DOES VAPING CAUSE POPCORN LUNG?

And if you thought vaping couldn’t be bad enough, a new research study came to light that suggests that the use of certain e-cigarette juices may cause an irreversible lung condition called “popcorn lung.”

In a news report by Business Insider Australia, flavored e-cigarette juices are now being pulled out of retail stores across America.

This initiative was started by Juul, an American start-up company specializing in producing flavored vape juices, when the study about its effects came to light.

In a statement, Juul CEO Kevin Burns said, “As of this morning, we stopped accepting retail orders for our Mango, Fruit, Creme, and Cucumber Juul pods to the over 90,000 retail stores that sell our product, including traditional tobacco retailers (e.g., convenience stores) and specialty vape shops.”

Mr. Burns said that they are implementing a new age restriction system, which they will enforce across stores that wants to sell their products.

The move was approved by scientists and public-health experts, due to the growing concerns that e-cigarette flavors make smoking appealing to young people.

To combat this growing trend, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office released pamphlets that says the possible effects of e-cigarettes, and one of those risks? Popcorn lung.

Popcorn lung is a result of being exposed to a chemical called diacetyl that is commonly found on e-cig juices. According to a 2015 study, 39 out 51 available e-cig juices contain some level of diacetyl.

What is Popcorn Lung?

But what is this disease? Popcorn lung is a nickname for a condition called bronchiolitis obliterans, wherein people with this affliction have inflamed and scarred bronchioles – the tiny airways where oxygen passes through. Common symptoms of this disease are frequent coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue and wheezing, even if the person has no history of cold or asthma.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Popcorn lung is a dangerous and irreversible lung disease.

So Does Vaping Cause Popcorn Lung?

Numerous publications such as Snopes said that claims have been widely exaggerated. In fact, Cancer Research UK even said that there is not yet good evidence that e-cigarettes could cause this condition.

In fact, they even went on to say that “there’s been no cases of popcorn lung reported in people who use e-cigarettes.”

According to them, Popcorn lung is a rare type of disease, and more research must be done before people can claim that vaping, or diacetyl to an extent, causes this affliction.

As of now, there is yet a conclusive study about the drawbacks or benefits of e-cigarettes.