Vaping is EVERYWHERE

[Mehmeh22]

So the kids are off on summer holidays and I am trying to find nice activities to do. Went to the cinema yesterday, and a father with her young daughter, just gets out his vape and has a puff right in front of me while we were waiting to go in.

Then today at a play centre, Im sat in the cafe and a mother gets out her vape and surreptitiously has some of the vape and the oncoming plume of smoke...in my bloody direction.

I've been in Tesco, and someone just used it casually as you like. When I mentioned it to staff, they just shrugged their shoulders....I didn't see it.

Its bad enough people inflicting others with their noisy phones, but why oh why do people do this?!! In areas where kids are playing???? I dont care that you are addicted...that is not my problem!! People who smoke are addicted and would never dream of lighting up a cig!!!

Rant over.....

There was a thread quite recently on which posters claimed to be disgusted by previous occupants vaping in hotel rooms. They were gagging with the “chemicals” in the air, having bad reactions and so on.

Apart from being obvious nonsense that anyone could tell whether a vaper had been in a hotel room previously, none of the princess and the pea-level anti-vapers could explain how hotel cleaners’ products never bothered them.

There’s some right old bullshit being wheeled out.

There are lots of us out there who are very allergic to the vapour released from these. Then there's popcorn lung and other problems particularly when kids have got hold of them. It's not dramatic to have an issue with something people think they can do anywhere without consequence.

Ha, you think hotel cleaning products aren’t a problem.

Do you know how difficult it is to stay in a hotel. How much planning and research it takes to find what that is relatively safe. How people bring cleaning supplies and wipe down the room, cover the bed with a protective covering and sleep with their own bedding on top, and bring their own towels. All of this and still have to take massive doses of antihistamines just to be miserable.

Most people manage to live just fine in the toxic soup that modern society had chosen to think counts for clean. Some of us are not doing as well.

Sorry what now?

According to ChatGPT..

I asked: Are you are inhaling VOCs (volatile organic compounds) when you vape.

What are VOCs?
VOCs are gases emitted from certain solids or liquids, and many are toxic or harmful to human health when inhaled. In vaping, VOCs are released as part of the aerosol (not “vapor”) created when the e-liquid is heated.

Common VOCs Found in Vape Aerosol:
Studies have detected the following VOCs in e-cigarette emissions:

• Formaldehyde – a known carcinogen
• Acetaldehyde – potentially carcinogenic and irritating to the respiratory tract
• Acrolein – toxic to the lungs and used in chemical warfare agents
• Toluene – harmful to the nervous system
• Benzene – found in cigarette smoke and associated with leukemia

These VOCs can form from:

• The thermal degradation of propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin (VG), the main e-liquid solvents
• Flavoring chemicals breaking down under heat
• Contaminants or additives in the e-liquid or device materials

Are the Levels Lower than Cigarettes?
Yes, generally, VOCs from vaping are lower than those from combustible cigarettes, but they are not zero. Some studies show that under certain vaping conditions (like high power or “dry puffing”), VOC levels can spike and approach or even exceed those from smoking.

Health Concerns

• Respiratory irritation
• Increased oxidative stress
• DNA damage
• Inflammation
• Potential long-term cancer risks, though long-term studies are still ongoing

Bottom Line
While vaping may reduce exposure to some harmful chemicals compared to smoking, it is not free of toxic compounds—including VOCs. Inhaling any heated chemical mixture carries risk, especially with frequent or high-intensity use.

It’s like swapping regular Coca-cola for Diet Coke.. They are both unhealthy🤷🏻‍♀️

OK playing along what is the contents of them?

Popcorn lung is the bullshit that won’t die
the chemical related to it has been banned in vapes here since 2016 and cigarettes have way way more of that chemical. People weren’t dropping dead from popcorn lung when they were smoking

I have mine here
PG, VG, natural flavourings. I added nicotine to it as well because I buy the liquid separately

That's nice.

I asked Google to tell me about VOCs in fruit:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are crucial for the aroma and flavor of fruits. These compounds, which evaporate easily at room temperature, are a complex mixture of various chemical classes like esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, lactones, and terpenes. They play a significant role in consumer perception and acceptance of fruit quality.

Key aspects of VOCs in fruit:

Aroma and Flavor:
VOCs are the primary drivers of fruit aroma and contribute significantly to the overall flavor experience.

Biosynthesis:
VOCs are produced through various metabolic pathways, including those involving lipids, amino acids, terpenoids, and carotenoids.

Composition and Diversity:
The specific VOC profile varies between different fruit species and even cultivars, influenced by genetic makeup, maturity, environmental conditions, and postharvest handling.

Quality Indicators:
VOCs can act as indicators of fruit quality, freshness, and even potential spoilage.

Ecological Roles:
In addition to their sensory impact, VOCs also play ecological roles, such as attracting pollinators and acting as plant defenses.

Factors Affecting VOCs:
Several factors influence VOC composition, including genetic makeup, maturity stage, environmental conditions, and postharvest handling.

Examples of VOCs:
Esters like ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate are known for contributing to sweet, fruity, and floral aromas.

In essence, VOCs are vital for the sensory experience of eating fruit, and understanding their production and behavior is important for optimizing fruit quality and shelf life.

What a waste of time this is!

House!

I just found an old post of mine calling 'popcorn lung' the turd that won't flush. It was from over eight years ago.

I am tired.

That does sound very difficult.

It's just not clear to me why you're singling out vapers for blame when it must be all sorts of people and situations which cause a problem for you.

I reacted to people saying vape clouds are harmless. They are not harmless. They are dangerous for many people with a variety of medical conditions.

people inevitably try to dismiss these claims and go on tangents by saying that you can’t possibly be telling the truth because you would also react in all these other scenarios and have all these other problems. Yes, I do. It’s very consistent.

someone up above tried to use fruit as a counterexample on VOCs possibly being dangerous. Know what happens if someone cuts a lemon when I am nearby? I get hives and need my asthma inhaler. Not the worst reaction, but not pleasant. It’s not the gotcha people think it is.

natural, artificial, it doesn’t matter. There are people like me in this world that have immune systems that overreact to supposedly innocuous things.

when people claim their behavior or choices are harmless, it’s fair to counter that claim is untrue.

Pray tell, where did I say they were blowing it in my face?

Well done!

Clearly all VOC’s are the same, right? Riiiiight🤣

I think some posters are just winding you up now, or they are so arogant that they dont care people have to endure their "steam".

Second hand vape is not 'dangerous for many people', any more than lemons or cinnamon buns are. It's perfectly reasonable to say these things are safe, even while acknowledging that will not be true for particular individuals with specific allergies. Otherwise we can never say anything is safe, we have to say lemons are dangerous and we can no longer have sensible discussions about risk, which are sorely needed in this area.

You said earlier 'If people thought about their actions it would be easier to leave the house.' but it's not clear how if you're allergic to all sorts of different things, and other people will have all sorts of other different things they're allergic to. Are you expecting people to avoid eating, drinking, wearing or doing anything in public that could possibly trigger an allergic reaction in anybody? Do you do that?

In the first line of your post that I quoted:

How is nail biting the same as someone blowing chemicals in my face where I have no choice but to inhale?

Clearly the point has sailed straight over your head. Well done.

I brought up VOCs in the context of vape flavours and allergies.

You then asked ChatGPT if you inhale VOCs in vape and because AI is so stupid it completely ignored the huge quantities of VOCs which comprise the flavours and instead focused solely on contaminants which may be present in trace amounts.

I responded with a load of AI C&P about VOCs in fruit, not to suggest that VOCs can't be dangerous, but to show what ChatGPT and you had missed.

But perhaps I am being unfair and you did actually have a point when you c&p a load of AI slop? If it was just that some VOCs are dangerous then yeah, no shit. How is that relevant to vape flavours and allergies?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYgrrJx-YGEQ%26pp%3D0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD&ved=2ahUKEwiH7763x9eOAxXGa0EAHR7GB-AQwqsBegQIDRAE&usg=AOvVaw17XmD1O25K5PQw4G7l17Ls

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D0nLgVL7fKb8&ved=2ahUKEwiH7763x9eOAxXGa0EAHR7GB-AQwqsBegQICxAE&usg=AOvVaw1I7jZAzBtqvdh_f3m0f6jq

If you think vaping is not harmful, I'd just watch these videos. It is less harmful than smoking but it doesn't mean they aren't risks. Especially for children who shouldn't be anywhere near vape.

So a TV show with two teenagers - were they buying legal vapes, did they have pre existing conditions, were they filling them with something else…

I would rather go off the NHS, public health England previous reports and numerous health care professionals plus the studies that have been done

Wow, just wow.
Nothing like an educated discussion on a contentious subject... and this is NOTHING like an educated discussion 😆

Pneumothorax in adolescents is not a new thing and is not that uncommon. Environmental pollutants can be a risk factor along with family history and underlying lung conditions. A lot of the time it just happens spontaneously for no apparent reason.

https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/pneumothorax-collapsed-lung/children

While there has been a sharp increase in the number of adolescents vaping, there has been no corresponding increase in the incidence of pneumothorax.

It's true what they say - anecdotes are not data

While vaping could possibly be a risk factor, we know for definite that smoking is. I wonder why those kids don't get invited onto GMB?

@PencilsInSpace and @marmite2025 Southern California Children’s Health Study (over 2,000 adolescents tracked 2014–2018) showed vaping in the past 30 days was associated with: 81 % higher odds of wheezing, 2× risk of bronchitic symptoms, 78% increased shortness of breath.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2025/04/new-analysis-underscores-health-risks-of-e-cigarettes?
John Hopkins study shows increased risk of COPD.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2022/nih-funded-studies-show-damaging-effects-vaping-smoking-blood-vessels?
U.S. NIH found that long-term vaping impairs endothelial function, causing: reduced production of nitric oxide and increased blood vessel leakiness.

CLUES observational study found that young adults who vape perform significantly worse on multiple exercise parameters comparable to combustible cigarette smokers. Even though they've vaped for fewer years. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/people-who-vape-had-worrisome-changes-in-cardiovascular-function-even-as-young-adults?

If you want to vape, vape. But more and more evidence from doctors and studies are showing that it is definitely harmful to your body and health. It's still your choice to do so, but no children should be vaping, and they should know about the definite risks to health. Rather than many thinking, it's harmless. That's why GMB are showing the harms of vaping, because we know about smoking and many people either 1. Reject science 2. Don't even know that vaping is harmful. So whilst smoking is now accepted (again, initially, people thought it was fine, the same thing is happening now), vaping needs more awareness.

So not in the U.K. then where the regulations are totally different, and there’s really high standards for vape liquid
that’s like comparing food in America to here