“Popcorn lung” that kills: what danger threatens lovers of vapes and other electronic cigarettes

Doctors warn: vaping and tobacco heating systems can lead to the development of a condition called “popcorn lung”.

Diacetyl is a yellow-green liquid that has a strong smell of butter and sour cream, but is almost tasteless. Therefore, diacetyl is often used as a flavoring agent for foods, and most often in making popcorn.

When consumed, the substance is completely safe. But the inhalation of diacetyl vapors leads to catastrophic health consequences. This was discovered in the early 200s, when an “epidemic” suddenly broke out among workers at a popcorn factory in Missouri: many employees faced the same problem.

Then, for the first time, the term “popcorn lung” sounded. Behind this “nickname” hides bronchiolitis obliterans – a rare, incurable and life-threatening form of inflammation of the bronchi. “95% of people who develop this disease will die within five years,” Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment and Cancer Screening Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital, told the Daily Mail.

Panagis urges everyone to pay attention to a study conducted by a team of scientists in 2016. Experts have chosen 51 vape liquids from all kinds of liquids – those types that they believe are especially popular with young people and adults. teenagers. Then the purchased “fillers” were examined for the content of various potentially hazardous substances.

Diacetyl was found in 39 samples. Pina Colada, Peach Schnapps, Harmful Apple, Orange Mint, Cherry Lava, Pineapple Punch and Cotton Candy – all these names hide liquids that can cause irreparable damage to the body. The authors of the study believe that it is urgent to act to soberly assess the impact of electronic cigarettes on health.

In our country, as in Europe, the vape appeared in 2008. Their popularity grew rapidly: only from 2012 to 2016 the number of vapers in Russia increased fivefold and reached 1.536 million people. Proponents of “soaring” believe that electronic cigarettes are less harmful to health than ordinary cigarettes: after all, the products formed during combustion do not enter the lungs.

But Galiastas draws attention to two nuances: on the one hand, vapes use the addictive properties of nicotine in the same way, and on the other hand, liquids contain other substances that increase the risk of developing cancers. , cardiovascular and other diseases. According to the doctor, whatever method of smoking a person prefers, in any case we are talking about the “choice of poison”.

In Russia, the fight against smoking is carried out within the framework of the national project “Demography”. Thanks to him, in 2020, smoking electronic cigarettes, vapes and hookahs was banned in public places. But bans aren’t the only way Russians are used to boosting their health.

For those who want to give up bad habits, within the framework of the national project, “Let’s Quit” communities have appeared, where people who want to quit smoking gather and are ready to help each other in this useful business. Such communities already exist in Teleram and VK – subscribe if you want to find like-minded people and throw away your vape forever!