Does Vape Flavor Cause Popcorn Lung

ANTBAR is one of the core e-cigarette brands of the Cloupor Group.We sell a variety of disposable kits. People are concerned that using e-cigarette is pivotal leading to a high risk of lung disease or even cancer. Today we’re going to talk about：Do vape flavors contain diacetyl? Can vaping cause a popped lung?

There has been a lot of buzz on quora lately about the question: Does vaping e-cigarettes make people susceptible to bronchiolitis obliterans or popcorn lung?

Steve Mcclucas over at quora has responded to this question, and take his answer as an example is because he’s saying represent the majority of people stance, the reason for this question is a conspiracy by Big Tobacco, and the fact that there is no direct link between e-cigarettes and popcorn lung.
In 2019, the United States and Canada have seen a number of young people hospitalized for lung disease. A common feature among these patients was that they all owned and used e-cigarettes. This phenomenon naturally triggered a series of hypotheses, and people began to question whether e-cigarettes could cause a disease like popcorn lung.

The hot topic of conversation points to the factors that may contribute to popcorn lung, mainly diacetyl, which has a wide range of uses, and is widely used in the food industry as a flavoring or seasoning agent in baked goods, confectionery, and beverages to enhance the taste and aroma of the product. At the same time, diacetyl is also used in some cosmetics, detergents, pesticides and other products, as a flavor component or chemical raw material. This demonstrates the wide range of applications of diacetyl.

In addition, a naturally occurring chemical called diacetyl is usually found in flavored e-cigarettes, which is a slightly greenish-yellow liquid with a strong odor produced by the reaction of acetic acid and ethanol, with a chemical formula C6H1004 and a molecular weight of 146.14 g/mol. The use of diacetyl in e-cigarettes is mainly to create different flavored e-cigarette liquids. It can impart many different tastes and smells, such as fruity, herbal and sweet. Meanwhile, diacetyl enhances the flavors of other ingredients, giving e-cigarettes a richer and deeper taste.

Does popcorn lung is caused by diacetyl from flavoring in e-liquid?

As a relatively new lifestyle choice, e-cigarette use often comes with health and safety concerns. A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives back in 2015 found an association between diacetyl and occlusive bronchitis and other serious respiratory diseases. In experiments that sampled 51 uniquely flavored e-cigarettes, 39 had levels of diacetyl that exceeded laboratory detection limits, suggesting that people need to further evaluate the risk of this potentially widespread spread of disease through cocktail-flavored e-cigarettes.

However, due to the fewer samples of the experiment and the unstandardized measurements of experimentation, there are still some drawbacks in its statement. Although many people have raised doubts, there is no conclusive evidence to directly prove that e-cigarettes are the essential cause of popcorn lung. Although some patients have developed the disease after using e-cigarettes, it is not conclusive that e-cigarettes are the sole causative factor of popcorn lung, but panic has been generated as a result.

In an article published by Cancer Research UK in 2021, it was noted that there are no confirmed cases of popcorn lung associated with e-cigarettes.

Diacetyl contributes to the characteristic “buttery” aroma and flavor, and early e-cigarette liquids contained some diacetyl in their buttery/popcorn flavor recipes. McGraw in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology says that a single exposure to diacetyl over a short period of time did not result in significant lung damage. However, for the sake of the health of the masses, the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) explicitly banned diacetyl from e-cigarette liquids back in 2016. As long as consumers are using e-cigarettes safely and wisely, we can tell you unequivocally: there is no direct relationship between e-cigarette smoking and popcorn lung.

The TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) directive of the European Union is as follows:

The content of the TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) regulations, as far as the medical provisions are concerned, specifies regulations such as the amount and concentration of tobacco oils containing nicotine glycerine (NGD) ingredients. These restrictions and requirements aim to ensure the safety of tobacco oil products and prevent potential risks to public health.

In terms of the notification system, the TPD Regulation imposes an obligation to notify the ingredients of e-liquids, requiring manufacturers to submit toxicological data on the ingredients of e-liquids to the regulatory authorities and to comply with the relevant production regulations. This aspect aims to ensure that consumers are aware of the ingredients and potential risks of the products they use in order to make informed consumer choices.

（1）The product shall be childproof and tamperproof.

（2）Products shall not contain caffeine, taurine, or coloring.

（3）Products shall not contain diacetyl and acetyl propionyl groups.

Technical Design Restrictions and Requirements set out the design drawings and specific requirements for e-cigarette products. These regulations cover the design, functional features, and battery safety of e-cigarettes to ensure product compliance and safety.

Instructions, Packaging and Warning Regulations require e-cigarette instructions to include clear information such as product descriptions, instructions for use and warning text drawings. This information is intended to provide consumers with accurate product information and alert them to potential risks.