With hundreds if not thousands of different E-juices on the market it’s important for all vapers to know what’s inside their favourite e-juice. The main ingredients are food flavouring, vegetable glycerin (VG), and Propylene Glycol (PG). One component that tends to receive a lot of attention with surrounding myths is Diacetyl.

Diacetyl is a chemical found in the majority of e-juices and allows for companies to offer fruit, candy and dessert flavours. Diacetyl is safe to ingest, and inhale. However people have been making claims that in the rare case diacetyl may cause permanent lung damage and scarring. One of the biggest myths surrounding Diacetyl is that it gives you popcorn lungs if inhaled through an E-cigarette.

One of the most commonly held concerns is that e-cigarettes might cause ‘popcorn lung’. This came about because some flavourings used in e-liquids to provide a buttery flavour contain the chemical diacetyl, which at very high levels of exposure has been associated with the serious lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans. The condition gained its popular name because it was initially observed among workers in a popcorn factory and these workers were inhaling extremely high amounts of diacetyl, considering that they were constantly heating up butter and other oils directly. However, diacetyl is banned as an ingredient from e-cigarettes and e-liquids in the UK. It had been detected in some e-liquid flavourings in the past, but at levels thousands of times lower than in popcorn factories for 

sure - even cigarettes have a significantly higher concentration of diacetyl than any vaping e-liquids. Even at these levels, smoking is not a major risk factor for this rare disease.

A 2015 study done at Harvard University found that 39 of the 51 (75%) of the flavoured vapes that were studied contained diacetyl. However, only 8 brands were used during the study. As we know, there are many of the same flavours made from different brands. Keep in mind that we don’t know if all brands were tested or just 2 of the 8. In continuation, this study only conducted the study on popular e-juices at that time, which means that future brands, such as VanGo Vapes, crafted their e-juice with the avoidance of diacetyl. Another interesting fact that the media loves to forget is that diacetyl is found in many other tobacco products and in larger quantities. When diacetyl was measured in e-liquid, it came in at 9.0 micrograms. The same studies showed that tobacco smoke measured levels of diacetyl of 335.9 micrograms, even at these levels, the risk factor for popcorn lunch or other irritations are extremely low because it takes hundreds of times that amount to equate to a condition similar to popcorn lung, as the workers in the popcorn factories did. While there does need to be more research conducted on both tobacco and vape products, we all need to focus on how vaping helps tobacco users shift to a 97% less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. 

Vape juice has a long way to go in scientific studies and long term effects. However, you can take charge and find a vape juice that does not contain diacetyl, just to be safe. The FDA approved chemical, Diacetyl, when inhaled and consumed in small amounts causes no major risk factors. Cigarettes contain way more Diacetyl in them and even if you’re smoking, the risk factors are extremely low. If you have any further questions in regards to diacetyl or on how we make our juice, please feel free to send us an email at info@vangovapes.com. At VangoVapes, our mission is to make every drop as good as a bite of your favorite dessert, a sip of your favorite coffee, a nibble of your favorite candy or a swig of your favorite soda. We strive to make our flavours out of the highest quality and safest ingredients!