Millions of Americans are regularly exposed, unknowingly, to toxic smoke from vapes and cigarettes, a study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Florida, analyzing the blood of 13,000 people, found evidence of nicotine exposure in 51% of participants.
Of this group, 67.6 percent insisted they did not breathe smoke from vapes or cigarettes.
The findings suggest that 56 million Americans – or nearly one in five adults – involuntarily absorb this smoke.
The team warned there was “no safe level” of this smoke to breathe, saying it increases the risk of heart and lung problems and cancer. Separate research suggests it might even cause smaller testicles.
University of Florida researchers say millions of Americans involuntarily breathe in smoke from vapes and cigarettes (stock image)
The negative health effects of smoking are well documented, but scientists are beginning to understand the extent of the damage that the widely popular e-cigarettes, once considered a safer smoking choice, have on the entire body.
Vaping has taken off in the United States, with more than nine million Americans now using these devices, with popularity reaching as many as one in four high school students.
Smoking also remains quite common, with 28 million Americans lighting up regularly, primarily in the Midwest and South. However, this habit has practically disappeared in certain regions, such as Manhattan.
Smoke from cigarettes and vapes can linger in the air for hours after being released into indoor, poorly ventilated areas, putting others at risk of inhalation.
Dr. Ruixuan Wang, a public health expert who led the study, warned: “There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and long-term exposure can increase the risk of many diseases chronicles.
“(These include) coronary heart disease, respiratory disease and cancers.”
She added: “We want people to be aware of their exposure so they can take protective measures.”
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the US National Health Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2013 and 2020.
This survey is conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help assess the health of the nation.
For their study, the researchers looked at a nationally representative sample of survey data on Americans reporting secondhand smoking, that is, breathing in the vapors of smokers and vapers.
They also looked at blood test data for cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine produced by the body after smoke inhalation. It can persist in the blood for days.
The researchers found that, overall, 34.6 percent of participants underestimated their nicotine exposure.
They also found that cotinine levels in the blood of people reporting exposure to second-hand smoke were higher than in those who did not report it.
Dr. Jennifer LeLaurin, biomedical expert and lead author of the study, added: “It could be that for low-level exposure, you might not notice it.
“You are in a public place and you may not even realize that someone around you is using tobacco. Maybe it’s so minor that you forgot about it.
“It is also possible that some of the respondents were aware of some exposure to second-hand smoke, but chose not to report it due to stigma.”
This comes after a study in mice suggested that exposure to vape smoke made your testicles smaller and decreased sperm count.
As part of research on male rats, Turkish experts tested the effect of exposure to smoke from e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes on the sexual health of rodents.
They measured how much sperm the animals could produce, what their testicles looked like under a microscope, and stress markers in the blood and genitals.
The authors wrote: “It should be considered that although (e-cigarette) liquid has been presented as harmless in smoking cessation studies, it could increase oxidative stress and cause morphological changes in the testis.”
But regular cigarettes – which have long been linked to male infertility – were even worse in terms of lowering sperm counts and disrupting sexual function.