Electronic cigarettes are slowly becoming popular as healthier alternatives to normal cigarettes. They are also sold as smoking cessation tools. However, are these cigarettes safe? Experts opine they are not. Even though they do not contain smoke, tar, and other chemicals, there is no scientific proof that electronic cigarettes are safer than normal cigarettes.
What are Electronic Cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes contains a cartidge/ mouthpiece which contains shots of nicotine, a heating element to vaporize nicotine, and a battery. When a smoker inhales this device, the nicotine solution is vaporized through the heating element and the smoker would be inhaling the nicotine vapor.
Electronic cigarettes look similar to normal cigarettes and they also contains an LED, which gives an orange light at the tip of the cigarette. Electronic cigarettes do not contain the toxic smoke, tar, and chemicals present in a normal cigarette.
Why Electronic Cigarettes May Not Be Safe?
Here are the reasons why electronic cigarettes may not be safe:
- Nicotine, in any form is addicitive. These cigarettes may seem like a healthier alternative, however, they contain nicotine which may keep you hooked to these cigarettes
- There have been no studies regarding the impact of vaporized nicotine on humans. When nicotine is heated, vaporized and inhaled, what is its impact? All these questions are not answered
- Electronic cigarettes are unregulated. We do not know the contents of the nicotine vapor, amount of nicotine present, how much nicotine is delivered to the human body, and what other elements are present in electronic cigarettes
- Electronic cigarettes do not have quality control. Most of them are made in China. Moreover, they are not approved by the FDA.
Potential Health Risks Associated with E-Cigarette Use
| Health Risk | Description |
|---|---|
| Nicotine Addiction | Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development. |
| Respiratory Issues | Use of e-cigarettes has been linked to lung injuries and diseases, including EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury). |
| Cardiovascular Problems | Nicotine exposure can increase heart rate and blood pressure, potentially leading to heart-related issues. |
| Exposure to Harmful Chemicals | E-cigarette aerosol can contain harmful substances like volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and flavoring chemicals linked to lung disease. |
| Impact on Youth and Pregnant Women | Nicotine exposure during adolescence and pregnancy can harm brain development and lead to long-term cognitive and behavioral impairments. |
Comparison of Traditional Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes
| Aspect | Traditional Cigarettes | E-Cigarettes |
|---|---|---|
| Nicotine Content | Varies; typically high | Varies; can be adjusted |
| Combustion | Yes, involves burning tobacco | No, uses vaporization |
| Harmful Chemicals | Contains tar, carbon monoxide, and numerous carcinogens | Contains fewer known harmful chemicals; long-term effects still under study |
| Secondhand Exposure | Produces secondhand smoke harmful to bystanders | Produces aerosol; health effects on bystanders are still being studied |
| Regulation | Heavily regulated in most countries | Regulations vary; some products lack quality control |
World Health Organization pointed out that there is lack of knowledge regarding electronic cigarettes, which can be risky. Electronic cigarettes are new, and they do not have any scientific evidence that they are healthier alternatives. Hence, if you would like to quit cigarettes, speak to your physician about nicotine replacement therapies approved by FDA.
Regulatory Status of E-Cigarettes in Various Countries
| Country | Regulatory Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Regulated by the FDA; sales to minors prohibited; certain flavors banned. |
| United Kingdom | Regulated as consumer products; advertising restrictions in place. |
| Australia | Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes require a prescription; sales without prescription are illegal. |
| India | Complete ban on production, import, and sale of e-cigarettes. |
| Canada | Regulated under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act; sales to minors prohibited. |
13 Comments
I’ve been smoking electronically for a few months now. Though they do contain nicotine (which is obviously addictive), i still find them to be MUCH safer than normal cigs since they don’t contain tar, toxins etc.
I am using electronic cigarettes. Please do the studies of how much nicotine is enhaled and exhaled. Find out the safe amount when vaporizing nicotine and breathing it second hand. This looks like a less harmfull solution. Best used as a life saver for smokers. I think that one should also quit E-Cigs and if you can not, then do not go back to normal cigarettes. Please establish if E-Cigs are less danderous than tabacco cigaretts. Hate to say it but at least then one can choose the least harmfull of both. Maybe having less dangerous alternatives will help us to break the nicotine habit. So far there is no real solution to breaking the habit.
These kind of nonsense articles are an a front to any intelligent person. Are regular cigarettes approved by the FDA??? Of course not. So that whole point is irrelevant. And it should be obvious to anyone that while we don’t know if these are safe or not they are clearly much safer than regular cigarettes. And there’s no second hand smoke to complain about either. This product should be heralded as the next great step in the effort to reduce the number of smokers and to reduce the number of early deaths that regular cigarettes cause.
Joe
PS. I am NOT a smoker.
Joe put it best.
This article is a joke. It talks about the e-cigarette being unregulated. Since when have “real” cigarettes regulated? We still don’t know all the ingredients in any given brand of cigarettes (Newport, Camel, Kools, etc.). At least we know what is in these. I’m a smoker and am willing to give this a try. I think Big Tobacco companies are behind pressuring the FDA to ban these. They are pissed about the big settlements they had to dole out and whining about how the government has raised taxes even though they pass these on to us who continue to smoke. I will try this just to defy the Big Tobacco companies, the government, and the FDA. I don’t condone smoking in anyway but I don’t feel I should be ostracized or taken advantage of either for the habits I choose. If I had the time and property, I’d be growing my own smokes. It’s no wonder the smoking community is looking for alternatives. You can’t blame them. And YES, I will quit when I am ready!
I just purchased the electronic cigarette, yesterday, per the request of my young son. If I can spare him a lifetime of secondhand smoke, then I have done us both a favor, until the time comes that I can quit for good.
FYI–I’m a nurse. I don’t see the validity of the arguement. The FDA is and has always been a joke.
Some say that using electronic cigarettes can help you quit smoking. Currently there is no scientific evidence for or against it. One option is to gradually lower the level of nicotine in your cartridges to become nicotine and tobacco free.
The other option is to smoke electronic cigarettes with zero nicotine cartridges while applying nicotine patches. That way you separate addiction and habit.
Well I have smoke cigarettes off and on for the last 10 years and have decided to try the new electronic device. I think that it seems like a good alternative to smoking real cigarettes. I actually tried one at the local mall today and it was good. I still got my nicotine fix with the same sensation of smoke. I ordered some electronic cigarettes from this website http://www.greensmoke.com/startliving. Well I hope it gives me the opportunity to stop. I will keep you guys posted.
I have been trying to quit smoking off and on for 30 years. I ordered the ecigs today hoping these will help me step down my nicotine intake. The concept sounds great! I really hope they are less dangerous and that I will to finally quit smoking for good.
hi everyone, I have been smoking e-cig for aprox 3 months, I feel no more heartburn, I breath better when I sleep at night I do not feel weak or dizziness when I get up my chair! I still have to wait for my next e-liquid order , I am still smoking regular cigarette because I wasn’t sure how it would be, I just ordered a small order that only last me 2-3 months ! it depends on the liquid people uses, some might be safe and other bad! I am no expert or anything but I feel the liquid I use is safe, I use patches once and got really dizzy and my heart beat would go faster and started to get tired! so I gave em up the patch I felt unsafe with the patch, so why is the FDA concern about health when it feels safer to use!?
hi everyone! FDA approved nicoderm and patches and all that crap! I almost passed out when I 1srt tried those stupid patches trying to quit smoking!! that was aprox 3 years ago, then decided to go on e-cigarette! I feel much better smoking e-cigs! screw the patches and nico gums crap
One more thing too, I was hooked on those gums! I got sick a couple times! wasn’t my fault because I tried not to chew gum everyday! but it was hard for me to stop! that was after the patch, aprox 3 weeks after I decided to try gum, I never got any of those symptoms ever since I started vaping e-cigarette, to be continue……
The above article regarding e-cigs is ridiculous!!!
Bullet point one = no kidding!
Bullet point two = Is a lit cigarette not heated and inhaled nicotine? Get real!
Bullet point three = The government has not studied and analyzed enough to get through their own red tape to approve this product for distribution. Not regulated means they aren’t in control of taxing the hell out of the product at this time. Trust me! They will “regulate” e-cigs if they get more popular because they will loose all the tax dollars when people stop buying real cigarettes.
Bullet point four = scare tactic so that smoker’s continue buying real cigarettes and paying REAL taxes on the government “regulated” product.