10 Dangers of Vaping
YouTuber Matthew Santoro shamefully laced his pockets with money to regurgitate spurious “facts” about vaping
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by Dave Cross
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“23% of students in Canada’s secondary schools have tried vaping,” opens Santoro. “Teenagers have assumed vaping is safe but research is showing it is far from healthy”.
The thrust of the video is to ‘think about the children’, but it ignores that almost all vapers are smokers, ex-smokers, and adults. His “Ten Dangers” includes”:
- Nicotine addiction
- Brain development impacted due to using nicotine
- Contaminants: nickel, tin and aluminium
- Harmful chemicals: formaldehyde and acrolein - “Using higher power can produce more chemicals”
- Long term safety of inhaling PG and VG is unknown
- Nicotine salts: increases the risk of nicotine exposure and dependence
- Nicotine poisoning: harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin
- Batteries overheating: poses a hazard if not properly stored, charged and used
- Second-hand vapour: “it’s not harmless” and “increases nicotine levels on surfaces”
- Unknown risks: “Long term health impacts are not known”
1 – Vaping is not a tool to nicotine addiction. Electronic cigarettes were invented to help smokers quit using tobacco and reduce the harm the caused. As vaping became more popular it has been used overwhelmingly by smokers on their journey to becoming ex-smokers. Studies in the past have demonstrated that the addictive quality of nicotine is greatly removed when separated from the toxins in cigarette smoke.
Eliquids off the user the opportunity to dial in the level of nicotine they need to substitute vaping for smoking. Then, if they desire, vapers can dial down their nicotine levels.
2 – Brain development claims rely wholly on a couple of mouse studies. There is absolutely no evidence that this relates to brain function in humans. Moreover, the wealth of intellectuals who used to or still smoke tends to pour cold water over such nonsense. It’s nothing more than an emotional appeal intended to elicit a response.
3 - Claims of heavy metals in vapour was dealt with in one of our recent articles [link]. Santoro’s sponsored claim totally ignores the old Paracelsus maxim that “dose makes the poison”. While some elements have been found, the level they were found at is more critical. One study concluded that in order to reach concerning levels of heavy metals, one would need to vape in excess of 100ml of juice per day.
4 – Claims of “harmful chemicals” again failed to understand “dose makes the poison”, but most importantly relies on studies that dry burnt the coils. Reliable studies show that the contents of vapour are safer than tobacco smoke by at least 95%.
5 – Eliquid fears over inhaling PG and VG conveniently forgets that pharmaceutical company nicotine inhalers also use them, along with asthma inhalers and the ‘smoke’ machines found at indoor and outdoor events. Also, for a long period of time PG was used as an anti-bacterial agent and added to the air in hospital wards.
6 – Salts are a method of delivering nicotine more efficiently, mimicking the effect of nicotine in smoking. This increases the chance of successfully switching. The point repeats the error made in the first claim and misunderstands that vapers are coming from smoking.
7 – Poisoning occurs in the home due to a wide variety of products. Responsible parents can protect their children and pets by keeping juices in a childproof box and only buying products using childproof caps. Nobody is stating we should ban bleach or warn people of the dangers of keeping their homes clean. Suggesting that you can be poisoned by contact with 3ml liquid on the skin is beyond laughable – again, “dose makes the poison”.
8 – Lithium-ion batteries do present a danger, but this isn’t specific to vaping. Mobile phones, laptop computers and tablets are present in homes at much greater levels. Cells in vaping only present a problem when the user ignores advice on safe charging, storage and use. This is not a “danger” about vaping.
9 - Second-hand vapour fears are possibly the weakest arguments in the prohibitionist’s locker, and it is ridiculous that Health Canada or their paid stooge repeat them. Multiple studies have demonstrated that toxin and carcinogen levels are so low in ‘Second-hand vapour’ that it’s almost impossible to detect them due to most of the contents of vapour being absorbed in the mouth and throat.
10 – No, the long-term impact of vaping is not known, but it can be predicted. With assorted bodies agreeing that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking, the risk profile is drastically reduced.
Santoro has announced that he has now quit YouTube. He has not announced his intention to close his channel or take down this ridiculous video that will only add to the doubts of current smokers considering switching to a proven safer alternative.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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