With the skyrocketing cost of cigarettes today, most smokers are looking for ways to either quit or reduce the cost of smoking. E-cigarettes, also known as electronic cigarettes, were introduced in the U.S. a little over a year ago and is slowly gaining favor as a potential candidate to aid both, those who want to quit smoking and those who want to reduce the cost of smoking. An e-cigarette is a battery operated device that enables a smoker to enjoy the smoking experience, with or without nicotine, without actually inhaling carcinogenic laced smoke. The e-cigarette produces a flavored water vapor which the smoker inhales and exhales.
The majority of e-cigarette devices are manufactured outside of the United States. E-cigarette units generally consist of a battery, a cartridge, and an atomizer. There are different models, some cartridge include a built-in atomizer, while other have disposable atomizer that are separate from the cartridge and discarded when empty, other models require the smoker add the liquid smoke to the cartridge, and other e-cigarette units use a sealed cartridge that contain the liquid. The cartridges are available in full-strength, light, and non nicotine levels, as well as a variety of flavors. Few of the manufacturers disclose what the chemical make up of the liquid smoke is. Health concerns are beginning to stir regarding the substances found in e-cigarettes.
Being encouraged as a stop smoking device, but lacking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and approval to be promoted as such, e-cigarette marketers are in some what of a bind on exactly how to promote their new product. One selling point is the smoker of an e-cigarette can enjoy an e-cig in otherwise prohibited smoking areas. Referring to tobacco cigarettes as analog cigarettes in most of the promotional materials, every marketer of e-cigarettes bellows about how their product is safer than analog varieties. One brand list its cartridge ingredients as water, nicotine (when that option is ordered), and a harmless food additive founded in many of the product currently on the market.
The FDA Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis announced in a July 2009 report, in their analysis of sample cartridges from two leading brands of e-cigarettes, diethylene glycol, a chemical used in automotive antifreeze, which is toxic to humans, was discovered. In other cartridge analyses nitrosamines and other toxic carcinogens were detected. Some believe this information is propaganda in an attempt to blacklist e-cigarettes which pose a serious threat to the American stop smoking aid business operated by the big pharmaceutical interest. Could this be a banned in the making?
That would be odd, with the known record of analog cigarettes and their health risk, if the FDA did ban e-cigarettes because they have a potential health risk. In any case, e-cigarette smokers and potential future users should remain informed and pay close attention to all available information so they can make an informed decision and not develop the false sense of security they are using a harmless device when actuality it is not. Stay tuned, there is more to come.
Resource: E-cigarettes may pose health risk, The Garden Island News, May 26, 2009
