Note: Melatonin Vaping
The unregulated e-cigarette poses potential serious health threats.
Exposure of our lungs to anything other than the pristine, clean air is normally a bad idea. Moreover, our lungs are constantly under attack— from bad, polluted air to secondhand cigarette smoke. However, there now appears a new assault on our lungs: melatonin vaping. Melatonin vapes are increasingly used by adolescents as a sleep aid. Moreover, melatonin vapes contain cannabinoids, metals, and occasionally un-regulated pharmaceuticals.
What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain—in the pineal gland, to be exact. It is produced in the brain and excreted into the body as we sleep. Its connection to sleep cycles, and its uses as a sleep aid are causes for concern since melatonin vaping has become popular among many younger adults. Melatonin vapes are poorly regulated and may contain other chemicals that are potentially toxic. Moreover, melatonin’s link to sleep is poorly understood, while it can be prescribed as a sleep aid— its effects are modest in most cases (Foster).
What is the Concern?
There is increasing evidence that melatonin vapes are responsible for damage to the lungs, and increasing numbers of adolescents are being hospitalized for damages to the lungs because of melatonin vapes (Shichlein). While vaporized melatonin, by itself, is not found to cause significant injury to the lungs—its unregulated vape is, at times, found to contain regulated pharmaceuticals. Melatonin vapes also contain cannabinoids and metals. In work performed by researchers at the University of North Carolina (at Chapel Hill) and Vanderbilt University, we learn that all of the three studied vapes contained unregulated levels of contaminants. Surprisingly, one of them contained an anti-depressant (Shichlein).
What is the next Step?
In this case, only three vapes were studied and there many other unregulated vapes on the market. Normally, actions are taken at the state level and the Biden Administration put bans selling e-cigarettes to anyone under 18 years of age. However, it is difficult to speculate what the present administration will do since it has demonized the former president. If you are an adult, I would be leery smoking vapes since they are poorly regulated and may damage your lungs, as well.
Foster, Russell G. "Melatonin." Current Biology 31.22 (2021): R1456-R1458.
Kevin D. Schichlein, Hye-Young H. Kim, Charlotte A. Love, Tara N. Guhr Lee, Charles R. Esther Jr., Ned A. Porter, Meghan E. Rebuli, Brandie M. Ehrmann, Phillip W. Clapp, and Ilona Jaspers. “Melatonin Vapes Contain Potential Contaminants and Alter the Human Bronchial Epithelial Transcriptome.“ Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2024 37 (12), 1919-1923.