In addition to the dangers posed by nicotine, vaping also harms health in other ways. Vape battery explosions can cause serious injury and even death. Some people use vaping devices to consume other drugs like marijuana, which you will learn about in Chapter 13. Vaping any e-liquid can have serious health risks. Most of the time, when people vape, they are consuming an e-liquid made of many chemicals. The vaping device heats the e-liquid into an aerosol that people inhale (Figure 11.6). When someone vapes, these chemicals enter the body and affect its organs and systems. Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of inhaling the chemicals contained in aerosol. This research is difficult because companies that manufacture e-liquids are not required to list all the ingredients in the e-liquid. This means people who vape do not know what exactly they are inhaling into their lungs. Some people may claim that the chemical flavorings in e-liquids are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). This means the FDA has approved that they are safe for ingestion. It does not mean the FDA has stated they are safe to inhale. Scientists do know that inhaling the chemicals in aerosol can lead to respiratory conditions, including inflammation and long- term lung damage. As more people vape, reports of lung diseases are increasing. One rare lung disease related to vaping is popcorn lung or bronchiolitis obliterans. Diacetyl, a flavoring found in more than 75 percent of flavored e-liquids, causes this disease. Popcorn lung causes scarring and inflammation in the bronchioles, the smallest airways in the lungs. This can lead to persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. popcorn lung condition that damages the lungs’ smallest airways leads to coughing and shortness of breath Flavorings, including the chemical diacetyl Carcinogens Heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead Ultrafine particles Volatile organic compounds Nicotine Person: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com Top row, left to right: urfin/Shutterstock.com Sensvector/Shutterstock.com BrankoG/Shutterstock.com mewaji/Shutterstock.com Bottom row, left to right: ASAG Studio/Shutterstock.com mexrix/Shutterstock.com molekuul_be/Shutterstock.com Figure 11.6 Aerosol created by vaping devices contains many harmful chemicals that are connected to serious health consequences. Chemicals include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or pollutants that evaporate in the air ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into people’s lungs and cancer-causing substances. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 372 Unit 4 Avoiding Hazardous Substances