If you were a parent who smoked, you may have decided that vaping is a safer option.
However, experts have cautioned that vaping in close proximity to your children may still expose them to harmful substances.
Children are especially susceptible to the hidden risks associated with secondhand e-cigarette vapour, as revealed by a recent study.
Children who live in homes where vapes are used inadvertently breathe in chemicals that may be harmful to their developing bodies.
The metabolites connected to the chemicals in e-cigarette liquis were “significantly higher” in children between the ages of four and twelve who were exposed to secondhand vapour.
When food, medication, or substances are broken down by the body, metabolites are produced or utilised.
The researchers claim that these compounds can damage cells and induce inflammation in the body, which has been connected to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Researchers found that although the vapour from electronic cigarettes may disappear into the atmosphere, the impacts on children are not.
Researchers from the Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University completed the study, which was then presented at the National Association of Paediatric Nurse Practitioners meeting in Denver.
According to lead author Jeannie Rodriguez, an associate professor at Emory’s School of Nursing, many smokers have converted to e-cigarettes because they believe it to be safer for both them and those around them.
But the liquids used in vape pens include substances that can be dangerous to you and others you love when they come into contact with the vapours you exhale.
A sample of kids between the ages of four and twelve whose parents vaped on a daily basis were compared to kids whose parents did not smoke or vape.
The youngsters were subjected to less intrusive saliva and breath tests in addition to blood testing in order to identify the harmful material to which they had been exposed.
According to the researchers, the metabolites present in children whose parents vape interfere with the body’s regular functions by producing oxidative stress, inflammation, and a disruption in dopamine levels.
Oxidative stress is associated with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other disorders by causing damage to cells throughout the body.
When parents were informed of the study’s findings, almost half of them were ignorant of the dangers of secondhand vapour from the gadgets.
Of the 19 respondents, 11 thought vaping in front of their children posed little to no risk.
According to a statement from the researchers, this concerning disparity highlights the need for education on the matter.
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