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Disposable E-Cigarettes More Toxic Than Traditional Cigarettes: High Levels of Lead, Other Hazardous Metals Found in E-Cigarettes Popular with Teens (www.ucdavis.edu)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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They may look like travel shampoo bottles and smell like bubblegum, but after a few hundred puffs, some disposable, electronic cigarettes and vape pods release higher amounts of toxic metals than older e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. For example, one of the disposable e-cigarettes studied released more lead during a day’s use than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.

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[-] Emerald@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago

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[-] Nougat@fedia.io 24 points 2 weeks ago

The three "brands" they tested are all from the same outfit, who most certainly sources them all from the same sweatshop in China. This does not apply to all disposables by any stretch. There's plenty of better reasons to dunk on disposables.

[-] REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 points 2 weeks ago

I saw this same exact comment under another thread that talked about a study, but it was clearly wrong as they were from different parent companies. In this case, the brands aren't even named in the study. Again, I must ask for source for your claim, but again I don't expect you to provide it.

[-] nao@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

The brands are mentioned in the study that is linked in the OP article. Don't even have to open the pdf as the abstract already has them: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.5c00641

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[-] TheLunatickle@lemmy.zip 20 points 2 weeks ago

I wonder if this is part of why gen Z is turning conservative.

[-] Grizzlyboy@lemmy.zip 19 points 2 weeks ago

I can’t fathom how they’re legal. Disposable e cigarettes? The waste is insane, and the people using then aren’t properly disposing of them either..

[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago

There needs to be a $20 deposit on them that you get back when you turn in the empty vape.

Or, hot take, make vapes you can refill.

[-] UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

There are ones you can refill, the disposable ones should just be banned altogether.

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[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Because the Trump and Biden FDA banned everything else already. Now they want to ban whats left in order to push people back toward cigarettes which can still be purchased at every gas station, grocery or convenience store in the country.

[-] only_in_ohio@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

This. So much effort being put into regulating zero-waste bags and attached bottle cups yet those vapes fly under the radar

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[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

YOU HEARD'EM FOLKS! GO GET YOUR CIGARETTES!

[-] Squiddork@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

If you read the paper, it assumes a 100% absorption rate of the heavy metals emitted.

I'm not here to defend vapes but I think that is a seriously overlooked flaw in this study. Most people don't puff a cigarette/vape and hold it in their lungs until it's completely absorbed.

Couldn't see anything about the bioavailability of these carcinogens via lungs factored into the absorption rate either.

Ontop of that the sample size from this study is abysmal and from the same manufacturer and there is also a declared conflict of interest.

IMO more studies need to be done before we can conclusively determine the damage and risks of disposable vapes.

[-] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Some of the studies on smoking I've seen were less about understanding how and why people consume tobacco and recommend alternatives, and more like echoing the old practices and beliefs of the temperance movement, which considers tobacco and alcohol as archenemies of humanity. That anytime there's someone publicly declaring they quit smoking, it's followed with praises which at times reminiscent of a tent revival.

[-] vxx@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

They're comparing it to cigarettes and other vapes.

20 times more lead is still 20 times more lead.

[-] Squiddork@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Cigarettes have a myriad of carcinogens like toluene, benzene, formadelhyde, hexamine, napthaline and acetone

Stating that vapes are more toxic than cigarettes over one metric is disingenuous journalism.

I'm not disagreeing about the lead content but studies like this get picked up by journalists with the comprehension of a tomato and are then misconstrued into these fear-creating headlines for engagement.

The adoption of vapes tremendously ate into the big tobacco profits, its an extremely effective way of getting off cigarettes. (for better or worse)

If we instead listened to these studies and developed a similar form of nicotine replacement therapy with harm minimisation in mind under industry regulation we'd do far more for smokers, vapers and our healthcare systems than any fear mongering 'don't do it!' campaigns which time and time again do not work.

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[-] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Where? Why? Is it a quality control issue or an inherent danger of the technology?

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Regulatory issues. Adulterants in shitty quality disposables.

Not "vaping inherently dangerous."

[-] TimewornTraveler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

the disposables are the problem. probably manufacturing or regulations. the way the coils aren't changed, the way it sits in it, the way they use highly concentrated nicotine salts... it's nothing like the classic refillable tank and box mods that just took regular juice with nothing but PG/VG/nicotine/flavoring

[-] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Chemical composition of the resistance wire

[-] roguetrick@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Could also be due to soldering the resistance wire itself in place, or something else that's in contact with the juice. These guys often ship these in international parcel shipping direct to consumer. That means a lot of shocks and they want to make sure the disposable works when whoever they sold it to(and who clicked "why of course I'm 18) so they don't have to deal with returns. Non disposable vapes do not have solder points in any part of tank or atomizer because they're generally assembled with o rings and threads. These are not.

[-] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

I hadn't considered solder in the tank. No bueno.

[-] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago

Quality control, especially of cheap vapes

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 2 weeks ago

Guess I'm gonna be ultra fucked. I'm not going back to cigarettes. And I already quit nicotine once for seven and a half years. Starting again was the biggest mistake of my life cause I don't wanna go through that again. Oh well, it's not like we have much chance at a future anyway.

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago

Dude, I hope you try to quit those too. If you've ever met someone who can't breathe from COPD, it's a tough time for them.

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[-] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

All they had to do was keep it quiet for 15 years until the new generation was addicted.

Remember when e-cigarettes looked like cigarettes, and were for a brief time allowed to be smoked indoors in public? That's how it started, we were told they were completely healthy, and a way to "kick the habit", because it's "just a habit", not one of the strongest addictions you'll ever encounter, according to the people who make millions off of it.

[-] Eww@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Nice try Marlboro Man!

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

It's so fucked that every single actor in the Marlboro commercials died of lung cancer. All of them.

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this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025

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