People of virtually all age groups are vaping. For people from middle schoolers to baby boomers, disposable e-cigarette use is wildly popular.
The vape epidemic not only causes health issues for vape users, but also the addictive chemicals and lithium batteries within vape bodies pose a threat to the environment.
One Reddit user found a vape battery on the street. Not knowing what the mess of knobs and cables was, they shared the find on the thread r/whatisthisthing.
They posted two photos of their discovery. Rectangular and plastic, what was left of a vape had cables connecting two knobs to batteries and a display screen.
"I found it on the street," they said. "The display seems odd ... reason for guessing [e-cigarette] controller ... is that it smells like it."
Commenters confirmed the original poster's suspicions — the Redditor had picked up vape litter.
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"Definitely a vape," one person commented.
Some e-cigarettes, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine Journal, are widely classified as hazardous waste for lead leaching. Lead leaching is when lead seeps into water or food sources.
Lithium batteries in vapes are also considered dangerous e-waste. In fact, two lithium battery vapes have started a fire.
The aforementioned study said that vapes are not combustible and produce potentially toxic aerosol when heated. Manufacturing vapes also generates pollution, but there are still many unknowns about what exactly vapes do to harm the planet.
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From a barista 💸 Research is limited, too, on the exact human health risks associated with e-cigarettes. It is understood that vaping likely damages the heart and lungs, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
They are also fairly accessible and advertised to younger generations. This puts the health of the youth at risk before scientists and medical researchers even fully understand the extent of potential damage.
As widely used as vapes are, commenters on the Reddit post all agreed the device was a vape.
"The battery definitely looks like the type they put in vapes," one said.
Another informed, "The battery is a 13450 3.7v lithium polymer battery."
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