From the moment they first appeared, e-cigarettes or vapes were often considered safer than conventional cigarettes and were even thought to help someone quit smoking. It is unsurprising that an increasing number of people are transitioning to e-cigarettes. But experts reveal that e-cigarettes are just as dangerous as conventional cigarettes, including when smokers smoke around babies and children.

Health risks of e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes or vapes, are electronic devices that produce vapor and deliver nicotine. This type of cigarette usually consists of a battery, a heater, and a cartridge containing liquid to be smoked. The liquid in this tube contains ingredients such as nicotine, glycerin, flavorings, and other chemicals.

E-cigarettes work by heating liquid in a small device that can be inhaled into the lungs. An e-cigarette or other vaping device heats the liquid in the device to produce an aerosol. The smoker then inhales these particles into the mouth, where they travel down the throat and into the lungs.

A lot of people consider this aerosolized substance safer than conventional cigarette smoke, so smokers do not hesitate to smoke cigarettes anywhere, including around children. But actually, vaping or smoking with e-cigarettes both have risks for children.

Some of the dangers of smoking e-cigarettes around babies and children include:

Secondhand exposure

Although there is limited research on the specific risks of e-cigarettes for children, experts claim that there is a lot of evidence indicating that both nicotine exposure and regular cigarette use can have negative impacts on children's health.

Vape liquids are known to contain propylene glycol and glycerol, which can form formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, substances that are known carcinogens or potentially cause cancer. In addition, vape liquid can also contain metal substances such as copper, arsenic or nickel, which have been known to be harmful to the body.

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop ear infections, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and respiratory problems. Cigarette smoke from conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes are both harmful to the environment around them, both children and adults.

Accidental ingestion

Accidental exposure from e-cigarettes stored in the wrong place is another risk that parents frequently fail to consider. An analysis conducted in the United States in 2018 showed that between 2012 and 2017, there were 8,269 exposures to liquid nicotine among children under the age of five.

Children exposed to e-cigarette vapor at home also had a five-fold greater risk of hospitalization and twice the risk of severe health problems compared to children exposed to conventional cigarettes.

Respiratory distress

Babies and children who inhale vape aerosols are at risk of respiratory problems due to irritation and swelling of their airways. Some of the respiratory problems that children can experience include:

• Asthma
• Bronchiolitis
• Bronchitis
• Ear infection
• Pneumonia
• Tonsillitis, etc.
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Tips to protect children from the dangers of cigarettes

The best way to protect children from the dangers of smoking is to not smoke around babies and children, whether using conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes. If you are a smoker, you should try to quit smoking because it may harm your health and others' around you.

If you are in a public place and find smokers around your child, it is best to take your child away. You can also ask people who are around your child not to smoke near babies and children.

Smoking, whether using conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes, is equally harmful to those around them. If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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