Nowadays, whenever people see clouds of smoke while walking down the street, they do not freak out thinking there is a fire. Because they know for a fact that somewhere out there is a vaper, or, in other words, a person puffing away on an e-cigarette or vaping device.
The popularity of e-cigarettes and vapes has been on the rise ever since Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio attended the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards with a stylish black vape device and puffed away to the delight of thousands of photographers.
Even though vapes and e-cigarettes have been touted by manufacturers as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, recent studies seem to contradict the notion that e-cigarettes and vapes are safe for U.S. consumers. In fact, a recent study has established a link between flavorings used in e-cigarette liquids and heart damage.
E-cigarettes, vapes, and product liability lawsuits
Our Los Angeles product liability attorney from Law Offices of Howard Kornberg reminds readers that the use of e-cigarettes and vapes has been previously linked to wet lung disease as well as other medical conditions. Besides, exploding e-cigarette batteries have triggered a slew of product liability lawsuits from injured consumers.
There are approximately 7,000 flavors for e-cigarette and vape liquids, ranging from vanilla and menthol to pumpkin pie and even nacho cheese flavors. What many Americans do not realize is that flavorings in traditional cigarettes were banned back in 2009 to reduce the number of smokers among younger people.
But flavorings for e-cigarette and vape liquids are not banned, which is why manufacturers have the freedom to come up with new and somewhat bizarre flavorings to satisfy, or, in some cases, shock consumers. But how safe are these flavorings used in e-cigarettes and vape devices?
The dangers of e-cigarette and vape liquid flavorings
Earlier in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration attempted to ban flavorings in e-cigs, but their attempts were fruitless. The FDA’s argument was turned down due to the lack of scientific data to support the ban on e-cigarette flavorings.
Advocates for e-cigarettes and vapes presented their counterargument by declaring that the use of flavorings in e-cigarettes and vapes appeals to smokers of traditional cigarettes to make the switch and quit smoking.
In 2017, a study indicated that e-cig liquid flavorings could produce dangerous levels of toxic vapors. But the most recent study claims that flavored liquids may cause heart damage. We asked our product liability attorney in Los Angeles to review the findings of the new study.
Do e-cigarette liquid flavorings cause heart damage?
The study was published in the American Heart Association’s journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB), which centered on the effects of nine different flavorings used in e-cigarettes and vapes, according to Reuters.
The study showed that all nine flavorings caused damage to healthy cells in the smoker’s body, but five of them (vanilla, mint, cinnamon, clove, and burnt) diminished the cell’s ability to produce nitric oxide, which is essential for overall health.
Impaired production of nitric oxide, for its part, can cause heart attacks and strokes even in healthy individuals. Unfortunately, the study was limited in scope, and a more in-depth investigation of the potential link between smoking e-cigarettes or vaping and heart damage is needed.
If you have been smoking e-cigarettes or vaping and suspect that your use of e-cigs or vape device caused heart damage or in any other way damaged your health, speak to our Los Angeles highly qualified attorney. Contact the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg and get a free consultation today. Call 310-997-0904 today.
Prev
