I’ve been recently contacted by a company that owns a few stores. The company’s owner expressed to me that a customer left this article at the front counter for them and felt that Guide To Vaping would be a great avenue to share it. With that being said, the views and opinions in this article only reflect the author only and not Guide To Vaping.
With all the hype out there about diacetyl, and acetyl propionyl, what do you believe? Who do you trust? Is there any truth to it all? So, let’s break this down.
Diacetyl and Acetyl Propionyl, is it really that bad for you to inhale? Well, if we are to believe NIOSH, FDA, CDC, Dr. Farsalinos, dozen of scientists and medical professionals, they would say absolutely. If we are to take the numerous accounts of popcorn workers and coffee plant employees, that have developed problems and in line for lung transplants, they would probably tell you that even if it is a risk at all, don’t take it. But, if we dig deeper into the issues at the factories and manufacturer using these substances, there weren’t that many documented, were there? With bronchiolitis obliterans, no. But we didn’t dig deep enough, did we? Hundreds were reported with breathing issues, chronic cough and shortness of breath. Read the “results” here. And, since “popcorn lung” presents itself in much the way that COPD or Emphysema does, how can we say that one diagnosis is not the same as the other? That many more vapers that we don’t know of have developed this disease under another name which is the same? So, the question is, if there is a risk, even a slight one, why would you take the chance if it is at all avoidable? If a cigarette is documented to contain 200-300 ppm, why are we seeing numbers inside eliquid that are twice, triple and even quadruple that? Why are our manufacturers acceptable of this? Agreed.
Bet you didn’t know that there is already a standards organization that is ahead of this and supports the safety of consumers by requiring it’s members to test, report, and follow protocol based on science rather than conjecture.
Bet you also didn’t know that these vendors are hard-core about it? I’ve talked to them, and they are extremely concerned with what their consumers are educated on and what they consume. It’s refreshing, actually. Many of them have worked to get these toxins out of the e-liquid and through the organization’s DA/AP initiative, many have been successful, but those who are still working on it, they are disclosing, so you as a consumer get to choose. They have shared with me that reformulating takes quite some time, so some are completely free of it and others are still a work in progress, but at least they are ahead of the game and forth coming, which is a fresh concept in today’s e-liquid world.
So, where can you find these vendors? Who is this organization and what do they do? The organization is American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards Association (AEMSA) and the members can be found on their website. Apparently they have had these standards for quite some time and have stayed ahead of the game. So, why are they so quiet, especially in a volatile time such as now? They are not a political organization. They are a standards organization and from what we can tell, fairly active at the FDA, but quiet in the political game. So, we are going to shout it for them. Good job, AEMSA for demanding the standards. Besides DA/AP, what standards do they uphold? Nicotine batch testing, titration levels for nicotine, sanitized environment, hand washing, gloves, masks. I was pretty impressed and felt immediately better about purchasing from these vendors, knowing they had to adhere to these standards to be members and are monitored. I don’t know if you’ve ever wondered who was making your liquid and where or if the nicotine was right, but I have. Many weeks ago, I was in a shop hanging out and a lady came in and told the guy behind the counter that she purchased a bottle of e-liquid from a competing store and that it made her feel strangely light-headed. She was very concerned and asked if the shop owner, who also mixes a house line, could check it out. The bottle was labeled to be 18 mg. Upon testing, the shop owner found it to test to be almost 30mg! This really concerned me. Then recent studies found that some on the market are testing way below what they are stating. If I am to understand correctly, each batch created through an AEMSA member has to be tested and logged to be within + or – 10%, which is a pharmaceutical standard.
So, in closing, I don’t know if it matters to you what you vape, but in light of recent science, I am thankful we have an organization such as this to watch out for us and notify us of new science that comes out. I assure you, this science is what FDA and other governing bodies will look at as they regulate us, so it is nice to see the vaping community has an organization ahead of the game.
AEMSA Members can be found here: http://www.aemsa.org/members/
Diacetyl and acetyl propionyl science and reference:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flavorings/pdfs/comment_from_the_national_institue_for_occupational_safety_and_health_niosh.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8PutGbtmU&feature=youtu.be&t=1h47m5s
— Concerned Vaper
