By Bill Atkinson

When Surfers & Chess Players learned there are some 7,700 e-cigarette flavors, that 8% of Americans have vaped recently and that vapers are 56% more likely to have a heart attack, we wanted to dive in a little deeper.

We posed our questions to MaryAnn DePietro, a licensed respiratory therapist and freelance writer based in California, who authored 66 Surprising Vaping Statistics to Know, a recent article sharing details on the rising vaping health crisis.

Here’s what we wanted to know:

S&CP:   As a respiratory therapist, what are the most frightening aspects about the unfolding vaping epidemic?

MaryAnn DePietro: The most worrisome aspect of the vaping epidemic is we are not sure what some of the potential lung issues may be. We do not always know what chemicals are in vapes. Plus, there is limited long-term research on the harmful effects of certain toxins.

S&CP:  What is most surprising to you about new generations taking up vaping when it was determined in the 1960s that cigarette smoke caused cancer? How can history repeat itself like this?

MaryAnn DePietro: Vaping is often marketed to younger kids. Flavored vapes, which enticing names like “blue razz” may appeal to kids. Also, there is a misconception that vaping is not dangerous, so even kids that may know not to smoke cigarettes, may start to vape.

S&CP:  Which potential health issues caused by vaping do you expect to be most problematic?

MaryAnn DePietro: Some studies have found that the chemicals and toxins in vapes may cause heart damage. There is also a possibility the chemicals may increase the risk of oral cancer, which is a devastating form of cancer.

S&CP   How will the healthcare system have to adjust to care for additional patients needing respiratory care? Already, as baby boomers age, we have more cases of COPD and more need for COPD navigators. What will the respiratory care landscape look like with so many new vapers factored in?

MaryAnn DePietro: The cases of other lung diseases not traditionally associated with smoking, such as pulmonary fibrosis may increase. Cases of lung cancer may rise. Since we do not fully know how vaping will increase lung disease in the next 10 to 20 years, there may be an increased need for new treatment and medication to deal with specific conditions. As baby boomers age, the rate of COPD may also increase, when we factor in more overall lung health issues that could occur with vaping, it could create a need for more respiratory therapists. But it also may mean a need for more pulmonary rehab programs to help people slow down the progression of lung disease.

More Vaping Statistics

One of the more troubling facts that Surfers & Chess Players found in DePietro’s article is that e-cigarette, or vaping-associated lung injury, known as EVALI, impacts young people aged 18 to 34 more than any other ages. That’s especially sobering after Truth Initiative found that nearly 1.5 million young people, including 800,000 teens between 15 and 18-years-old, vaped for the first time between 2021 and 2022.

“With different flavor options, more affordable prices and concealable shapes and designs, e-cigarettes and vape products are designed with teens in mind,” DePietro wrote.

Chemicals produced by e-cigarettes contain acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, which can cause lung and cardiovascular disease, DePietro wrote. Acrolein, another byproduct, can cause lung injury and COPD.

The vaping trend didn’t appear overnight. It’s been evident for years. By September 2020, companies had sent more than 6.6 million e-cigarette and vaping product applications to the FDA, according to the National Cancer Institute.

These days, an estimated 1 in 20 people in America vape, enveloping themselves and anyone around them in a fine mist of nicotine, metals and other harmful substances.

Surfers and Chess Players wonders about the quality of lung and heart health for those who spend extended time in those clouds of aerosols. What kind of future can they expect? With additional study about the long-term impact of vaping, we’ll know more. Here’s hoping it won’t be too late.