E-Cigarette Risks: What To Know

The evolution of smoke-free e-cigarettes (or vaping) as an alternative to tobacco is a relatively recent phenomenon. Therefore, many of their side-effects and long term risks are either unknown or still subject to research. Still, e-cigarette risks are many, complete with ingredients that we may never fully appreciate the true danger of. Even vaping products themselves present significant levels of danger and consideration.

Despite e-cigarette risks, most think vaping is an excellent alternative to avoid the health risks of smoking. However, the risks of vaping still remain. Moreover, the product itself can be dangerous in some circumstances, resulting in personal injury claims in the UK.

Personal Health Risks

You may believe you’re avoiding tobacco’s health risks by switching to e-cigarettes. With long term implications, the jury is still out on whether that’s actually true. For all intents and purposes, research is struggling to keep up with the rise of vaping. However, e-cigarettes remain potentially harmful in the short term, with one of the significant dangers being popcorn lung.

Popcorn lung is the medical term for damage to the bronchioles. Bronchioles are essentially the smallest airways in your lungs and can be caused by vaping. Damage to these can cause scarring to your lung tissues and cause difficulties with your breathing, leaving you feeling breathless. Symptoms include a cough, wheezing, and exhaustion.

Studies suggest the ingredient diacetyl within e-cigarettes brings on such side effects. Furthermore, diacetyl has a strong link to serious lung disease in tobacco products.

Harmful Ingredients

However, e-cigarettes also contain several other harmful substances. Although they do not contain tobacco, e-cigarettes contain a much higher percentage of nicotine than in normal cigarettes.

Experts don’t tend to view nicotine as a cause of the diseases common with smoking. Furthermore, it’s less harmful than smoking for your health.

Yet vaping also releases other harmful toxins, which vary by the type and brand of e-cigarette that you invest in. Additionally, the vapour contains a small assortment of toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke. Thankfully, the chemicals are at a lower concentration at a much lower rate than in cigarettes.

Product Risks

However, it is not just the effect that e-cigarettes have on the user that is dangerous. Just like with tobacco smoke, e-cigarette risks also extend to the products and the after-effects themselves. Some faulty e-cigarettes can cause electrical fires within homes, leading to injury or property damage.

Because you must use a USB cable to heat the liquid inside, exploding e-cigarettes present some frightening risks. These explosions can cause burns to the user’s face when they are smoking e-cigarettes. In essence, the risks are the result of the rechargeable battery overheating. Moreover, many devices do not have a cut-off point when they reach their maximum charge.

Trying to quit tobacco cigarettes

Quite often, traditional tobacco smoking cessation is the reason why vape pens turn up at every corner. This in itself might be the riskiest proposition of all. In short, the marketing of e-cigarettes presents an apparent short-term solution at the potential expense of long term health.

A short history of smoking health concerns

The Royal College of Physicians, Smoking & Health changed everything with a landmark report on smoking in 1962. Prior to this, few ever really considered tobacco’s harmful chemicals and the need to establish stop smoking services. Moreover, there was a major wall in getting the message of tobacco’s damage through to the public. In fact, in 1962, half of all adults (that’s 70% of men and 40% of women) smoked.

Nevertheless, the report’s PR effects (coupled with the 1965 Surgeon General report in the United States) were fast, lasting and widespread. Television commercials for tobacco products were banned by 1965. Health warnings began to appear on cigarette packs by 1971.

As electronic cigarettes entered the market around 2012, a mere 21% of Britons smoked tobacco. That figure surely includes those who want to quit smoking – a considerable audience, but certainly not the majority of adults like the old days.

Yet what it doesn’t include the emerging market of young people vaping companies are targeting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend vaping products for young adults and current non-smokers. Additional research may still reveal devastating conclusions about cancers and illnesses like heart disease.

For instance, the American College of Cardiology’s 2019 research shows the following.

Adults who report puffing e-cigarettes, or vaping, are significantly more likely to have

  • A heart attack;
  • Coronary artery disease, and;
  • Depression.

…Compared with those who don’t use them or any tobacco products.

What to do in the event of injury from e-cigarette risks

You can file a personal injury accident claim against the e-cigarette brand manufacturer if you suffer:

  • burns
  • injury or;
  • property damage at the hands of an e-cigarette.

To do this, turn to a lawyer who can represent your case and provide advice as to your next step. We recommend specialist solicitors capable of handling the intricacies of personal injury claims.

Explosions can leave you with a severe burn that leaves significant and permanent facial scarring. As a result, you can claim compensation by suing these manufacturing companies. You can start the process by assigning a lawyer to investigate these personal injury claims on your behalf.

Considering a claim for e-cigarette risks?

Here are two things to consider if you want to talk to a personal injury solicitor about e-cigarettes.

  • Did negligence take place in the production of a faulty e-cigarette?
  • Did that negligence cause you significant personal damage?

If the answer to both questions is “Yes”, you should instantly seek a personal injury solicitor after your medical treatment. If you have a particularly strong case, you can receive the personal injury compensation that you deserve. By claiming against the manufacturing company in question, you can recover something that no smoking product can ever truly replace.