‘Clear’ vapes are worse for your blood pressure and heart rate than non-clear products, scientists have found.

These e-cigarettes are ones that include synthetic cooling compounds which activate the same cooling receptor as menthol without a minty odour.

The research, by scientists from Yale University and Boston University, assessed a group of participants aged between 18 and 45. 

Before being tested, the participants fasted from food and caffeine and abstained from tobacco and exercise for six hours before.

Participants then inhaled from the e-cigarettes for approximately three to four seconds every half minute for a total duration of ten minutes. Measurements for blood pressure and heart rate were taken ten minutes post-exposure.

There were no significant differences in baseline measures between users of “clear” flavored e-cigarettes and those of other flavors. However, after exposure to “clear” flavored e-cigarettes, there was a more pronounced increase observed in their systolic and diastolic blood pressures, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate.

The study emphasized the urgent need for surveillance of new products to enhance the effectiveness of flavor bans and safeguard the health of adolescents and young adults.

Earlier this week, research by the University of York in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed that children who engage in vaping are thrice as likely to become smokers eventually.

Su Golder, an associate professor in health science at the University of York, noted, “The consistency of evidence is compelling. Across numerous studies, it has been consistently shown that young individuals who vape have higher chances of smoking later. These findings underscore the necessity for more rigorous public health strategies to shield teenagers from vaping-related hazards.”

The study also identified associations between vaping and health issues such as asthma, coughing, and airway irritation. Experts highlighted links between e-cigarette usage and various health concerns, including substance abuse and mental health issues like depression. Dr. Greg Hartwell, associated with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, mentioned that their research unveiled “consistent evidence of transitions to smoking, which subsequently introduces a host of risks that are synonymous with traditional cigarette use.”

From June 1 this year, it became illegal for businesses in the UK to sell or supply single-use vapes. The government cited environmental concerns, explaining: “As well as being eyesores, discarded vapes have a hugely damaging impact on our environment and wildlife. Animals such as birds, fish, and marine mammals can mistake vapes for food and ingest poisonous chemicals.”

The government also said the ban would help to curb the rise in young people vaping, as more than half of children who use vapes reported that “disposable” models were their product of choice.