Vaping linked with higher risk of exposure to toxic metals, study finds

Vaping has been known for its association with respiratory disease and nicotine addiction. Now, a new study, building upon previous evidence, has found that among teens, vaping often may spike the risk of exposure to lead and uranium — potentially harming brain and organ development in young people.

“This study analyzed a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescent e-cigarette use to examine whether urine metal levels (i.e., cadmium, lead and uranium) differed by vaping frequency and flavor types,” said Dr. Hongying Daisy Dai, senior author of the study published Monday in the journal Tobacco Control, via email.

Vaping has slightly declined among teens. The use of e-cigarettes among high schoolers decreased from 14.1% to 10% from 2022 to 2023, the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey found. But for this group, the behavior has remained a public health concern and the most popular form of consuming tobacco (in the form of nicotine) since 2014, Dai said.

As of December 2023, only 23 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products are authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration for sale in the United States, after the agency effectively banned all flavors of cartridge-based vape pens except menthol and tobacco to prevent young people from vaping. The ban, however, does not include disposable e-cigarettes or their respective e-liquids, which come in a variety of flavors.

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