Vaping teens at risk of toxic metal exposure ‘linked to brain damage’ – worst-offending flavours revealed
VAPING could damage teenagers’ developing brains because liquids contain toxic metals, according to research.
E-cigs are assumed to be safer than cigarettes because they do not contain tar, a toxic chemical of tobacco.
But scientists are still learning about the health effects of e-cigarettes and are warning of some worrying findings.
A study by the University of Nebraska divided 200 teenagers into frequent (20 or more days use in the last month), occasional (one to five days) and intermittent (six to 19 days) vapers.
Biomarkers in the urine were then assessed for the presence of the metals.
Both frequent and intermittent e-cigarette users had higher levels of lead and uranium in their urine than those who vaped occasionally, the study found.
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However, there was not a group of teenagers that did not vape at all as a comparison. Rather, the findings were able to say that the more a teenager vaped, the higher their metal levels.
Exposure to uranium can also come from a number of sources, such as diet.
According to researchers, those who used sweet flavour vapes (15.3 per cent) had higher uranium levels compared to those who preferred menthol or mint (33 per cent) or fruit (49.8 per cent).
Sweet flavoured vapes included those that were sweet but not fruit, such as chocolate, candy, bubblegum or desserts.
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Study limitations
The researchers wrote: “Despite the limitations, this study reported increased urine lead and uranium levels associated with vaping frequency.
“Sweet flavours might pose an additional risk of exposure to uranium.
“E-cigarette use during adolescence may increase the likelihood of metal exposure, which could adversely affect brain and organ development.
“These findings call for further research, vaping regulation, and targeted public health interventions to mitigate the potential harms of e-cigarette use, particularly among adolescents.”
Professor Lion Shahab, co-director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said: "This study therefore cannot tell us anything about absolute increase in exposure to heavy metals from e-cigarette use in this population, only about relative exposure among less and more frequent e-cigarette users."
Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, who was not involved in the study, commented: “I certainly don't want teenagers to vape.
"But it's far too early to say that metals like lead or uranium coming from e-cigarettes are dangerous to the health of adolescent vapers.
“There are so many sources of uncertainty about what's going on here, and how the study's findings can be interpreted, that I don't think it can yet raise real health concerns."
A number of vaping warnings have been sounded in recent links, including that vapers suffer 'similar' DNA damage to smokers.
Youngsters in England are some of the heaviest vapers in Europe, figures show.
Only kids in the Baltics and Eastern Europe vape more, with Bulgaria, Poland and Lithuania at the top of the table.
Thirty per cent of 15-year-old girls in England have used an e-cig in the past month — far higher than the European average of 21 per cent.
In Scotland and Wales, rates are lower for young teens but on a par with England by the age of 15.
A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) last June found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
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The Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was announced in October, aims to create a “smoke-free generation” by prohibiting the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 1 2009.
It will also crack down on vapes in a bid to lessen their appeal to children and young people.
What are the new vape laws?
MINISTERS have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them.
New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in late 2024 or early 2025.
They are set to include:
- Higher tax rates paid on vapes to increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them
- A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged
- A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters
- Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy
- More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight
- Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s
The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping.
A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) last June found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced plans to impose a tax on on imported e-cigs and manufacturers, making vapes more expensive.
The duty will apply to the liquid in vapes, with higher levels for products with more nicotine.