Popcorn Lung Is a Real Danger With E-cigarettes & Vaping: Parents, Read This! by Beth Aldrich, CHC, AADP, CNT

A new, growing hazard is risking the health our high school and college-aged children. The popular craze of e-cigarettes and inhalation/vaping pens are gaining momentum in schools all across the country. Parents need to treat this threat with urgency.

More dangerous than regular cigarettes, inhaling or vaping "flavorings" such as diacetyl (that used to be used in microwave popcorn but has now been removed), can lead serious and irreversible lung disease and possibly cancer. According to the American Lung Association, researchers at Harvard found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contained diacetyl. The study also found two similarly harmful chemicals – 2,3 pentanedione and acetoin – present in 23 and 46 of the 51 flavors it tested, respectively. And roughly 92 percent of the e-cigarettes had one of the three chemicals present.

E-cigarette manufacturers have essentially been given a temporary "free pass" and their products will be allowed to remain on the market for up to three years as manufacturers test their products and submit necessary applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. Until then, it's up to parents to protect their own children.

Read more about e-cigarettes and popcorn lung.

Photo: American Lung Association 

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