As the popularity of vaping greatly inclines, more students are apt to try it. Consequently, many are turning to an alternative called MONQ. This “essential oil personal diffuser” may seem harmless at first glance, but many are unaware of the dangers behind the product and it’s falsified information.

MONQ diffusers resemble the appearance of e-cigarettes by their metal cylinder body and its light up tip. This product comes in 14 different blends that are supposed to reflect upon one’s mood. These moods range from happy to sleepy.

To date, there is no scientific evidence that supports the fact that the oils used in this device alter one’s mood. It’s purely up to one’s personal interpretation. This is similar to the placebo effect, the belief of having one told a fact that isn’t true about a product but having the individual still feel its assumed effects.

Looking beyond its false advertisement, the contents of the oil itself raises some red flags. The compound is apparently made up of mostly vegetable glycerin, a commonly used product in cooking. Unlike absorbing veritable glycerin from food intake, this oil would directly come in connect with one’s lungs.

Vegetable glycerin has a pH of 7 in comparison to the 7.35/.45 human bodies are temperate at. Vital organs, especially lungs, are extremely sensitive to pH. This oil could wear down the inner layer of the lungs, called the outer pleura, and break down the alveoli. The alveoli’s main function is to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen. Without this process, the human body would not receive enough oxygen.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon greatly stands against the product, claiming, “It could be potentially […] caustic to your upper airway and your lungs.” He does not support the use of e-cigarettes due to the health risk.

Not only can the use of this product become deadly, but it can also become addicting. Once one is in habit of using e-cigarettes, it is easy to transition into using cigarettes. Dr. Travis Stork, a world renown health physician, claims, “[With prolonged use to such products] you’re real close to, ‘Oh, you know what? I don’t have my happy essential oil to breath in so let me just grab this cigarette.’ I think this is a habit that I don’t love.”

MONQ can pose a great risk to one’s physical and mental health, making this product extremely unsafe. One should stay away from such products due to these health risks.