Electronic cigarettes, also called personal vaporizers or smoking simulation devices that deliver an e-liquid solution made up of propylene glycol, flavoring and nicotine. The vaporization process is carried out by a battery-powered heating element called the “atomizer”. The act of “smoking” an electronic cigarette is popularly referred to as “vaping”; it mimics smoking, but doesn’t involve combustion. The individual inhales vapor, not smoke.
Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of styles, models and sizes. Many are designed to look like traditional cigarettes; these devices have atomizers built into the cartridges and are small and tubular. Others are larger in size and are built with tanks to hold the e-liquid. Typically, devices like these distance them from looking anything like a traditional cigarette.
Any substance containing nicotine is not 100% safe, but electronic cigarettes do not produce smoke. Numerous studies support that an overwhelming majority of tobacco related deaths are a result of the smoke produced and inhaled by users, not nicotine.
No. This myth came from a 2009 press statement from the FDA on electronic cigarettes. The FDA tested 18 cartridges from 2 companies; one of which tested positive for a non-toxic amount of diethylene glycol (approximately 1%). Diethylene glycol, which is occasionally used in anti-freeze, is not a standard ingredient in e-liquid and has not been found in other samples. The base ingredient for e-cigarette liquid is propylene glycol. Propylene Glycol is considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the FDA and EPA. It is used to in non-toxic anti-freeze and considered safe for small children and pets. Propylene Glycol is a common ingredient in many foods, cosmetics, medicines and fog machines for stage performances.
The FDA discovered trace amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in e-cigarettes, which are known to cause cancer with high exposure. The amounts found were far too low to be definitively labeled as cancer-causing. An e-cigarette contains nearly the same trace levels of nitrosamines as the FDA-approved nicotine patch and about 1,300 times less nitrosamines than a traditional cigarette.
Electronic cigarettes are an alternative to traditional cigarettes; providing enjoyment without the stigma. Electronic cigarettes are not smoking cessation tools nor are they marketed that way.