It's never fun getting a flat tire from rolling over nails and other sharp objects, but one mechanic was surprised to find that a disposable vape had managed to slam its way through a car tire so completely.
As posted on the subreddit r/Justrolledintotheshop, a user shared photographic evidence of the impact while noting that the purple metallic tube did, in fact, smell like grape.
"Found some odd stuff in tires over the years, this is one of the better ones for me. Left rear tire," the Redditor noted in a caption.
This may seem like a rare occurrence, but one commenter noted, "There are now two different posts with two different purple vapes in tires." This hazardous litter continues to be an issue for drivers.
According to data shared by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, Americans threw away 5.7 disposable vapes — also known as e-cigarettes — every second in 2023, which was up from 4.5 per second in 2022.
That amounts to nearly 500,000 of these devices being tossed out every day, which can create a minefield that not only poses a threat to car tires, but also to both human health and the environment.
A study by the University of California, Davis, revealed that some disposable e-cigarettes and vape pods release higher amounts of toxins than older models, and even traditional cigarettes.
"Our study highlights the hidden risk of these new and popular disposable electronic cigarettes — with hazardous levels of neurotoxic lead and carcinogenic nickel and antimony — which stresses the need for urgency in enforcement," said senior author Brett Poulin, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology.
The environment is at risk from this litter, as well, since the batteries that power these vapes can contain lead and mercury, which can eventually leach into the soil and waterways.
The internal mechanisms for these increasingly smart "disposable" vapes also represent a significant waste of valuable resources, and can cause dangerous fires at recycling centers.
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Every 6 months 🛠 The lithium from batteries present in vapes sold each year adds up to nearly 30 tons, which is enough to create batteries for 3,350 electric vehicles, the U.S. PIRG explained.
Still, many people may only heed the wake-up call for this hazardous litter when it impacts their wallet and means of transportation.
"This is why I have road hazard warranty on my tires," a commenter added.
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