Doesn’t common sense dictate that breathing any kind of smoke or dust can be potentially harmful?

Look at what happened to many of the 9/11 first responders and others present when the World Trade Center towers came crashing down. Hundreds of them have developed cancers and other lung disease associated with the smoke and dust created by the nation’s worst terrorist attack.

Have you ever been sitting around a camp fire when the wind direction changes and blows some of the smoke in your direction? Your eyes water and you begin to choke and cough and have to move away from the smoke.

Consider the fact that most campfires are just comprised of burning wood, which for the most part, is non-toxic and yet it bothers anyone so much, so why would anyone knowingly want to inhale smoke of any kind that contained compounds that can be or are toxic?

I honestly believe that the number 1 answer to that question is because it’s the current social trend and makes you one of the ‘in crowd’ or socially cool, at least in one’s own mind.

Electronic cigarettes were invented as a way to get away from the deadly effects of smoking real cigarettes. E-cigarettes have been touted as being safer than cigarettes or just safe in general, but are they?

Over the past year or so, I’ve shared with you a number of posts about some of the harmful effects of smoking e-cigarettes, aka vaping, that have been surfacing. Doctors in Wisconsin are discovering another harmful and dangerous impact of vaping, as reported:

Doctors in Wisconsin have confirmed new cases of lung disease tied to vaping, officials with the state Department of Health Services said Thursday.

The new cases included older people in addition to teens, all of whom reported vaping or “dabbing,” which is vaping marijuana oils, extracts or concentrates.

Officials have confirmed a total of 12 cases and are investigating 13 other cases…

Patients with confirmed cases range in age from teens to 30 years old and have come from Dodge, Door, Kenosha, Racine, Walworth, Waukesha and Winnebago counties, officials said.

Cases under investigation include patients in their 50s, according to Wisconsin health department officials. 

Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough and weight loss. 

Some of the teens reported having trouble doing routine tasks such as washing their hair and tying their shoes.

A news release stated:

“The severity of the disease has varied among patients, with some needing assistance to breathe. While patients have improved with treatment, it is not known if there will be long-term health effects.”

Andrea Palm, Department of Health Services Secretary-designee, added:

“We are continuing to interview patients so we can identify a possible cause. All patients reported vaping prior to their hospitalization, but we don’t know all the products they used at this time. The products used could include a number of substances, including nicotine, THC, synthetic cannabinoids, or a combination of these.”

From everything I’ve read and studied over the years, inhaling any kind of smoke is bad for one’s lungs and should be avoided. For the millions that are turning to vaping, I ask: Is looking socially cool more important than your health and ability to breathe?