Are e-cigarettes safe?
What looks like a cigarette, glows like a cigarette, contains nicotine like a cigarette but is not a cigarette? It’s an e-cigarette or e-cig for short. This new import from China is literally selling like hotcakes because the manufacturers claim that it is safe, and does not contain any of the toxic chemicals such as tar found in your Camels or Virginia Slims. What it contains is pure nicotine.
According the official “electronic smoking” website, e-cig is the healthiest alternative to cigarettes you will ever get. It works similarly like a nicotine patch but it works better because the smokers get the oral fixation. In a CNN article, the CEO of Smoking Everywhere, one of the leading e-cig distributors, was quoted as saying that e-cigs do not contain ingredients that can cause cancer. There are however, a lot of uncertainties about this new product. The US FDA has declared the e-cig to an unapproved product whose safety cannot be determined. However, the CNN article criticized the regulatory body for being “hazy” about the issue because also the FDA is trying to stop e-cig importation, it is not seizing products that are already in the US.
What concerns me about the product is that its claims of safety which is not proven and tested might mislead young women who are smokers and pregnant. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a lot of infant health problems. The effects of e-cig on the unborn child, however, are not known. Other groups are also concerned that e-cig contains a high dose of pure nicotine that is potentially lethal when ingested by children. In addition, it puts to test the age limit some countries have placed on cigarette purchase and possession.
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Kelsey says...
I watched a video that stated that the e-cigs come in different flavors such as chocolate, cherry, and mint. Sounds like they are marketing this product more toward children for long time use than an easy way for long time smokers to quit a horrible habit. Also, apparently, the nicotine product has never been tested on humans. It has been used for patches and gum, but never inhaled before, so the long term effects are unknown. That is a little scary!
http://www.newsy.com/videos/a_healthy_cigarette/
Mike says...
I’m sorry Kelsey, but you’re wrong. What child would spend over $100 on something just because they heard it tastes like chocolate? They wouldn’t. They’d just go to the store and spend $1 on a chocolate bar. Besides, retailers won’t sell to anyone who’s under 18.
In addition, all retailers warn that this product is NOT for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Electronic cigarettes are harmless, and an incredible invention You get the nicotine, but without the 4000+ harmful chemicals that are in regular cigarettes I can actually breathe now, and I can smoke anywhere regular cigarettes are banned (bars, restaurants, even airplanes), and I don’t have to pay those ridiculously steep tobacco taxes. Sooooo, what’s the downside?
Here’s a site that reviews lots of different kinds of e-cigarettes, for anyone considering switching over that wants to learn a little more about them:
greensmokes.blogspot.com
And some videos showing how different brands of e-cigs work:
http://www.youtube.com/healthysmokes
Mikes last blog post..A Doctor Talks About the Benefits of the Smoke51 Electronic Cigarette!