Driver flabbergasted by discovery made inside car tire: 'These things are now road hazards'

A driver and their friend made an unpleasant discovery inside a car tire, which proved to be a discarded vape cartridge just littering the ground.

They turned to the r/whatisit subreddit with a photo of a small metal object with a pronged end. 

"Was stuck in my friend's tire and no clue…" they wrote, adding, "Anyone know what it is? Not that it matters."

Redditors quickly identified the mystery object as "a vape cartridge that's the heating element / coil."

"Great. So these things are now road hazards because all the f****** just toss them out the window without a care in the world?" a frustrated person shared.

Vaping poses a host of health risks far beyond an irritating flat tire. On top of the well-publicized risks of nicotine, the CDC reported that vapes contain additional dangers from heavy metals nickel, tin, and lead, volatile organic compounds, and flavorings linked to lung disease.

The disposable cartridges also generate tons of waste. According to the Penn Environment Research & Policy Center, people in the U.S. throw out 4.5 disposable vapes per second, and there is no standardized method for recycling them. The Truth Initiative reported that only 15% of young vape users properly recycled their cartridges by dropping them off or sending them in for e-waste management.

That's led to the cartridges ending up in tires, people's backyards, and even the mouths of wildlife, like a penguin that appeared to mistake a vape for food. Beyond that, the lithium batteries that power disposable vapes contain toxic chemicals that can leach into the soil and water supply. They also pose a fire risk, often during charging, when they can explode and spark flames. 

"Say what you will about cigarettes, but at least they don't pop tires," one person quipped in the comments, a grim but accurate assessment. 

According to Penn Environment, cigarette waste takes ten years to break down, but plastic and metal vaping components never biodegrade.

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"I don't know why we are even remotely allowing single-use 'disposable' products with lithium batteries. This should have been stopped the moment it was remotely widespread. Can't believe not a single politician seems to care at all there," a Redditor commented.

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