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Postman
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2012
- Messages
- 50
[4.0] What are electronic cigarettes?
Some electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes) look exactly like regular cigarettes or cigars; others look more like pens. They are battery powered, and create their effect by vaporizing nicotine which is dissolved in a solution of water and propylene glycol (which, minus the nicotine, is basically the fog that is used in fog machines). The result is something that feels somewhat like smoke in the mouth and lungs but without involving any real smoke, tobacco or combustion. This e-cigarette fog (or vapour) dissipates rapidly, and leaves little scent in the air or on clothing.
E-smoking is almost identical to cigarette smoking. The major difference is that the e-cigarette is always "lit". Most of them even have an LED on the end that lights up like a cigarette ember when you draw on it. You can put it down or pick it up at any time without worrying about burning anything. It is only on when you actually draw on it. How much you smoke is related more to how many puffs you desire rather than on the length of the cigarette.
When switching over to e-cigarettes, a person needs to buy a kit which includes the battery containing smoking tube, cartridges which may or may not be flavored, and which may have high, low or no levels of nicotine, a recharger for the battery, an atomizer (this vaporizes the nicotine), and a set of instructions. As this is an electronic device, there may be a need in the future to purchase new batteries and atomizers as basic upkeep to keep your unit functioning properly. Even with refills and replacement pieces, there is still a phenomenal savings in comparison to tobacco.
There is also the option of buying individual disposable "cigars" which might be a good way to start without a big investment as long as there is not a big shipping charge. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to have a retailer stocking these items, you can bypass that cost.
For a good overview of the basics of the e-cigarette product and its use see How to Vape.
[4.1] Are they really safer than regular cigarettes? -Yes.
Though we are uncertain as to how safe they are, we are fairly sure that they are safer than smoking cigarettes. Part of our certainty derives from knowing how harmful regular smoking is. Almost anything is certain to be safer.
Almost anything else that is not acutely toxic (and we know the e-cigs are not) will be safer. Even if e-cigs are about ten times as harmful as smokeless tobacco, that still makes them about 1/10th as harmful as smoking. Smoking is just that bad.
First of all, there is no burning of any plant matter so all those combustion related carcinogens are no longer present. Of course, in most cases, nicotine is still present but, as we've written elsewhere, nicotine is one of the more benign elements in tobacco (see our Nicotine FAQ for more on this). All that remains is some uncertainty about the effects of propylene glycol with long term regular use.
However, though there is little danger in smoking e-cigarettes, there are some safety issues involved if people are using refillable versions and handling liquid nicotine. In the liquid form, nicotine is quite dangerous and any spills onto skin should be immediately washed off and certainly it should never be ingested. For more details, see Laugesen's cautions here.
[4.2] Are they as safe as using smokeless tobacco? -Maybe.
We cannot be as certain of their safety range as we are with smokeless tobacco (ST) simply because they are so new.
With smokeless tobacco, we have evidence from decades and decades of use by many different populations. Evidence that comes only from examining substance effects on cells in laboratories, measuring constituents in blood or urine, or its effects on nonhumans does not provide enough information to know what the effects will be on humans over time.
There are some but not that many studies of the potential harms that might come from using electronic cigarettes. To date, there is no indication of anything substantial. So, all we can say at this point is that they could be as safe, or even safer, than using ST or pharmaceutical nicotine products but we cannot be certain of that.
There are studies that confirm the chemicals that the body receives from some e-cigarettes, but not all of them. There is some concern about quality control -- making sure they are only what they say they are -- given that many factories in China are producing various versions with little regulation or oversight. We recommend using major brands that have been well tested. The most comprehensive study so far is on Ruyan (the largest producer) and indicates a clean product. (You can find that report online here.) Or you can find the link and also a few other reports in our Research Bibliography section under Electronic Cigarettes, as well as a risk report on propylene glycol.
Unfortunately, the studies that we have are all about chemistry, and a chemistry study does not tell us everything about human health effects. Since nicotine seems to be the source of most, if not all, of the risk from using smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, like traditional pharmaceutical nicotine products, will likely have those same risks (which we discuss HERE). To date, there is no reason to believe there is any substantial additional risk from the e-cigarettes, but we cannot be certain of that.
[4.3] How can I be sure I will like them?
You can't. But here is a link to a couple of resources out there. The first is a forum of former smokers discussing their experiences, and how they feel about the different available products, and the second is a reviewer who is trying to gather and review all the available products;(E-cigarette forum.com, and E-smoker forever). And here at E-cig review is a summary page for one person's experience with many brands. (Or watch this video of one long time smoker's experience with various methods including e-cigarettes).
[4.4] Is vaping as expensive as smoking?
The following is a British resource which will give you some idea of how much healthier your pocketbook will be (as well as your lungs).
[4.5] Where can I buy them?
Note: As of March 2009, Health Canada has decided to officially advise Canadians not to use electronic cigarettes (see the Advisory here) and has also curtailed the marketing (see here). In the United States, many of health organizations such as the American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society are also actively campaigning to remove e-cigarettes from the market. We hope this is temporary and that the situation changes. We are also not entirely certain what this means in terms of finding and using e-cigs. Unfortunately, this means that Health Canada and those American groups are actually advocating smoking regular and proven to be harmful cigarettes over their almost certainly safer electronic alternatives.
We will keep you informed of any major developments.
Presently, electronic cigarettes are much more commonly available on the internet than in stores; some personal orders appear to be successful. You might check with your local tobacco shop as to whether they carry or plan to carry these products. At this time, Canadian distributors have been shut down indefinitely (Health Canada has essentially made it impossible to gain approval) while American distributors are suffering from haphazard confiscations by the FDA.
A few governments are discouraging these products and threatening eventual confiscation. Of course, this makes it much less likely for this product to be on the shelves. We are hoping that the situation improves so that electronic cigarettes become at least as easy to purchase as regular cigarettes. In the meanwhile, E-cigarette Ban is currently the best site for keeping track of the status of e-cigarettes around the world.
Some electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes) look exactly like regular cigarettes or cigars; others look more like pens. They are battery powered, and create their effect by vaporizing nicotine which is dissolved in a solution of water and propylene glycol (which, minus the nicotine, is basically the fog that is used in fog machines). The result is something that feels somewhat like smoke in the mouth and lungs but without involving any real smoke, tobacco or combustion. This e-cigarette fog (or vapour) dissipates rapidly, and leaves little scent in the air or on clothing.
E-smoking is almost identical to cigarette smoking. The major difference is that the e-cigarette is always "lit". Most of them even have an LED on the end that lights up like a cigarette ember when you draw on it. You can put it down or pick it up at any time without worrying about burning anything. It is only on when you actually draw on it. How much you smoke is related more to how many puffs you desire rather than on the length of the cigarette.
When switching over to e-cigarettes, a person needs to buy a kit which includes the battery containing smoking tube, cartridges which may or may not be flavored, and which may have high, low or no levels of nicotine, a recharger for the battery, an atomizer (this vaporizes the nicotine), and a set of instructions. As this is an electronic device, there may be a need in the future to purchase new batteries and atomizers as basic upkeep to keep your unit functioning properly. Even with refills and replacement pieces, there is still a phenomenal savings in comparison to tobacco.
There is also the option of buying individual disposable "cigars" which might be a good way to start without a big investment as long as there is not a big shipping charge. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to have a retailer stocking these items, you can bypass that cost.
For a good overview of the basics of the e-cigarette product and its use see How to Vape.
[4.1] Are they really safer than regular cigarettes? -Yes.
Though we are uncertain as to how safe they are, we are fairly sure that they are safer than smoking cigarettes. Part of our certainty derives from knowing how harmful regular smoking is. Almost anything is certain to be safer.
Almost anything else that is not acutely toxic (and we know the e-cigs are not) will be safer. Even if e-cigs are about ten times as harmful as smokeless tobacco, that still makes them about 1/10th as harmful as smoking. Smoking is just that bad.
First of all, there is no burning of any plant matter so all those combustion related carcinogens are no longer present. Of course, in most cases, nicotine is still present but, as we've written elsewhere, nicotine is one of the more benign elements in tobacco (see our Nicotine FAQ for more on this). All that remains is some uncertainty about the effects of propylene glycol with long term regular use.
However, though there is little danger in smoking e-cigarettes, there are some safety issues involved if people are using refillable versions and handling liquid nicotine. In the liquid form, nicotine is quite dangerous and any spills onto skin should be immediately washed off and certainly it should never be ingested. For more details, see Laugesen's cautions here.
[4.2] Are they as safe as using smokeless tobacco? -Maybe.
We cannot be as certain of their safety range as we are with smokeless tobacco (ST) simply because they are so new.
With smokeless tobacco, we have evidence from decades and decades of use by many different populations. Evidence that comes only from examining substance effects on cells in laboratories, measuring constituents in blood or urine, or its effects on nonhumans does not provide enough information to know what the effects will be on humans over time.
There are some but not that many studies of the potential harms that might come from using electronic cigarettes. To date, there is no indication of anything substantial. So, all we can say at this point is that they could be as safe, or even safer, than using ST or pharmaceutical nicotine products but we cannot be certain of that.
There are studies that confirm the chemicals that the body receives from some e-cigarettes, but not all of them. There is some concern about quality control -- making sure they are only what they say they are -- given that many factories in China are producing various versions with little regulation or oversight. We recommend using major brands that have been well tested. The most comprehensive study so far is on Ruyan (the largest producer) and indicates a clean product. (You can find that report online here.) Or you can find the link and also a few other reports in our Research Bibliography section under Electronic Cigarettes, as well as a risk report on propylene glycol.
Unfortunately, the studies that we have are all about chemistry, and a chemistry study does not tell us everything about human health effects. Since nicotine seems to be the source of most, if not all, of the risk from using smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, like traditional pharmaceutical nicotine products, will likely have those same risks (which we discuss HERE). To date, there is no reason to believe there is any substantial additional risk from the e-cigarettes, but we cannot be certain of that.
[4.3] How can I be sure I will like them?
You can't. But here is a link to a couple of resources out there. The first is a forum of former smokers discussing their experiences, and how they feel about the different available products, and the second is a reviewer who is trying to gather and review all the available products;(E-cigarette forum.com, and E-smoker forever). And here at E-cig review is a summary page for one person's experience with many brands. (Or watch this video of one long time smoker's experience with various methods including e-cigarettes).
[4.4] Is vaping as expensive as smoking?
The following is a British resource which will give you some idea of how much healthier your pocketbook will be (as well as your lungs).
[4.5] Where can I buy them?
Note: As of March 2009, Health Canada has decided to officially advise Canadians not to use electronic cigarettes (see the Advisory here) and has also curtailed the marketing (see here). In the United States, many of health organizations such as the American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society are also actively campaigning to remove e-cigarettes from the market. We hope this is temporary and that the situation changes. We are also not entirely certain what this means in terms of finding and using e-cigs. Unfortunately, this means that Health Canada and those American groups are actually advocating smoking regular and proven to be harmful cigarettes over their almost certainly safer electronic alternatives.
We will keep you informed of any major developments.
Presently, electronic cigarettes are much more commonly available on the internet than in stores; some personal orders appear to be successful. You might check with your local tobacco shop as to whether they carry or plan to carry these products. At this time, Canadian distributors have been shut down indefinitely (Health Canada has essentially made it impossible to gain approval) while American distributors are suffering from haphazard confiscations by the FDA.
A few governments are discouraging these products and threatening eventual confiscation. Of course, this makes it much less likely for this product to be on the shelves. We are hoping that the situation improves so that electronic cigarettes become at least as easy to purchase as regular cigarettes. In the meanwhile, E-cigarette Ban is currently the best site for keeping track of the status of e-cigarettes around the world.
