E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes are a new take on cigarettes that uses technology to replace most of the classic cigarette. They are handheld nicotine vaporizers that deliver an aerosol made up of nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals to users. E-cigarettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from those that try to closely model the classic cigarette experience to those that introduce new ways to smoke.
The appeal of the E cigarette that has been advertised is that it is a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. It offers the promise of safe, harmless nicotine delivery without all the carcinogenic byproducts of looseleaf combustion of a traditional cigarette. Read any magazine or watch TV-The ads and commercials promoting the E-cigarette are numerous and not unlike the ads made for cigarettes in the 1970’s and ‘80’s.
Another reason why people like using e-cigarettes is because it helps them get around the various government bans on cigarette usage. People can smoke e-cigarettes in public areas that ban smoking.
But with most things that appear to be too good to be true, the same goes with the E-cigarette.
Some youth have their first taste of nicotine via e-cigarettes. Twenty percent of middle schoolers and 7.2 percent of high schooler e-cigarette users in the U.S. report never smoking cigarettes.
E-cigarette users could also be inhaling and exhaling low levels of chemicals such as formaldehyde, propylene glycol and acetaldehyde (to name a few), and this secondhand vapor could be a potentially toxic source of indoor air pollution. Formaldehyde, for instance, is a carcinogen that also irritates the eyes, nose and throat. Propylene glycol can also cause eye and respiratory irritation, and prolonged exposure can affect the nervous system and the spleen. Acetaldehyde, also known as the "hangover chemical," is also a possible carcinogen.
While the levels of the toxins were still much lower compared to conventional cigarette emissions, the findings fly in the face of the e-cigarette industries' claims that the handheld devices are just as safe as any other smoking cessation tool
So far, e-cigarette use is not associated with the successful quitting of conventional cigarettes. One clinical trial found that e-cigarettes was no more effective than the nicotine patch at helping people quit, and both cessation methods "produced very modest quit rates without counseling."
I would like to support any smokers interested in quitting to call and discuss options to aid in smoking cessation. Give us a call at 225-922-9540.
Portions of this article were based on materials provided by Science Daily and Huffington Post
The appeal of the E cigarette that has been advertised is that it is a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. It offers the promise of safe, harmless nicotine delivery without all the carcinogenic byproducts of looseleaf combustion of a traditional cigarette. Read any magazine or watch TV-The ads and commercials promoting the E-cigarette are numerous and not unlike the ads made for cigarettes in the 1970’s and ‘80’s.
Another reason why people like using e-cigarettes is because it helps them get around the various government bans on cigarette usage. People can smoke e-cigarettes in public areas that ban smoking.
But with most things that appear to be too good to be true, the same goes with the E-cigarette.
Some youth have their first taste of nicotine via e-cigarettes. Twenty percent of middle schoolers and 7.2 percent of high schooler e-cigarette users in the U.S. report never smoking cigarettes.
E-cigarette users could also be inhaling and exhaling low levels of chemicals such as formaldehyde, propylene glycol and acetaldehyde (to name a few), and this secondhand vapor could be a potentially toxic source of indoor air pollution. Formaldehyde, for instance, is a carcinogen that also irritates the eyes, nose and throat. Propylene glycol can also cause eye and respiratory irritation, and prolonged exposure can affect the nervous system and the spleen. Acetaldehyde, also known as the "hangover chemical," is also a possible carcinogen.
While the levels of the toxins were still much lower compared to conventional cigarette emissions, the findings fly in the face of the e-cigarette industries' claims that the handheld devices are just as safe as any other smoking cessation tool
So far, e-cigarette use is not associated with the successful quitting of conventional cigarettes. One clinical trial found that e-cigarettes was no more effective than the nicotine patch at helping people quit, and both cessation methods "produced very modest quit rates without counseling."
I would like to support any smokers interested in quitting to call and discuss options to aid in smoking cessation. Give us a call at 225-922-9540.
Portions of this article were based on materials provided by Science Daily and Huffington Post
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