Are Flavored Vapes Safe?
Just because a fragrance is safe to consume does not mean that it is safe to inhale. But flavored vapes have become commonplace thanks to a regulatory loophole.
When the FDA was created in the early 20th century, Wired reports , it controlled food and medicine, and soon cosmetics. Tobacco companies lobbied not to be considered a drug, so the FDA had no say in what they contained or how they might be labeled.
The laws changed over time, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the FDA was allowed to regulate new tobacco products (the old ones – cigarettes – were inherited). It took the FDA years to realize that perhaps they should step in and do something about “e-cigarettes,” as most government agencies still call vaping devices. Under the new rule, they will have to approve new e-liquids and devices. But this rule will not take effect until at least 2020 and may be postponed even further.
So, all this time, manufacturers of e-liquids and other vaping products didn’t have to prove their ingredients were safe before selling them. It seems logical that flavors should be harmless, but it turns out that many are not. Diacetyl, which is safe when used as an oil flavoring for popcorn, causes a respiratory illness now known as “popcorn lung” when inhaled. Vitamin E acetate, which is probably the cause of a recent illness veypinga, is not dangerous for ingestion , but it looks like is that it is fatal if inhaled. (Vitamin E acetate is absent from most commercial flavored vapes; it seems to be mostly found in THC vapes on the black market.)
A new study has found that the peppermint flavor pulegon is present in high amounts in some e-liquids . Unfortunately, it is already known to be carcinogenic and banned by the FDA as a dietary supplement. It is one of many carcinogens found in cigarettes and other tobacco products, but levels are lower than e-liquids. Basically, just because something is safe to eat doesn’t mean it’s safe to breathe – but most of the ingredients in a vape are untested, so it’s nearly impossible to know if what you’re inhaling is good for your lungs or not.