Disposable Vapes Are Creating an Even Bigger Problem Than Juul

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

Key Takeaways

• Americans are buying close to 12 million disposable vapes every month, but many don't know how to recycle or dispose of these devices that contain hazardous waste.

• Disposable vapes come with the same health risks as reusable e-cigarettes, and they're a rising environmental threat.

• Most disposable vapes in the U.S. are illegal and unregulated, but sales have surged since the FDA banned flavored e-cigarettes in 2020.
  

Most disposable vapes are illegal in the United States, yet more dubious brands stock the shelves each day. In addition to the health risks that come with vaping, disposable vapes are creating a serious environmental problem.

Americans are buying close to 12 million disposable vapes each month. But almost half of young vapers said they don’t know what to do with used disposable devices, according to a 2020 survey conducted by Truth Initiative.

Vape waste can introduce plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals, and flammable lithium-ion batteries into the environment. polluting the waterways, soil, and wildlife.

In February 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of flavored e-cigarette products like Juul. However, the policy excluded disposable devices, allowing for hundreds of unregulated brands to enter the U.S. market to fulfill new demands.

Disposable e-cigarettes now account for 54.8% of total e-cigarette sales, according to CDC Foundation data as of June 2023.

“E-cigarettes remain controversial because their long-term health impact is unknown and because they are a possible gateway to cigarette smoking. But one thing is clear: they are a rising environmental threat,” researchers wrote a letter published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine last year.

Related: Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?

What Are the Risks of Vaping?

With little to no regulatory oversight, vaping products are associated with risks of lung injuries, fires or explosions, seizures, and other neurological symptoms, according to the FDA.

E-cigarettes contain respiratory irritants such as delta-dodecalactone, menthol, and benzyl alcohol. The heating elements in these devices can also release cancer-causing metals like chromium and nickel.

Researchers in Switzerland found that the amount of chromium and nickel in the aerosol generated by some popular disposable vapes, such as Puff Bar and Air Bar, is well above the acceptable risk of cancer.

However, not all e-cigarette products have the same health risks—they could vary by flavor. A 2016 study that tested 145 e-cigarettes found that cherry-flavored products contained the highest level of benzaldehyde, a flavoring agent that could irritate the respiratory tract and cause shortness of breath.

Related: Does Vaping Cause Lung Cancer?

In 2019 and 2020, vapes that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or vitamin E acetate (VEA) were linked to a lung injury outbreak that led to over 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths.

Although many considered this outbreak to be uniquely related to the contamination of THC vapes with VEA, there are no tests to confirm lung injuries associated with vaping use, according to John Pierce, PhD, a professor at the University of California, San Diego’s Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health.

“VEA was certainly one cause, which the FDA was very effective in closing down,” Pierce said. However, the American Thoracic Society called for urgent research and public health action as some cases did not involve THC or VEA.

Related: What Ingredients Are in JUULpods and Other Vaping Products?

How Are Vaping Products Regulated Now?

The FDA has only approved 23 e-cigarette products so far, 12 of which are refills.

In June 2023, the FDA issued over 180 warning letters to retailers illegally selling Elf Bars and Esco Bars in response to thousands of cases in which children younger than 5 years old were exposed to these devices. Both brands consist of disposable e-cigarettes that attract young users with sweet flavors like bubblegum and cotton candy.

Many companies making disposable vapes are already on the FDA’s Red List, but that hasn’t stopped these products from reaching consumers.

The concentration of nicotine in liquid form isn’t regulated at a federal level, according to Andrew Barnes, PhD, an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in health policy, tobacco regulatory science, and behavioral economics.

In contrast, the European Union restricts nicotine concentration to 20 milligrams per milliliter in liquid, Barnes said. The EU also has stricter regulations than the U.S. and Canada, but all of these places still allow selling vaping products that are customizable and hard to regulate, he added.

Users can “mod” these open system vapes to adjust the voltage, which controls how much nicotine is delivered per puff. They can also refill the e-liquids on their own, unlike closed systems that rely on single-use cartridges or pods.

Related: Causes of Sore Throat From Vaping and How to Treat It

In the United Kingdom, certain ingredients like caffeine, taurine, and colorings are banned, according to Marissa Smith, PhD, a research associate at the University of Glasgow.

Smith said disposable e-cigarettes are also classified as electronic waste in the U.K., which means that consumers are supposed to drop off emptied vapes at a local electronics recycling center or at the shop where they bought the device.

“However, there appears to be confusion across the marketplace with respect to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations and how to comply,” Smith said.

She added that non-profit organizations like Material Focus are pushing for e-cigarette recycling to be made easier in the U.K., and for manufacturers and retailers to install collection points inside shops.

“The environmental impact and recycling of disposable e-cigarettes is a hot topic at the moment, particularly in Scotland,” Smith said.

In the U.S., legislators in New York and California have proposed to limit the sale of single-use e-cigarettes. Environmental advocates are also calling for policies that allow for safe recycling and disposal of these products.

Read Next: 10 Things That Happen When You Quit Smoking

What This Means For You

Disposable e-cigarette sales have surged since the FDA banned flavored e-cigarettes that use cartridges or pods. In addition to health concerns associated with vaping, these single-use devices are hard to recycle or dispose of because they contain plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals, and flammable lithium-ion batteries.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.