Footballer Léo Pereira, who plays for Flamengo, was seen vaping while on vacation. The image circulated on social media and sparked debate among supporters of the Rio team, but the defender has not yet confirmed whether he was actually using an e-cigarette.
What are the risks of vaping?
Comments opposing the use of vapes have drawn attention to the product’s potential health dangers. Furthermore, a decision by the Collegiate Board of Anvisa (Dicol) prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes in Brazil.
Electronic smoking devices (EDFs) are controversial worldwide. Since their appearance and in many countries, electronic cigarettes and other DEFs have been considered a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. However, recent studies show that these devices are harmful to health, generate dependence and do not provide proven benefits for public health.
Vaping has nicotine levels similar to or higher than traditional cigarettes. Additionally, due to the way nicotine is delivered, which “facilitates inhalation for longer periods of time, without causing discomfort to the user,” these devices would be more likely to make the user addicted than traditional cigarettes. A study by the USP Hospital das Clínicas showed that in Brazil traditional cigarettes have a limit of 1 mg of substance, while electronic cigarettes reach 57 mg per ml. According to the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB), a single vape is equivalent to a pack of 20 cigarettes.
Chemicals in the body
These devices can contain nearly 2,000 substances, most of them undisclosed. A study by John Hopkins University, US, discovered thousands of other unknown chemicals in the devices, which were not listed by the manufacturers. Furthermore, we know that the inhalation of known substances present in these devices, such as propylene glycol and metals, is toxic and carcinogenic.
According to a study carried out by the Center for Tobacco Research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Southern California Keck School of Medicine, both in the United States, just 30 days of consumption of so-called vapes can cause serious respiratory problems, even in healthy and young people, the public that consumes this type of product the most.
E-cigarette users for 30 days had an 81% higher risk of experiencing a symptom called wheezing. For this group, a 78% higher risk of feeling short of breath and a 50% higher risk of bronchitis symptoms were also demonstrated.
Another study, carried out by the University of Birmingham in England, found that inhaling vapor from an e-cigarette, even moderate exposure, can interfere with the normal functioning of immune cells capable of fighting disease. A study by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC) indicates that electronic cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, increase the risk of heart attack by 1.79 times. Still according to studies analyzed by SBC, electronic smoking devices (EDF) also have an impact on the incidence of atherosclerosis among their users.
The Association also warns against the appearance of EVALI, an acronym for lung injury induced by electronic cigarettes. It is a device-associated lung disease that was first identified in the United States – where 2,807 cases and 68 associated deaths have already been recorded.
Another study, published in the journal Inhalation Toxicology, observed that heavy metals leach from the coils in e-liquids from electronic smoking devices. In the samples, aluminum, iron, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc and lead were found, which increases the risk of cancer in consumers, in addition to other respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
Work published in the scientific journal Cancer Research last month found that e-cigarette users had DNA changes in specific cheek cells similar to those of conventional smokers.
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