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Study Claims That Secondhand Vapour Exposure Can Cause Serious Respiratory Issues

A new study from the Department of Population and Public Health Science at the University of Southern California, claimed that secondhand vape exposure was associated with increased risk of bronchitic symptoms and shortness of breath among young adults.

Diane Caruana

January 30, 2023

Titled, “Secondhand nicotine vaping at home and respiratory symptoms in young adults,” the study looked for any adverse health effects of exposure to secondhand vapour. Led by Prof. Talat Islam, the research team examined data from 2090 high-school students aged 17-18, over a six-year period between 2014-2019 looking specifically for the prevalence of bronchitis and shortness of breath.

“Secondhand nicotine vape exposure was associated with increased risk of bronchitic symptoms and shortness of breath among young adults,” concluded the researchers.

While another recent study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society reported that EVALI lung injuries, which the authors inaccurately attribute to vaping, can lead to long-term respiratory problems, cognitive impairment and mental health issues.

The effects of EVALI on the lungs

Titled, “Prospectively Assessed Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with E-cigarette or Vaping-associated Lung Injury (EVALI),” the study said that the long-term impacts of e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) can persist for a year or more. “Even at 12 months after an EVALI diagnosis, the majority of our patients still had serious residual effects,” said lead study author Dr. Denitza Blagev.

The study followed 73 EVALI patients who had an average age of 31 and were either treated at Intermountain Healthcare or University of Utah Health. The participants were followed up after 12-months between July 2020 and August 2021.

The research team found that at the 12-month follow-up appointment, 48% of the patients still had respiratory problems, about one-fourth reported significant shortness of breath. A total of 59% had mental issues, namely anxiety, depression, and 62% had experienced post-traumatic stress.

“These are not minor complications, and they are still happening even in patients whose injuries were not severe enough to require (intensive) care,” Blagev said. “These long-term issues are also happening in relatively young people who could face a long life of continuing complications.”

Sadly the authors failed to highlight that was not actually caused by regular lawful e-cigarettes but by illicit cartridges containing unregulated THC oil.