed by a wholesaler in a strip mall near the Dallas airport whose phone number permanently goes to voicemail. (The company did not respond to requests for comment.) To get the vape in front of customers, shop owners can buy in bulk from distributors in the U.S. or, if theyre willing to risk getting a knockoff, go directly to a manufacturer in China.

Over the past year, Air Bar has become one of the many sleek, disposable vapes that have become extremely popular after filling the enormous demand for flavored products following an FDA crackdown just before the pandemic. These disposables have avoided regulators with a simple trick: They use synthetic nicotine, which the FDA had no authority over until recently. A negligible part of vape-shop business at the beginning of 2020, synthetics were in two-thirds of these stores nationwide by 2021, market research shows. During that window, authorities have been more or less helpless to stop the flavors concocted in labs in Shenzhen from being sold in the States.

But on Wednesday, when it officially closes the loophole that allows synthetic nicotine to be sold, the FDA can finally crack down. And if the agency gets its way, the industry titan Juul could soon be banned as well. But it may already be too late for the agency to chase down many of the corporations whose kid-friendly devices have dodged their authority for some time now. Even if faceless companies an ocean away from FDA jurisdiction are for some reason willing to cooperate with the regulators, counterfeiters are in tow and easy to get in touch with.

Since Juul first came out of Silicon Valley seven years ago aiming to disrupt Big Tobacco, regulators have been playing catchup. The company launched in 2015 with mango and cucumber pods that experts said would attract teens; it took the FDA five years to ban all vape flavors except for menthol and tobacco. Juul reps told high schoolers on campuses that their vape was a safer alternative to cigarettes; it took at least a year for the FDA to tell them that message was illegal. But the threat of enforcement didnt matter. Soon enough, it seemed like everyone was pulling on a Juul.

We as a nation had achieved a remarkable public-health accomplishment in driving teen smoking above 30 percent when I was in high school to below 5 percent as recently as a few years ago, says North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein, who sued Juul for marketing to minors. Then e-cigs came on the market, and those gains evaporated like a puff of vapor. Thats predominantly because of Juul, but now there are copycat companies trying to exploit young peoples addictions to make money at the expense of young peoples health.

But Juul which once had a valuation as large as Ford and controlled around 75 percent of the market could soon be gone for good. As part of an extremely delayed process in which the FDA is reviewing tobacco-based e-cigarette products already on the shelves, the agency moved to outlaw the sale of Juul after it found last month that potentially harmful chemicals may be leaching from their plastic pods into the nicotine mix that users inhale. After Juul asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block the ban, the FDA announced last week it would re-review Juuls application, citing scientific issues. During that process, Juul is allowed to keep selling its product, and its chief regulatory officer, Joe Murillo, said in a statement that we remain confident in the quality and substance of our applications.

Whatever happens to Juul, many vapers have already moved on. Earlier this year, the company lost its status as the top e-cigarette maker by sales to the R.J. Reynoldsbacked Vuse, one of the few vapes the FDA has actually authorized. (The two companies still lead other e-cigarette makers by a huge margin.) And during the pandemic, with stress sending people toward a nicotine fix and Juul restricted to old-fashioned cigarette flavors, the disposable-vape industry soared. Users wanted a product that looked nearly identical to Juul and tasted even better.

They found one in a company called Puff Bar.

The business had been around for at least a year when, in spring 2020, two 26-year-olds from the Los Angeles area Nick Minas and Patrick Beltran became Puff Bars co-owners and CEOs after taking it over from an entity in China. Or at least they say they did: The pairs ownership has never been independently confirmed, and the childhood friends have refused to discuss how they got the capital to buy a large vape manufacturer. (Previously, they ran an online e-cigarette store with a P.O. box in Glendale, California, for an address.) With flavors like Orange Mango Guava and ads that said their vapes were an escape from parental texts, business was thriving. Sales consistently cleared $3 million per week; in May, the duo bought a $1.7 million house together in the nearby San Rafael hills where they could park their Lamborghinis.

What they were doing technically wasnt against the law: A footnote in the FDAs 2020 flavor ban allowed disposable devices to be flavored. But by that July, the regulators caught up, ordering Puff Bar to halt sales for not applying for authorization in the first place. The company went quiet for about six months, until it borrowed an idea spreading among smaller players in the field. A 2009 law passed by Congress gave the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products the same way it oversees what corporations can put in food and pharmaceuticals. So Puff Bar stopped using tobacco as its source of nicotine, synthesized the addictive chemical in laboratories, and ran right through the loophole. By September 2021, according to federal data, over 26 percent of high-school kids vaping regularly and 30 percent of middle-school kids already vaping chose Puff Bar as their preferred brand. Nielsen data showed that Puff Bar sales for the past year up to that point totaled $156 million, even though the FDA had officially shut it down for seven months out of that period.

At the time, Beltran told CBS News that he and his business partner were not trying to side skirt, you know, kind of laws. On national television, he said that if theres a law that would order us off the market tomorrow, we would pull our products off the market tomorrow.

Closing the synthetic-nicotine loophole that Puff Bar made infamous could bring serious change to the industry. Retail establishments wont be able to say, Gee, I didnt know this brand wasnt okay, says Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. It ought to be pretty clear across the board. But in practice, its going to be a lot harder for the FDA to figure out how to enforce its new rule. First off, it assumes that companies that have been hesitant to cooperate with the FDA will adhere to the law.

Anything is possible with these folks, says Illinois representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law passed in March giving the FDA oversight over synthetic nicotine. I think that the Puff Bar leadership is very much intent on making sure that they take advantage of any slowness or delay on the part of FDA, any loopholes in the regulatory framework to continue making money. And thats what theyve done in the past to great effect. It would not surprise me if they continue with that type of practice. Puff Bars Minas and Beltran did not respond to requests for comment.

FDA is now basically trying to put the genie back in the bottle, says a legislative aide for Senator Dick Durbin, who also helped lead the effort to close the synthetic-nicotine loophole. All these products flooded the market without adhering to the law.

The counterfeit market is an even bigger problem. Theres been a metastasis of the Puff brand, says Stanford professor Robert Jackler, who has researched the companys marketing and corporate structure. He says that anyone in the U.S. can order knockoffs from manufacturers in Shenzhen on a website called made-in-china.com; some firms listed on the site can make up to 50,000 vapes per day. If you want to start a cigarette company and have a billion dollars, you probably cant do it, he says. But if you want to start a vaping company and have $100,000, youre in business. Its really easy. One vape-shop owner in Florida said in an interview that at the height of Puff Bars popularity last year, 90 percent of the vapes on the market were fake clones. He also says the speed of market development plus a year of bad press means a lot of customers have moved on: If I had Puff products in my shop right now, I probably couldnt give them away.

Industry groups, who point to evidence that their products offer nicotine for adults without the known carcinogens in cigarettes, argue that the FDA is at fault for this knock-off market. Weve told them that in writing, your efforts to crush this industry are creating black and gray markets, says Jim McCarthy of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association. People arent going to stop using nicotine because the FDA commissioner told them to.

The scale of the synthetic-nicotine market might be the biggest challenge of all. Counterfeiters aside, many companies, Air Bar included, remain in stores though theyve already been told by the FDA to stop selling in the U.S. The agency, widely seen as underfunded, has a small number of enforcement officers responsible for in-store crackdowns in the thousands of vape shops in the country; the FDA did not disclose how many officers it will have on the job. Buying these vapes through the mail is already technically illegal, but when has that stopped anyone? Local authorities have not always been helpful with the fight either. New York City, which banned flavored e-cigarettes years ago, has done little to stop the proliferation of synthetic nicotine in the dozens of stores across the five boroughs.

When the synthetic-nicotine loophole closes, there will still be effective ways to stop sales. Large manufacturers cant afford to just ignore FDA, and they wont, says Myers. Retail chains will be hit too. Other than vape shops, the largest number of these disposables are distributed in gas stations and convenience stores, he says. Very few are truly independently owned, meaning they, too, probably wont risk selling illegal e-cigarettes as a corporate policy.

One vape-store owner in New York who doesnt deal in disposables blames the FDA for the synthetic boom. The best they could do was to make everything illegal and not enforce any of it, she says. That was their solution. So now because flavors are illegal, because the products are illegal, because disposables are illegal, everything is being sold from under the counter. Which means its being sold for cash, theyre not paying tax, and its being sold to underage kids without showing identification because theyre already selling illegal products, so they dont give a fuck if theyre selling it to a 15-year-old. So they have done nothing to help the situation. They have only made it worse.

If the feds actually do come knocking, the store owner expects the flavored-vape market to take a turn for the illicit: Its going to become like marjiuana was for the last 50 years. Its gonna be call a guy, word of mouth, tell a friend, you can get illegal vape flavors from this phone number. Text this person and theyll drop it off at your house and youll pay a $20 delivery fee and nobody gets any money in the government.

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The FDA Is Going to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine and Puff Bar - New York Magazine

Youth vaping is in the spotlight around the world. A leading vaping company was recently banned from selling e-cigarettes in the US due to its alleged role in the rise of youth vaping, although the ban was later suspended, and the EU is proposing a ban on the sale of flavoured vapes as part of its plan to fight cancer.

In the UK, selling vapes to under 18s is banned and there are rules on how they can be advertised. But the use of disposable vapes has risen sharply among children, with a recent study finding that many are trying them after seeing influencers promote them on social media.

We would like to speak to parents whose children use e-cigarettes in the UK. When did they take up vaping and what inspired them to try it in the first place? Have they become hooked on the habit?

We are also keen to speak to parents or teachers about vaping in schools. Do the pupils at your childs school vape? Are e-cigarettes being advertised on billboards or at bus stops near your local school? And how do you feel about it all?

We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature. We will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.

If you are 18 years or over, you can get in touch by filling in the form below. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details.

This article was amended on 15 July 2022. An earlier version stated that a leading vaping company was recently banned from selling e-cigarettes in the US due to its alleged role in the rise of youth vaping. This ban was later suspended, and the article has been updated to reflect this.

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Parents in the UK: has your child or teenager taken up vaping? - The Guardian

Nearly a quarter of students in the UAE used an e-cigarette in the past month, a study has found.

Research carried out at three universities in the country recorded higher vaping rates than other recent studies in the Emirates and elsewhere in the Gulf.

Experts have given a warning that while e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they do pose a risk to health and could be a gateway to more hazardous tobacco smoking.

Students at one private and two public universities were polled on whether and when they had used e-cigarettes.

Almost all of my friends vape. I can count on one hand the number of friends I have that don't

Karthik Mallya, a 23-year-old Indian designer living in Dubai

Researchers found 23 per cent said they had smoked e-cigarettes in the past month, while 37 per cent had used them in their lifetime.

The researchers, from Maudsley Health and Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, both in Dubai, and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, published their findings in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

E-cigarettes are electronic devices that contain a liquid and include nicotine, a battery and an atomiser, which produces vapour instead of cigarette smoke.

In the paper, the researchers highlighted a 2021 study, which found only 3.7 per cent of university students in the UAE were current e-cigarette smokers.

A 2020 study in Qatar put the figure at 14 per cent, while in Saudi Arabia, the latest research points out, scientists have found figures of 7.2 per cent (in 2020) and 10.6 per cent (in 2018).

The researchers behind the latest study found that students who used e-cigarettes were more likely to also smoke other forms of tobacco, such as traditional cigarettes, shisha or medwakh pipes.

Male students, who made up about a quarter of the studys 240 participants, were about twice as likely as females to have used e-cigarettes in their lifetime. Men tended to perceive them as less harmful than females did.

This is consistent with previous research about tobacco smoking among university students in the UAE, where males are more likely to consume tobacco, the researchers wrote.

In the GCC, this pattern has also been observed in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. This could be due to smoking being more socially acceptable for males in this region and that they could also be subject to peer influence.

Prof Kamran Siddiqi, professor in public health at the University of York in the UK, who researches smoking internationally, said the latest study, based on relatively small numbers and focused specifically on university students, may not necessarily indicate wider smoking rates among young people in the country.

More broadly, he said it was difficult to determine whether e-cigarettes were a gateway to the use of combustible cigarettes.

While research has, he said, found that people who vape were more likely to go on to smoke traditional cigarettes, this did not necessarily indicate that one caused the other.

Another possible explanation is what researchers call common liability, when people who take up vaping are already more inclined to smoke cigarettes.

In Britain people are more and more thinking along the lines of common liability, because despite young people experimenting with e-cigarettes, we havent seen a huge increase in smoking, said Prof Siddiqi, who was not connected to the latest study.

The National

Compared to combustible cigarettes, he said e-cigarettes caused significantly less harm but not zero.

Individuals are still inhaling liquids with the potential to damage the lungs, he said. Nicotine is highly addictive. There are other [substances] nicotine is mixed with. They could cause long-term lung damage.

From the evidence, its nowhere near as toxic or potentially harmful as the smoke from combustible cigarettes. That said, nobody wants young people to take up e-cigarettes.

The UKs National Health Service describes e-cigarettes as not completely risk free, and carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not produce carbon monoxide or tar, which Britain's National Health Service said were two of the most harmful substances found in tobacco smoke.

Arjun Chandavarkar, 22, from India, used vaping to help him quit cigarettes while he was at university and uses a refillable device regularly throughout the day.

Most of the times I tend to vape in the mornings, usually after meals and about six or seven times a day, said Mr Chandavarkar, who lives in Dubai and works as a financial analyst.

The frequency of when I vape isnt particularly set in stone, but I vape for about two minutes 'per session'.

It has helped me avoid cigarettes altogether.

The majority of the people I know within my age group tend to use a vape. I would say in a group of about 20 people, 16-17 of them will vape.

Considering the frequency of my vaping, I use one pod every two days, so I go through about four refills per week.

I am worried about my health and the impact vaping has. While it does offer a much safer and healthier alternative to smoking, I havent come across any research that suggests vaping is completely free from harmful effects.

That being said, I do exercise on a frequent basis, around five times a week, and tend to believe Im mitigating the harmful effects of vaping through this exercise.

However, based on my vaping experience over the last three or four years, I havent seen any harmful impact of vaping on my physical performance.

Karthik Mallya, a 23-year-old Indian designer living in Dubai, said vaping helps relieve stress.

Almost all of my friends vape, he said.

I think I can count on one hand the number of friends I have that don't.

Even friends of mine that don't use them regularly will usually vape when they get the chance to.

I'm definitely worried and very aware of the health risks associated with vaping.

Since there's not much research into the matter, I don't really know if it's a healthier alternative to smoking or not.

As of now, I vape to curb my urge to smoke tobacco products.

I like it because it doesn't stink up my clothes and hands and, of course, I like it for the many flavours.

Updated: July 17, 2022, 11:17 AM

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E-cigarettes used by one in five UAE university students, study finds - The National

On June 23, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that all Juul products must be removed from U.S. markets. This decision essentially broadened an existing ban on teen use of the companys nicotine e-cigarettes to include adults as well. The next day, Juul asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block the ban while Juul challenged the decision. The court agreed to the pause, and for now, Juul products are still for sale in the U.S.

Lynn Kozlowski of the University at Buffalo has been studying nicotine and cigarette addiction for decades. He explains how the recent fight over Juul products fits into the larger discussion of e-cigarettes, tobacco use and public health among adults and teens.

According to the FDA, the decision was a precautionary response due to a lack of sufficient evidence regarding the toxicological profile of the products to ensure protection of public health. The FDA also noted that it hadnt received any information suggesting Juul products were an immediate hazard.

In the announcement, FDA commissioner Robert M. Califf commented on the effects Juul products have had on youth vaping. And this decision comes at a time when some have hoped that a new ban on Juul products and other e-cigarettes for adults would help reduce vaping by teens.

Cigarettes kill at least 1-in-2 smokers prematurely and cut smokers lives short by an average of 10 years due to cancer, obstructive lung disease and cardiovascular disease.

There is not yet any long-term epidemiological data available on e-cigarettes. But U.S. and British assessments have concluded that while vaping is likely to be substantially less harmful than cigarettes, it is not risk-free. Potential harms include nicotine addiction as well as some cardiovascular risks, though these are estimated to be lower than risks from cigarettes.

I do not encourage that anyone vape if they do not need to. But if someone would otherwise smoke cigarettes, and vaping helps them stop smoking completely, e-cigarettes can be a useful tool for reducing the smoking and health problem. Quitting cigarettes is unequivocally good for your health. Research shows that if a person stops using cigarettes by age 40, they on average avoid 90% of the increased risk of death compared to if they continued smoking. If a person stops smoking cigarettes by age 30, their health risks are nearly the same as a person who never smoked.

The CDC says that there is limited evidence that vaping helps people quit smoking cigarettes. The FDA, in approving some e-cigarettes for sale, expresses the view that e-cigarettes can be a beneficial tool for smokers who significantly reduce their cigarette use or stop smoking by switching to e-cigarettes.

Recent studies have also shown that e-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine replacement medicines in helping people who want to quit smoking. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom includes vaping as an approved way to quit smoking.

Teen vaping is on a downward trend. Data from the CDC showed that in 2019, 27.5% of high school students reported vaping at least once in the previous month. That number fell to 19.6% in 2020 and to 11.3% in 2022. Just over a one-quarter of monthly users or about 3% of high school students in 2022 report vaping on a daily basis.

Some of these decreases were likely due to COVID-19, enforcement of restrictions on youth access and government anti-vaping campaigns.

Widespread publicity about a serious lung disease caused by vaping, called EVALI, very likely turned many away from vaping. This was despite the fact that research eventually showed the disease was mostly caused by black market cannabis vaping products.

Despite the encouraging drop in teen vaping, an important question to ask is whether vaping directly leads to later cigarette smoking.

Parents are justly concerned that vaping could be a gateway to smoking. But research doesnt seem to support a strong causal connection. While vaping surged nationally in recent years, smoking rates fell.

Using several years of U.S. data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey on almost 40,000 participants, researchers found that less than 1% of those who first used e-cigarettes went on the become established cigarette smokers. People who vaped first were also less likely to become smokers than those who had tried cigarettes or other tobacco products first.

Another large study of U.S. youth found that a history of e-cigarette use was associated with only modest or nonsignificant increases in cigarette smoking once the researchers controlled for general risk-taking behavior.

Even if vaping is not a big factor in causing teens to become smokers, teen use of vaping products is a concern despite a ban on the sales of e-cigarettes to people under 21 in 2019.

Completely banning a product that is useful for adult smokers who are looking to quit is not the only way to help reduce youth access. One proposal, for example, suggests moving the sales of all nicotine and tobacco products to stores that are only accessible to those 21 or older.

While products like Juul deserve study and regulation, it is important to keep in mind the proven deadliness and easy availability of cigarettes both to adults today and to the many teens who start smoking every year and will become adult smokers. Getting as many smokers as possible off tobacco cigarettes will save lives.

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The FDA and Juul are fighting over a vape ban, but the role of e-cigarettes in the world of tobacco abuse is not clear-cut - The Conversation

With the FDA ordering Juul to stop selling their e-cigarette devices, UNC School of Medicine researchers led by Ilona Jaspers, PhD, published the first study to compare the respiratory immune health effects of different types of devices.

CHAPEL HILL, NC Not all electronic cigarette devices are created equal. Some fourth-generation models such as Juul devices are associated with unique changes in markers of immune responses inside our airways, according to a new peer-reviewed paper from UNC School of Medicine researchers led by toxicologist Ilona Jaspers, PhD, director of the UNC Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology and director of the UNC Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine.

Lead author Elise Hickman, PhD, a recent graduate from Jaspers lab, and colleagues, who published their research in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that users of fourth-generation nicotine-salt-containing devices display a unique mix of cellular biomarkers indicative of immune suppression.

Our work demonstrates the importance of considering device type in future clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic studies on the health effects of e-cigarettes, said Jaspers, professor of pediatrics and microbiology and immunology. We also think this research can help regulators determine which products cause the most severe types of biological changes in airway cells important for maintaining proper health.

Electronic cigarettes have increased in popularity over the past decade. Some people began using them as a means to quit smoking, thinking vaping was a safer alternative, both in the short-term and long-term. Also, because electronic cigarettes lack tar, consumers assumed vaping decreased their risk of cancer down the road.

Its impossible to know if vaping decreases cancer risk or many other long-term conditions, Jaspers said. It took 60 years of research to show that smoking causes cancer. E-cigarettes have been around for about 15 years. Still, the research from our lab and many others has shown many of the same acute biological effects in the airways that we have documented in smokers, she said. And weve seen some changes to cells and immune defenses in people who vape that, frankly, weve never seen before, which is very concerning.

Most concerning to researchers, doctors, and public health officials is the fact that teenagers who would not have otherwise tried cigarettes began using e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine a drug with its own health implications even beyond addiction and thousands of chemicals, many of which the FDA approved for eating but not inhaling.

Several studies have documented that inhaling chemical-laden nicotine aerosols suppresses the immune responses in the respiratory tracts of smokers and e-cigarette users. Some studies, including some at UNC, have detailed how different chemicals in various e-cigarettes, including chemicals that make up thousands of different flavors, have adverse effects on airway cells. The Jaspers lab, which has been at the forefront of such research, set out to study the effects of different varieties of e-cigarette devices. For this study, her team collected central airway (sputum) samples from non-smokers, smokers, and users of both third-generation and fourth-generation e-cigarette devices.

Third-generation devices include vape pens and box mods. Fourth generation include nicotine-salt-containing e-cigarettes, such as Juul products, and disposable e-cigarettes, which have become increasingly popular following restrictions on the sale of Juul products.

Fourth-generation e-cigarette users had significantly more bronchial epithelial cells in their sputum, and this suggests airway injury because normally, bronchial epithelial cells make up an intact barrier in the airways and are not found in sputum samples. Levels of two proteins, sICAM1 and sVCAM1, were significantly lower in fourth-generation e-cigarette users compared to all other groups. These proteins are important in fighting infections and other disease.

Also, proteins CRP, IFN-g, MCP-1, uteroglobin, MMP-2, and VEGF were significantly lower in fourth versus third generation e-cigarette users, and all of these proteins are important for overall immune defense. So, the more diminished these proteins are, the more suppressed our immune systems are. Another key finding of the study was that, when examining the mixture of immune markers overall rather than one by one, fourth generation e-cigarette users had the most distinguishable changes out of all of the groups, indicating a shift away from immune homeostasis, said Hickman.

This research does not reveal evidence that e-cigarettes cause cancer, emphysema, COPD, or other long-term diseases associated with long-term cigarette smoking. But researchers think that altering immune responses in the respiratory tract over the course of many years, especially for teens, could play a major role in the development of long-term health conditions and in susceptibility to inhaled pathogens.

The National Institutes of Health funded this research.

Elise Hickman, who earned an Impact Award from the UNC Graduate School, is the first author of the paper, and Ilona Jaspers is the senior author. Other authors are Alexis Payton, Parker Duffney, Heather Wells, Agathe S. Ceppe, Stephanie Brocke, Aleah Bailey, Meghan E. Rebuli, Carole Robinette, Brian Ring, Julia E. Rager, and Neil E. Alexis.

Media contact: Mark Derewicz, 919-923-0959

Excerpt from:

Fourth-generation Vaping Devices Increase Risk to Immune Cells | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other chemicals that may damage the esophagus. They may also cause or worsen the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

However, research into this area is still in the early stages. The potential adverse health effects of vaping warrant further investigation by scientists.

This article discusses vaping and the harmful contents of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes. It also explores GERD and how vaping can affect its symptoms.

Vaping is the word that some people use to describe using an e-cigarette. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol a suspension of small solid particles or liquid droplets in the air by heating a liquid containing nicotine and other chemicals. They come in many different shapes and sizes, resembling cigarettes, pens, USB sticks, or pipes.

E-cigarettes may contain several potentially harmful substances, including:

In 2018, approximately 8.1 million adults in the United States used e-cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit some adults who currently smoke and wish to stop.

However, the organization warns that people who do not smoke should not start vaping. Furthermore, e-cigarettes are unsafe for the following groups of people:

GERD is a chronic medical condition associated with acid reflux. The American College of Gastroenterology notes that acid reflux can lead to GERD.

When someone has GERD, gastric acid and bile flow from their stomach into their esophagus. An esophageal sphincter a band of muscle that acts as a valve usually prevents the stomach contents from moving into the esophagus. However, certain foods, lifestyle habits, and health conditions can weaken this barrier, causing GERD.

Doctors will monitor and treat GERD because it may lead to esophageal cancer. They may prescribe medications such as H2 receptor antagonists, known as H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Additionally, they may advise someone to make changes to their diet and lifestyle.

Research indicates that GERD prevalence is significantly higher among people who smoke than among those who do not. Quitting smoking can improve GERD, as well as health-related quality of life.

An older study involving about 50,000 individuals found that close to 20% of those who smoked hookah had symptoms of GERD at least once a week.

The researchers of the study explain that smoking cigarettes reduces the lower esophageal sphincter pressure and the salivary secretion of bicarbonates. These effects may cause gastroesophageal reflux episodes.

Additionally, the study indicates that the puff volume in hookah smoking is several times bigger than in cigarette smoking, which may increase GERD symptoms.

However, because vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, there is little research about its effects on GERD.

One example is a 2021 case study. The study found that an individual whose GERD was under control presented with inflammation of the esophagus, called esophagitis, associated with vaping.

The authors suggest that vaping may cause mucosal injury, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. In addition, they note that the inconsistent regulation of e-cigarettes can result in people inhaling unknown chemicals and toxins.

Finally, they stress the need for further investigation into the link between GERD and vaping.

The CDC explains that because e-cigarettes are fairly new, scientists are still learning about their long-term health effects. However, this is what they know so far:

In addition, the CDC notes that by February 2020, e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) had caused 2,807 deaths and hospital visits in the U.S.

The CDC adds that laboratory data show that vitamin E acetate, an additive in some tetrahydrocannabinol-containing e-cigarettes, is significantly related to the EVALI outbreak.

However, EVALI cases have declined due to more public awareness, fewer products containing vitamin E acetate, and law enforcement actions against illicit products.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) explains that the severity of a persons symptoms will determine what treatments doctors recommend. However, the options may include:

In addition, the NLM advises that the following lifestyle modifications may help relieve the symptoms of GERD:

Lifestyle changes are the primary treatment for GERD.

Below are some of the most common questions about vaping and GERD.

Research indicates that nicotine may affect the function of the gastrointestinal system. Smoking cigarettes or vaping may cause digestive issues, such as heartburn or GERD.

Nicotine can potentially make GERD symptoms worse. Therefore, people with GERD may wish to consider avoiding e-cigarettes or quitting smoking.

Some evidence suggests that vaping may cause inflammation of the esophagus and affect the valve that prevents stomach acid from flowing into the esophagus.

Although vaping is relatively new and studies are limited, some research suggests that it may worsen GERD symptoms. Nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes may cause inflammation and affect the function of the valve that prevents stomach acid from rising into the esophagus.

Although vaping may help some people quit cigarettes, pregnant people, adolescents, and those who do not already smoke should avoid e-cigarettes.

A person should speak with a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms of GERD.

See more here:

What is the relationship between vaping and GERD? - Medical News Today

Google has updated its rich results content guidelines to align better with the overall Google merchant guidelines thus disallowing rich results for products that are widely prohibited or regulated, or that can facilitate serious harm to self or others.

These include, but are not limited to, weapons, recreational drugs, tobacco & vaping products and gambling-related products.

New rich results guidelines. Google has updated the rich results product content guidelines to add this section:

Dont mark up content that promotes widely prohibited or regulated goods, services, or information that may facilitate serious and/or immediate or long term harm to self or others. This includes content related to firearms & weapons, recreational drugs, tobacco & vaping products and gambling-related products.

Application. Google said this policy applies to all forms of rich result markup, including star ratings, prices, or availability information and more. This can impact products with rich result structured data markup that are widely prohibited or regulated, or that can facilitate serious harm to self or others. This could include goods like fireworks, recreational drugs, and other products that can pose acute threats of physical harm, a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land.

Effective immediately. Google told us this policy goes into affect today, at the time this story has published.

Why we care. If you sell any of these types of products, you will probably want to remove the structured data markup from those pages. If you do not remove the markup, either way, Google will not show rich results for these product categories.

We did ask Google if you will receive some sort of manual action within Google Search Console and Google said it will not issue manual actions, instead Google will simply just remove the rich results for these types of search results. So no manual action will be given but technically the removal of these rich results is the penalty one would receive for violating the rich results content guidelines.

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Leafly editors and contributors choose products based on personal experience, consumer feedback, and overall quality. At times, we take samples to inform our reporting, but receive no commission from any resulting sales.

Choosing the best vaporizer can at times feel like wading through an ocean. There are multiple varieties, prices, and capabilities, but unless you are a tech expert, multiple controls and functions can be overwhelming.

So why buy a weed vaporizer instead of just smoking cannabis the old-fashioned way? Vaping is likely healthier, especially for the lungs. Additionally, vapes are discreet, create less odour, and allow consumers to optimize the flavour and potency of their weed.

A portable vaporizer is an investment, and the right one can serve you for years to come. In this list, weve curated vapes for concentrates or dried flower, as well as devices that can do both. They are all reusable, rechargeable, and produce vapour (not smoke) via combustion-less technology.

This Canadian-designed concentrates vaporizer is a favourite among many dabbers. Coming in at under $100, its a very budget-friendly option for those looking for a discreet, portable method to consume their stash.

The lithium-ion battery operates for approximately 40 hours off each two-hour charge. There are three variable voltage settings and a 15-second continuous heat option. You can refill the chamber with your extract of choice or use the battery with a 510-thread vape cartridge.

The LED temperature display makes it easy to dial in for perfect terps, and theres a 6-month warranty to keep you covered. It comes complete with an aluminum atomizer globe, two quartz dual coils, two coil caps, a 510 thread battery, a magnetic storage container, a charging cord, and a dab tool.

Find it locally via Leafly or on Shatterizer.com

Designed for use with dried flower, the Airizer Air 2 boasts an isolated airpath and a borosilicate glass vapour path to provide a smooth, flavourful vape with every sip.

Higher-capacity interchangeable batteries make for quicker heat up, while the USB charging makes using it while on the go a breeze. It comes with multiple tubes that you can pre-load so youre always ready for your next hit.

Precision temperature control means you can dial in for specific terpenes, no special app required. Its durable design is backed by a 2-year warranty and comes complete with a belt-clip carry case, stainless steel stirring tool, filter screens, and a sample of aromatic botanicals.

Find it locally via Leafly or on Airizer.com

The G Pen Dash Vaporizer brings supreme functionality to the palm of your hand. This dry herb vaporizer offers a powerful, ultra-discreet, lightweight, and affordable option for newbies and connoisseurs alike.

It features a glass-glazed and stainless steel heating chamber, with three temperature settings. The clean air source and integrated air path make for flavourful sessions. The chamber opening has been ergonomically designed for convenient loading, while the mouthpiece can be taken apart for easy cleaning.

This vape features haptic feedback with three LEDs to indicate heat level and battery life. It comes complete with a G PEN tool and keychain, USB charging cable, and a 1-year warranty.

Find it locally via Leafly or on Gpen.ca

The DaVinci IQ2 uses only medical-grade components, so no metal or plastic parts touch your herb for a pure tasting, flavourful vapour. It boasts an airtight, all-ceramic air path and a glass-lined oven to ensure purity and taste.

It offers a dual-use design for use with dry herb and comes complete with a Dosage Pod for concentrate consumption. The precision temperature control lets you choose from five levels of airflow, and its rechargeable battery heats the device up in just 60 seconds.

There is also a companion app that allows you to input your strain potency and the amount of herb or extracts in your oven so you can achieve your desired dose. Its even available in a selection of colours for a touch of style!

Find it locally via Leafly or on DaVinci.com

The Storz & Bickel Mighty+ improves upon the OG Mighty vaporizer by integrating carefully selected materials and features for everyday use. The makers of the infamous Volcano table-top vaporizer have created a nearly indestructible device for the cannabis enthusiast.

We wouldnt call this a starter vape, this device will last you a lifetime. Features include a ceramic-coated filling chamber, pre-set Superbooster temperate, and even airflow for a perfectly vaped bowl.

The supercharge function that gives you an 80% charge in approximately 40 minutes and the Mighty+ heats up in just 60 seconds. Plus, the brands outstanding quality and functionality are backed by a 2-year warranty + 1 year upon registration.

Find it locally via Leafly or on Storz-Bickel.com

Nicknamed the iPhone of portable vaporizers thanks to its user-friendly interface and ease of use right out of the box, the Pax 3 Complete has been designed for expert use with both dry herb and extracts. Its extended battery life and 2X powerful oven deliver a smooth vapour within 15 seconds, and subsequent heat-ups are nearly instant.

The half-pack lid allows users to measure out dry herb, making it ideal for newbies or those who prefer to vape smaller quantities. Settings can be customized using the companion appincluding adjusting temperatures and dimming the devices LED lights for greater discretion.

Find it locally via Leafly or on Pax.com

Caitlin McCormack

Caitlin McCormack is a writer based in Toronto. Her work has appeared in MSN, Lift & Co., HuffPost, What to Expect, and Mashable, among others. When she isn't writing, she's busy chasing after her two sons, testing out new recipes, and working on her century-old fixer-upper.

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Tokes to-go: Best portable vapes for flower and extracts - Leafly