People are now determined to quit vaping after a new study has suggested that some electronic cigarettes are worse for you than normal cigarettes.
Vaping was initially introduced as way to wean yourself off cigarettes and a way to quit smoking for good.
After all, the leading cause of cancer worldwide is still tobacco use, according to Cancer Research UK.
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A few hundred puffs later, however, electronic vapes may be more dangerous for you than older e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes.
New vape study finds increased cancer risk
A new study from the University of California, Davis, has found that one disposable vape model released more lead during a day’s use than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.
Exposure to lead and certain metals can increase a person's cancer risk.
How lead exposure can cause cancer
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Lead exposure can damage DNA and interfere with cell repair when it enters the body through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact.
Although lead doesn’t directly cause mutations, it can lead to an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to an increased risk of cancer over time.
“Our study highlights the hidden risk of these new and popular disposable electronic cigarettes — with hazardous levels of neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony — which stresses the need for urgency in enforcement,” said senior author Brett Poulin, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology.
“These risks are not just worse than other e-cigarettes but worse in some cases than traditional cigarettes.”
When author Mark Salazar, a Ph.D. candidate in Poulin’s lab, saw his friend vaping from an e-cig for the first time, he decided to take it in to have a look.
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“When I first saw the lead concentrations, they were so high I thought our instrument was broken,” Salazar revealed.
“That sparked us into looking further into these disposables.”
Limitations of the study
The researchers only tested three of the nearly 100 disposable e-cigarette brands on the market.
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It was also acknowledged that 'the market is outpacing science' and there remains a need for more studies on the newer products to get more of an understanding of the potential issue.
Also, as I'm sure you're aware, the government has banned the sale and supply of single-use vapes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since 1 June.
The ban on disposable vapes aims to address environmental waste concerns and to help stop young people from vaping.
People promise to quit vaping
Over on social media, people have been reacting to the new study, and some have said it's enough to make them quit.
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"That’ll do it. Quitting," one person tweeted, as another penned: "Thank god I don't smoke disposables."
Other replies included 'holy s**t' and 'ugh I just quit two weeks ago.'
Anish Vij