Disgusting insides of vaping devices exposed online
People who use vapes are being encouraged to give up the habit in a video revealing what's inside the colourful little sticks.
Vaping devices can be found in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, with some of them looking more like a toy or futuristic creation than simply a source of nicotine.
However, the bright cases and various flavours are only a small part of what makes up a vape, as proven in a TikTok video posted by user @sashoupss.
See what's going on inside here:
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In the video, the TikToker took a pair of pliers to the device and set about tearing it apart. After pulling off the mouthpiece, she revealed a foam tube seemingly tinged slightly orange due to the nicotine, as well as wires helping to power the device.
Alongside the video, she wrote: "Stop vaping y'all."
Vapes work by using a battery to heat up the liquid with metal coils, turning it into an aerosol that users then inhale.
The coils can be made up of a variety of substances, according to NBC News, including kanthal, an alloy of iron, chromium and aluminium, or a combination of nickel and chromium. In 2018, a Johns Hopkins study actually found that the metals can leach into vaping aerosol at dangerous levels.
"Our findings indicate that e-cigarettes are a potential source of exposure to toxic metals (chromium, nickel and lead), and to metals that are toxic when inhaled (manganese and zinc)," the study explained.
The liquid itself is typically made up of three main components, including nicotine, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine, and flavourings.
In the UK, the NHS notes e-cigarettes are tightly regulated for safety and quality, and says thousands of people have already stopped smoking with the help of an e-cigarette. However, they are not 'completely risk free', and can contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, though at much lower levels.
In the US, the food and drug administration explains many studies suggest e-cigarettes may be less harmful than cigarettes, but 'there is not yet enough evidence to support claims that e-cigarettes... are effective tools for quitting smoking'.
Seeing the vape device being broken apart in the TikTok has received mixed responses from viewers, with many left unsurprised by the various elements making up the device while others backed the TikToker in the argument against vaping.
"I quit over 2 months ago. Still going strong," one person commented, while another responded: "my bigest [sic] flex is that i don't vape."
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Emily Brown