According to newly published research, electronic cigarette vapor disappears almost immediately after being produced.
It's well-known that smoking poses a serious threat not only to your personal health but also to the health of those around you. After lengthy debates, smoking bans have been implemented in almost every public space, but this battle is far from over. There is currently evidence not only that the third-hand effects of smoking are real, but also that it is harmful to human health in the long term. In light of new information about the second and third-hand effects of smoking, people have also started to consider the same effects regarding electronic cigarettes.
The second-hand effects of electronic cigarettes have not been extensively researched until now, but as electronic cigarettes become more popular day by day, it is becoming a more important question. It is too early to be certain, but what we know about the second-hand effects of electronic cigarettes strongly suggests that this effect is not the same as the harm to health caused by second-hand smoke from traditional cigarettes. A recent study published by Nicotine and Tobacco Research highlights that the particles composing electronic cigarette vapor dissipate almost immediately. Moreover, the same study states that not only are tobacco cigarette particles much more abundant, but it can also take up to an hour for them to completely disperse. Consequently, electronic cigarette advocates claim that forcing electronic cigarette users to use designated smoking areas does not work as intended and even puts electronic cigarette users at risk of returning to smoking.
Nicotine and Tobacco Research Article
The study on the second-hand effects of electronic cigarettes was conducted by Dr. Dainius Martuzevicius, Vice Dean of Kaunas University of Technology. The research team aimed to clarify the similarities and differences between electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. The research used a test model designed to track air concentration and density. The team placed electronic cigarette and cigarette users at a certain distance from this tracking device and monitored electronic cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke. When collecting data, they even took into account different environmental and ventilation types. Their primary focus was to examine the quantity of each component in the air's content, but they also wanted to determine the size difference between electronic cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke particles. It didn't take long for the researchers to obtain their desired results, and they made significant progress in the research.
After the first puff, the effect of electronic cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke on air concentration was almost identical, but it didn't take long for things to take a completely different turn. A significant increase in air concentration was observed with each puff taken during the cigarette smoke test. Each additional puff added approximately 45 minutes of dispersion time on top of the initial puff. However, the same was not true for electronic cigarette vapor. In tests conducted with electronic cigarettes, the concentration decreased very rapidly, and no increase in concentration was observed. The same results were obtained in all environments where the tests were conducted, including environmental conditions with no ventilation. The team concluded that the reason behind this was that electronic cigarette vapor mostly consists of water vapor, as water vapor also mixes into the air almost as soon as it leaves the mouth. On the other hand, cigarette smoke particles were relatively larger and consisted of components that would lead to accumulation in the absence of proper ventilation.
What Else We Know
While this study made significant progress in establishing that second-hand exposure to electronic cigarette vapor is harmless, it's important to note that this is not the first evidence pointing to the same conclusion. There are many reports published last year that support Dr. Martuzevicius's work. According to an article published by researchers from the University of California, San Diego, after an extensive study, it was discovered that electronic cigarette vapor is fundamentally the same as the air people are exposed to. In fact, thanks to monitoring devices placed in over 300 apartments, the same results were obtained in households that allowed indoor electronic cigarette use but not traditional cigarette smoking, as in households that prohibited all types of smoking indoors. On the other hand, dangerous levels of harmful components were detected in households that allowed both traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, or only traditional cigarettes, indoors. Consequently, the researchers concluded that there was no noticeable difference in average air quality between households that did not use any type of cigarette indoors and those that only used electronic cigarettes.
The same result was obtained even in more extreme cases. For example, in electronic cigarette shops. Last year, tests were conducted at the state level in electronic cigarette shops by the California State Public Health Department. While the results of this test are not yet finalized, the results for one electronic cigarette shop were shared with the public. According to the researchers, there was no ventilation in the shop, and thus the shop was completely filled with electronic cigarette vapor. After testing the air for 22 different potentially harmful components, only one was found to be at a detectable level using standard techniques. Four other substances could be detected when using much more advanced and niche methods. However, even under such extreme conditions, when looking at the detected levels, according to the researchers, these results are not enough to discredit electronic cigarettes.
Conclusion
There was a great shock in society when it was discovered that the second-hand effects of cigarette smoke on health were almost equivalent to direct smoking. This is why it should not come as a surprise to those concerned about encountering the same results with electronic cigarettes. However, instead of taking the evidence into account, most American politicians equate electronic cigarettes with traditional cigarettes. Currently, the vast majority of electronic cigarette users are former cigarette smokers. And as long as these people are forced to be around smokers, the electronic cigarette cannot be used as an effective smoking cessation tool. When making such important decisions, the results of the research conducted should be taken into account, not what feels right. If we want people to stay away from cigarettes for their own good, we must fully support the best smoking cessation method available right now.
