First people vaped as a healthier alternative to smoking. Then people smoked nicotine-free vapes as a healthier alternative to vaping. Turns out – according to a new study – even when you remove all the tobacco and nicotine, breathing in flavoured vapour is just not great for you.

There’s been growing consensus among researchers about the health risks of nicotine-containing vapes. Just this week, one 22-year-old man had to undergo a double lung transplant because of his vaping habit. Thirty-nine countries have already banned the sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, and many vapers are now opting for zero-nicotine alternatives.

Unfortunately for the roughly five million vapers in the UK, even 0mg vapes appear to damage the lungs: New research, published in the journal Microvascular Research, has identified a specific protein that nicotine-free vape fluid increases in the lung, causing oxidative stress, inflammation and breakdown of the blood vessels. This is the same kind of damage as might be found in patients with lung injury.

  • Randomgal
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    10 months ago

    NGL if you thought vapes were “healthy” instead of just “healthier than tabbaco”, maybe that was the issue to begin with.

  • johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Not sure why people would expect otherwise? Nicotine has its own health risks but forcing particulate matter into your lungs is probably never great.

  • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    So is this damage just from the specific watermelon flavor vape juice? They tested the same juice with different amounts of nicotine, finding that even the zero nicotine juice caused the increased prevalence of this protein associated with lung damage.

    Now do cannabis extracts, that’s all I care about. people vaping for the taste and smoke seem pretty childish to me.

    • Itsamelemmy@lemmy.zip
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      10 months ago

      Now do cannabis extracts, that’s all I care about.

      Same. Almost exclusively dab or dry vape now. I’m not going to quit, but would like to know which method is the least damaging to my body.

      • SuperDuper@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        If you really want to avoid doing unnecessary harm to your body when getting high, edibles are your best bet.

        • littleblue✨@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Something something indigenous traditions rarely included inhaling burnt compounds and instead held them in the mouth to share it with one’s soul. Stupid white man missed the point and inhaled into his lungs like a backbirth.

  • Gigan@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Assume anything besides nitrogen and oxygen is bad for your lungs and you’ll be right more often than not.

    • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Speaking from personal experience here.

      Some people smoke tobacco.

      Then switch to vapes to get off that. Then ween off and stay off.

      Others could have anxiety driven oral fixations. Toothpicks, gum and other things can help. I’ve also seen “breathing necklaces” that’s literally just a tiny metal straw you “inhale air” through.

      So yeah I guess “air vapes” are a thing?