If you spot someone vaping, you’ll see a cloud of what appears to be smoke – not dissimilar to that caused by someone smoking. But do we need to be worried about second-hand vaping, in the same way we known second-hand smoking is bad for you?
Not according to a recent study. No fewer than four groups have got involved in research into this very area. One group happened to be a major owner of a range of e-cigarettes, which could cause the results to come into question. However, as a team from the Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania was involved, not to mention two other independent teams, it is still worth exploring the results.
They took a variety of e-cigarettes that are commonly used today, and measured how long it took the vapour to disappear. They also measured the effects it had on the air quality in that area. When this was done in a sealed space, where no fresh air could influence the results, there was no discernible effect on the air quality in the room.
This is an interesting body of research. If more studies are done into this topic, we could eventually end up with ample evidence to support the use of vaping in public places. While vaping is still allowed in some public places, others have banned it completely. In some areas, the best course of action is always to ask. When it comes to pubs and restaurants, you may find yourself able to vape in one, but not in another one down the road.
The study is interesting to say the least, and it will be intriguing to see if other studies back up its findings. We only hope the presence of an e-cig company as one of the research partners doesn’t overshadow the results.
