Second-hand vape smoke exposure increases young adults risk of developing bronchitis symptoms

By Georgia Lambert via SWNS

Second hand smoke from nicotine vapors used at home increase the risk of bronchitis symptoms in young adults, warns new research.

The exposure to nicotine vapor from e-cigarettes has been linked to a heightened risk of bronchitic symptoms and shortness of breath among young adults.

According to experts, if these findings prove causal, there would be a “compelling rationale” for banning the use of e-cigs and other vaping devices in public spaces.

Despite the popularity of vaping, little is known about the health effects of second hand exposure to nicotine vapor from e-cigarettes and other devices.

While the second hand exposure to particulate matter from vapes is lower than that from conventional cigarettes, there are higher levels of ultrafine particles in e-cigarette aerosols including volatile compounds and metals known to harm tissue in the lungs.

To find out the impact vapes have on respiratory health, US researchers gathered data supplied by 2090 participants in the Southern California Children's Health Study.

This study collected yearly data about people's respiratory health, active and second hand nicotine vaping, and conventional tobacco and cannabis smoke exposure in households from 2014 to 2019.

The participants, who were about 17-years-old when the study started, were considered to have bronchitic symptoms if they reported having the condition in the previous year, a daily cough in the morning for three consecutive months, a daily cough at other times of the day for three months in a row and congestion or phlegm that weren't symptoms of a common cold.

The presence of second hand nicotine vaping increased from 12 percent to 16 percent between 2014 to 2019, while the prevalence of second hand smoking fell from 27 percent to 21 percent.

According to the researchers 76 to 93 percent of people who had been exposed to second hand nicotine vaping during the study's period, were also more likely to actively smoke tobacco or cannabis themselves or to have been exposed to someone else who smoked.

Also during this time was the rise of self-reported wheezing and bronchitic symptoms rose from 12 percent to 15 percent, and from 19.5 percent to 26 percent respectively.

Whereas, people's shortness of breath didn't show any clear trend over time as it ranged from 16.5 to 18 percent.

Compared to the participants who hadn't been exposed to second hand nicotine vaping, those who had were more likely to report bronchitic symptoms and shortness of breath but interestingly, they did not wheeze.

After adjusting the analysis to look at second hand smoking and cannabis exposure, and those who were actively vaping or smoking, people who were exposed to second hand nicotine vaping were 40 percent more likely to report bronchitic symptoms and 53 percent more likely to report shortness of breath.

When the analysis was restricted to the 1,181 participants who reported no personal vaping or smoking in the past 30 days, stronger links emerged.

These participants were more than twice as likely to report wheeze, three times as likely to report bronchitic symptoms, and twice as likely to report shortness of breath.

The authors explained that because this was an observational study, they couldn't establish a cause for the bronchitic symptoms but the findings are similar in magnitude to those who second handedly smoked.

They wrote: “If causal, reduction of second hand e-cigarette exposure in the home would reduce the burden of respiratory symptoms and would provide a compelling rationale for regulation of e-cigarette use in public places."

They went on to suggest that if further research proved their findings to be causal, a ban on vaping in public places would be warranted.

In a linked editorial, Dr.'s Anna Lucia Fuentes and Laura Crotty Alexander from the University of California San Diego and the San Diego Healthcare System pointed out that vaping devices were originally marketed as a "lower health risk nicotine replacement."

They wrote: "But increasing evidence points to the contrary.

“Even more concerning is that marketing has targeted the vulnerable adolescent population, with 78 percent of middle school and high school students exposed to at least one e-cigarette advertisement between 2014 and 2016.”

They added: “Some may be comforted by studies that argue that nicotine use has not increased with the rise of vaping.

"However, it is important to note that the nicotine content reported on product labels and what is chemically measured can vary widely.

“This means that users may be unaware of what they are truly vaping and thus are at risk of unwittingly becoming nicotine addicts.”

They then shared their thoughts on the latest research: “While association is not causation, this study is the first to describe the negative effects of [second hand nicotine vape] exposure on respiratory symptoms.

“More work needs to be done to prove that this exposure directly causes harm.

"Ultimately, this is a public health concern that—if not addressed—has the potential to negatively affect our population, including those who are most vulnerable.”

The study was published in the respiratory journal Thorax.