E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that resemble tobacco cigarettes, cigars or pipes except that they do not contain tobacco. The device allows users to inhale nicotine and other chemicals in vapour form rather than smoke. There are also a number of non-nicotine devices that contain a variety of ingredients and flavours like fruit, sweets, coffee or alcohol flavours. Some devices resemble conventional cigarettes, cigars or pipes where others look like everyday items such as pens, USB memory sticks, and larger cylindrical or rectangular devices.

E-cigarette products can be bought online from overseas, which raises safety concerns about the lack of regulation governing their manufacture and distribution.

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Wrong Assumptions about the E-Cigarrettes

There have been frequent reports about nicotine poisonings as well as injuries and property damage arising from product malfunctions. E-cigarettes are sometimes mistaken for approved nicotine replacement therapy as some manufacturers market them as devices designed to help people overcome tobacco dependency. E-cigarettes may be used as a quitting aid in the future, but at the moment there is little conclusive evidence about its effectiveness. There is also very little known about the other chemicals found in e-cigarettes, and how it affects the smoker as well as bystanders.

How they are Used?

E-cigarettes contain nicotine solution, flavor and other chemicals in a disposable cartridge that can be replaced or refilled. E-cigarettes use heat to transform nicotine solution into vapour which is inhaled. People may use e-cigarettes for various reasons including:

  • To help them reduce or quit smoking
  • To avoid disturbing other people with smoke
  • In smoke-free places
  • To cough less, improve their breathing or physical fitness
  • For the flavor or sensation of inhalation

Do they Help People Quit Smoking?

At the moment there is very little available research that indicates if e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking as the results of studies on individual brands vary. While it has been suggested e-cigarettes may offer a safer alternative to smoking, other research points to a potential rise in smoking rates by re-normalising smoking, reducing a smoker’s motivation to quit or indirectly encouraging non-smokers to take up the habit. There is also the risk that smokers may become dual users of both e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes..

Are E-Cigarettes Safer?

Over 200 cases have been reported in the US and UK of e-cigarettes overheating, catching fire or exploding, causing serious and in some cases life threatening injury, disability and disfigurement.

Health Risks

Research into health risks associated with smoking e-cigarettes is extremely limited. There are also risks linked to nicotine poisoning via ingestion and skin contact. Concerns have been raised about the appeal of flavoured e-cigarettes among children and adolescence, in countries where data is available concerning trends are being noted in the uptake of e-cigarettes in adolescence and children.

Potential Risks

While it is thought that e-cigarettes may pose less harm than conventional cigarettes because they do not contain tobacco, significant differences in product designs and individual smoking patterns make it difficult to determine the potential level of nicotine toxicity in e-cigarettes. Manufacturer quality is not guaranteed, and can be highly variable. Nicotine labelling on e-cigarettes and e-liquids has also been demonstrated to be inconsistent.

Toxins

Labels have also incorrectly denied the presence of nicotine and other potentially toxic chemicals. Some e-cigarettes contain propylene glycol and glycerol (purified vegetable glycerine) that are potentially toxic and may cause mouth and throat irritation. E-cigarettes may also contain toxins such as formaldehyde and heavy metals, such as chromium, aluminium, arsenic, copper, lead, nickel and tin, all of which cause adverse health effects, including cancer. In some cases, these metals have been detected at levels similar to, or greater than those found in tobacco.