YPAP urges govt to ban import, use of vape/electronic cigarettes

ISLAMABAD: The Young Pharmacists Association of Pakistan (YPAP) has urged the government to immediately ban the import, sale, and use of vape/electronic cigarettes, which are highly toxic and endanger the lives of Pakistani youth.

In a written letter to the Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan and the Health Minister, the YPAP said that vape/ electronic cigarettes contain not only ethylene glycol and heavy metals but also formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein.

These e-cigarettes are heavily imported and sold across the country, and their use is becoming a fashion not only among youngsters but also in all age groups in Pakistan.

The YPAP said that Johns Hopkins University has analyzed the vape clouds of popular brands such as Juul and Vuse, and found “nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are unidentified.

Vape/E-cigarettes are a relatively new phenomenon, initially introduced to help smokers reduce their tobacco intake; the devices have become increasingly abused, especially by youth, especially by school and college-going students. The toxicity of vape/ e-cigarettes ingredients is not well established when inhaled. The main ingredients are nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, vitamin E, flavourings, and heavy metals, each with a potentially harmful effect on human health.

Vape / E-cigarettes aerosol could also contain toxic compounds such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein due to glycerin’s thermal degradation. Despite the limited knowledge of vaping’s health effects, recent studies have linked e-cigarette ingredients to some health problems such as lung injury, cancers, heart and respiratory diseases.

The aerosol of e-cigarettes is generated when the e-liquid comes in contact with a coil heated to a temperature of roughly 100–250 °C (212–482 °F) within a chamber, which is thought to cause pyrolysis of the e-liquid and could also lead to decomposition of other liquid ingredients. The aerosol (mist) produced by an e-cigarette is commonly but inaccurately called vapor. E-cigarettes simulate the action of smoking, but without tobacco combustion.

The e-cigarette aerosol looks like cigarette smoke to some extent. E-cigarettes do not produce aerosol between puffs. The e-cigarette aerosol usually contains propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, flavours, aroma transporters, and other substances. The levels of nicotine, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), aldehydes, metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), flavors, and tobacco alkaloids in e-cigarette aerosols vary greatly.

The yield of chemicals found in the e-cigarette aerosol varies depending on several factors, including the e-liquid contents, puffing rate, and the battery voltage.

Metal parts of e-cigarettes in contact with the e-liquid can contaminate it with metals. Heavy metals and metal nanoparticles have been found in tiny amounts in the e-cigarette aerosol. Once aerosolized, the ingredients in the e-liquid go through chemical reactions that form new compounds not previously found in the liquid. Many chemicals, including carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde, can inadvertently be produced when the nichrome wire (heating element) that touches the e-liquid is heated and chemically reacted with the liquid.

Propylene glycol-containing liquids produced the most amounts of carbonyls in e-cigarette vapors.

Propylene glycol and glycerin are oxidized to create aldehydes that are also found in cigarette smoke when e-liquids are heated and aerosolized at a voltage higher than 3 V. Depending on the heating temperature, the carcinogens in the e-cigarette aerosol may surpass the levels of cigarette smoke.

Reduced-voltage e-cigarettes generate very low levels of formaldehyde. A Public Health England (PHE) report found “At normal settings, there was no or negligible formaldehyde release.” However, this statement was contradicted by other researchers in a 2018 study. E-cigarettes can emit formaldehyde at high levels (between five and 15 times higher than what is reported for cigarette smoke) at moderate temperatures and under conditions that have been reported to be non-averse to users. As e-cigarette engineering evolves, the later-generation and “hotter” devices could expose users to greater amounts of carcinogens.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026