How dangerous is the e-cigarette?

What does an e-cigarette consist of?

An e-cigarette consists of three parts: the liquid cartridge, the vaporizer and the battery. The liquid cartridge contains the flavored (there are now more than 500 flavors for sale!) nicotine that you smoke as an e-cigarette user. The cartridge is also the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette. The vaporizer converts the nicotine liquid into vapor. And then there’s the power source: a battery that activates the heating element of the e-cigarette. Smoking an e-cigarette is also known as ‘vaping’ or ‘vaping’.

What problems have been reported so far?

• The British health watchdog MHRA has received 74 reports that may be related to the e-cigarette. In 49 cases, the MHRA speaks of serious ailments. In total, there are 200 ailments that may be caused by the e-cigarette. Think of conditions such as heart problems, chest pain, lung problems, fatigue and weight loss. All reports received by the MHRA come from people who themselves link the ailments to the use of the e-cigarette. Further research is planned.
• According to various media in the United States, 12 people have died as a result of the use of the e-cigarette. In addition, there are about 800 patients who report ‘mysterious respiratory diseases’. In America, further research is now being conducted into the consequences of the use of e-cigarettes. The US health service CDC advises to stop smoking e-cigarettes.
• In the Netherlands, the Dutch Association of Physicians for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis (NVALT) conducted a survey among 1,100 members. This was followed within three days of three reports of people whose lung ailments may be due to vaping the e-cigarette. According to the chairman of the NVALT, these people did not have lung disease before that.
• E-cigarettes are also under fire in other countries. Brazil, India, Thailand and Singapore, among others, have already banned e-cigarettes or are planning to do so.

Did the patients suffer from health problems for a longer period of time?

It doesn’t seem like that. The patients who report problems after smoking an e-cigarette are often relatively young and in good health. The complaints arose shortly after they had smoked an e-cigarette.

Are there any comments to be made about the reported problems with the e-cigarette?

Yes, they seem to be there. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many of the US victims had added THC oil (oil with cannabis) to their e-cigarette. This oil would mainly be bought in the illegal circuit. An investigation is now underway into the possible link between smoking this oil and the deaths.

How dangerous is the e-cigarette really?

A first indication of the risks of the e-cigarette came in 2018. Researchers from the University of Birmingham argued that smoking the flavored nicotine poses health risks. Inhaling the nicotine vapor damages certain cells that are important for the immune system. Damage to these cells therefore leads to a greater risk of lung infections, the researchers say. They conducted their research on human cells, not humans. Although the researchers state that more research is needed, they do want to warn against the health risks of e-cigarettes – which they believe are underestimated. Esther Croes, physician-epidemiologist at the Trimbos Institute, recently told EenVandaag that the e-cigarette is less dangerous than a regular cigarette. But: “The e-cigarette is not harmless. We are not yet fully aware of how dangerous it is exactly. That should become clear in the coming years.”

What is the Dutch government doing with e-cigarettes?

The government sees the e-cigarette as a smoking product: you may not promote it and it is prohibited for children. From 2020, the e-cigarette will disappear behind the counter, out of sight. And State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health has promised the House of Representatives that there will be new research into the health risks of e-cigarettes.