The Truth

Popcorn lung. This is a phrase known all too well by the vaping community and it really irritates the shit out of us. Almost every advanced vape enthusiast knows the truth about popcorn lung, despite what the media has to say about it( Snopes Article ). More and more information is coming out about the studies of diacetyl and bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung). In fact, a recent study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health was recently published in the journal

Environmental Health Perspectives.

The researchers measured levels of potential hazardous flavoring chemicals in e-liquid, such as diacetyl, acetyl propionyl, and acetoin. If you have ever researched diacetyl, there are plenty of studies that show prolonged inhalation of the chemical can cause popcorn lung. What they don’t tell you is that the people who contracted this worked directly with the chemical over a period of years in a popcorn factory. The study conducted at Harvard did not show any proof linking e-cigarettes and respiratory illness. Furthermore, when you look at this chemical in cigarettes, it’s a much higher dose compared to e-liquid!

The level of diacetyl in a mainstream cigarette smoke from a king size cigarette O was the lowest(301 µg/cigarette) among the 15 brands of cigarettes. Determination of Toxic Carbonyl Compounds in Cigarette Smoke Department of Environmental T oxicology , Unive rsity of Califor nia

This study found that the average diacetyl levels of the e-liquid products tested averaged 9.0 micrograms per e-cigarette cartridge. A study a few years earlier measured the diacetyl levels in cigarettes to be between 300-433 micrograms per cigarette! You can literally vape over 30 cartridges before reaching the LOWEST levels of diacetyl found in a SINGLE CIGARETTE!

Diacetyl has been found in a number of e-liquids, but the majority of e-liquid manufacturers in the USA have taken this flavor additive out of their arsenal. Other companies provide diacetyl free labels and other assurances to make sure unsuspecting vapers do not inhale this chemical.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: What you need to know about electronic cigarettes and your health

The Bottom line for Popcorn Lung

If cigarettes contain much higher levels of this chemical, why is the vaping industry getting hit with the “Popcorn Lung Craze?” Is it because the media will report on anything to keep ratings up? Is it Big Tobacco losing money with people trying to move away from traditional cigarettes? Who knows? All we know is that this chemical is being removed from basically all e-liquids and was never proven to be harmful in e-juice. The vaping industry listened and made changes, unlike the Tobacco Industry.

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