eli5: Why and how bad is vaping without nicotine/THC?
In: 11
There are no known negative effects from inhaling glycerin vapours. There are concerns around some flavour compounds used in e-liquids.
Short easy ELI5 answer.
Orange justice is not bad for you in moderation.
Heating it, turning it into a mist or vapour and inhaling it is probably bad for you.
Many things that do not irritate our skin or digestive tract create reactions in lung tissue. This can either be severe and bad in the immediate term, or long term mild inflammation can cause scar tissue formation and damage lungs.
Vaping without nicotine may not seem as harmful, but it’s still bad news for your health. That’s because e-cigs heat up a liquid containing chemicals, flavorings and other additives to create a vapor you inhale into your lungs. The heating process can release toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and acrolein, and the long-term effects of inhaling these unknown. Plus, the flavorings used can be harmful and have been linked to serious health issues.
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My understanding is the heating the propylene glycol and glycerol in e-liquids creates compounds that release toxic chemicals that are harmful to you with and without the additions of nicotine or THC [source](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069). So in short still bad. Short term can cause inflammation, lung and throat irritation, I’m sure there’s more data on long term but cbf finding it.
THC additions have been shown to create a “sticky substance” in your lungs which can lead to further lung injury [source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6952050/). EDIT: THC when paired with vitamin E acetate as thickening solution not THC on its own
Nicotine additions bring in all the side effects of having nicotine in your system. Including an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries. Plus a general risk of addiction leading to more vaping and the higher chance of starting smoking.
ELI5 smoking the vapour is as bad and will result in damage to the lungs and throat, but no side effects or issues that come with the addition of nicotine or THC.