In 2024, a 22-year-old Filipino male died of a heart attack following two days of onset severe chest pain after a sports activity. Before that, he endured a week of fever, blood in his cough, and vomiting.
Described as “sporty,” he had no known risk factors. He did, however, smoke e-cigarettes or vape daily for two years, a habit that revealed itself in his chest x-ray. According to doctors, the patient had “white out lung,” or opaque lungs, indicating a loss of normal air-filled sacs. He is the Philippines’ first known case of death due to EVALI or E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury.
Healthier, safer, better?
When the electronic cigarette or vape was first introduced in the Philippines in 2010, it was touted as the “healthier,” “safer,” and “better” alternative to smoking, one with far less ingredients than the 7,000 mostly toxic substances found in a traditional tobacco cigarette. It certainly was an appealing option, given its cool-looking cases, wide variety of flavors (from fruity to dessert-inspired), and thick white vapor exhaled by its users.
Millions of cigarette smokers suddenly found a reason to switch. Although 18.9% of the Philippine population was still smoking cigarettes in 2022, the demand for cigarettes dropped from 53.6 packs in 2010 to 26.3 packs per capita in 2022, said “State of Smoking and Health in the Philippines,” a report by the independent US-based non-profit Global Action to End Smoking.
Conversely, vaping surged by a jaw-dropping 110%—or from 11.7% in 2015 to 24.6% in 2019, said the Department of Health (DOH) in a 2024 forum. What’s just as alarming is that a large number of its users are kids. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 14% or 1 in every seven students aged 13-15 years old vapes daily. Health experts fear that the number of young vape users will continue to rise, resulting in a possible “EVALI epidemic.”
How does vape work?
“The concept of vaping is that a smoker gets his nicotine minus the toxic substances of regular cigarettes,” explains Norman Maghuyop, MD, a Pulmonologist from Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed). “Nicotine enters the body through vapor, and not the smoke that comes from burning tobacco.”
But the “vape juice” or “e-liquids” used in vaping are not without their harmful ingredients. In addition to nicotine, a highly addictive chemical compound, and natural or artificial flavoring, consumers of vape are unwittingly inhaling propylene glycol (a food additive used to make antifreeze and paint solvent), metals like nickel, tin, and lead, and carcinogenic acetaldehyde and formaldehyde into their lungs.
Given vape’s relative newness in the market, health experts are still determining its safety and long-term effects on the body. “One of the challenges of vape is that there is no standard: what are the ingredients, how many milligrams per ingredient,” says Dr. Maghuyop. “We also don’t know the minimum dose, maximum dose, and how many times we can use it for it to be considered ‘safe.’”
If anything, the first EVALI death is proof that nothing good can come of this alternative to smoking.
The ultimate goal
Ultimately, the goal isn’t to find a healthier, safer, and better substitute to cigarettes—but to quit cigarettes, vaping, and similar practices altogether.
“You need to address the underlying problem, which is nicotine addiction,” stresses Dr. Maghuyop to vape and cigarette smokers. “Nicotine addiction is a disease and its complications are heart attack, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer.”
The best time to quit? Yesterday, according to MakatiMed. Here’s how to do it:
- Set a quit date and commit to it. Go cold turkey!
- Identify your triggers. Do you smoke or vape when you are stressed, full from a meal, or hungry? Learn how to address them without using nicotine.
- Adopt safer alternatives. Exercise, chewing gum, munching on fruit or veggies are harmless options to smoking and vaping.
- Talk to someone. Join a support group or help a fellow smoker quit so you can cheer each other on.
- Seek professional help. A doctor can prescribe medications and draw up a personalized plan designed to make you succeed in kicking the habit.
MakatiMed’s Pulmonary Laboratory has the facilities and services to address patients’ lung diseases and respiratory concerns. A team of experienced respiratory specialists and medical technologists can assist you through such diagnostic and therapeutic tests such as arterial blood gas analysis, pulse oximetry, computerized pulmonary function tests, 6-minute walk test, sputum induction, nebulization therapy, chest physiotherapy, oxygen therapy, and mechanical ventilation and weaning maneuvers.
“MakatiMed can provide a comprehensive evaluation and management for patients who want to stop smoking and vaping,” shares Dr. Maghuyop. “If someone wants to be examined, I hope they have it done immediately because we don’t want it to be too late that they experience complications or the addiction is serious. Smoking is a good reason to consult a hospital.
Article based on MakatiMed’s Harmful Effects of Vaping video featuring Norman Maghuyop, MD last November 22, 2024.
For the complete list of Makati Medical Center’s Pulmonologists, click here.You may also reach us via MakatiMed On-Call at (+632) 8888 8999 or at [email protected].
Follow our social media pages for more health-related content and for the latest updates: https://www.makatimed.net.ph/social-media-pages/
