Vaping deaths and illnesses linked to contaminant

Too many variables. It depends on the conditions and other chemicals in the local environment. The decomposition could be simple breakup of the molecule, or it could be an oxidative reaction, or redox, or acidification, or any number of things. So her exclamation covers the options nicely.

A number of chemical reactions, especially temperature-dependent ones, are reversible. So while all of the substance might not reconvert to the original molecule, much of it would.

ETA: The same acetate group hanging off the end of an aromatic ring that gives it an anti-oxidant effect is also a troublemaker when heated up. The instability of that end group is capable of both neutralizing free radicals and spawning them. Heating it up, especially in a vaporous organic soup like a vape blend, is frankly scary in chemical terms.

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And it’s likely that not all of the original substance will have proceeded forward on the reaction(s) anyway.

(simple example: not all of an icecube transitions from solid to liquid the instant the temperature rises above 0°C, and similarly it’s not hard to find liquid water when the nominal temperature is below 0°C)

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the brands are basically “anything illegal/not tested.” Given the widespread /availability of carts, packaging, and so-called brand inserts, the names mean almost nothing.

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Spent some time looking for research on this, came up with, as expected, nothing specifically applicable to this issue. Only that thermal degradation of large organic molecules inevitably produce a large and not well understood, complex mix of compounds. The Maillard reaction is an example, although not directly comparable. The other ingredients in the juice will inevitably have an effect on the eventual product of the reaction, and yes, most likely result in “who knows what.” Especially when we are in the dark about what some of those ingredients might be.

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The example I use when discussing vaping vs smoking with teens in my office is to ask if you would prefer to be shot with a .22 or a .45. Personally, I would prefer to remain unshot.

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Came to make precisely those same two observations.

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Both of which are addressed by myself and @DukeTrout a couple posts above.

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It really is clear that it does. It’s absolutely not even a contest.

For example: https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k575

There is still lots to learn, sure - but, even if we’re wrong and vaping is four times as dangerous as we thought - it would still be 20% instead of 5% as dangerous as smoking.

The question isn’t which is worse. It’s not even close to being which is worse. It’s only how much worse smoking is.

Like, at 1/20 or less the danger of smoking (per our current best estimate), smoking isn’t even a useful comparator since we get fixated on the big bad of smoking, lose track of the fraction 1/20, and end up with a sort of half-formed notion that it’s kind of like smoking. It would be better to find some other thing X that’s about 1/20 as bad as smoking, and say “vaping is about as bad as X”.

Quick, picture something 95% shorter than a football field. Not very helpful in sizing up the thing is it? Much more useful for conveying such a length would be “it’s about as long as a pickup truck”.

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100% agree with you.

The FDA waited too long to act to quench the market on these before they acted; the government still hasn’t completed all the testing to find out how bad these things are for people. Frankly, no one knows how bad they are for people yet, not in the short or long terms. The people who produce them have no idea, it’s legally a grey area and the vendors seem to have more of a drug dealer attitude than a medical products supplier attitude.

Uhm. Yay freedom?

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Of course, preaching to the choir here. I don’t buy into the narrative that vaping is better but that’s always the argument that has always been floated out to anyone interested in vaping vs smoking. To me there’s not much of a difference, a person is still inhaling substances they aren’t meant to inhale and no matter what it just can’t be good for someone.

They clearly were riding the legal precedent set by smoking tobacco. “We can put whatever we want into the product, and as long as we print the warning that its probably bad for you, we are covered.”

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Ahh Vaping, the hotter the plume the more likely your doom. It probably isn’t polite to laugh at people attempting suicide but damned if people don’t look stupid to me when they’re using those things.

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And even then, it’s still distracting because of the type of process, respiration, that introduces contaminants into the lungs/bloodstream is something inseparable from our personal environment. I mean, even breathing in some naturally-occurring compounds on our planet can be just as dangerous, depending on your physical location. Much worse these days due to human activity some of us call progress.

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Ha! That’s wonderfully phrased; thanks, I’ll be stealing that :grin:.

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I both smoke flower and dab concentrates. If I use only my little pocket dab rig, I simply lose my “smoker’s cough”, unlike when I smoke weed. The difference is pretty stark.

That said, anyone who thinks inhaling anything that isn’t clean air into their lungs — barring specific necessary medications ^^’ — is somehow “healthy” is, put simply, a blithering idiot.

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As a healthier alternative to vaping may I suggest thumb sucking to get your oral fixation sorted. In the long run it is way cheaper with greatly minimised health risks - depending on where your thumb has been and the state of your manicure. You can also first dip it into some nicotinic substance or a finely ground cigarette for that oldschool flavor. No batteries required.

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I’m a fidgeter from my adult ADHD. So, it’s either what you recommend, chew off my fingernails, or do something else with my hands. Thanks for making people that aren’t neurotypical sound like infants, though. Bet it makes you feel all grown up!

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i agree, vaping cannabis concentrates in my portable dab is much easier on my lungs than smoking it ever was. far healthier alternative for sure.

I am strongly reminded of the discussions regarding filter-tipped cigarettes vs regular cigarettes.

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In Europe CBD oil made by most reliable producers is typically extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent so there isn’t any nasty stuff there. Cannabis seed oil (used for salads, for example) is just cold pressed, so there should be no contaminants there too.

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