Is An E-Cig Really Safe?

Posted by alisonreid29 on May 4th, 2014

Sales figures of electronic cigarettes have increased to almost 4 million from a mere 50,000 in 2008. This can largely be attributed to the fact that a number of regular smokers and chain-smokers have tried and subsequently started using e-cigarettes. In fact, a fair number of regular smokers have shifted over toe-cigarettes to reduce their dependence on regular cigarettes while some have altogether done away with tobacco cigarettes in favor of the healthier e-cig. This is especially encouraging since existing medical research shows that the health risks associated with smoking e-cigarettes are far smaller as compared to the toxic tobacco cigarette.

In a regular tobacco cigarette, smoke is created by burning tobacco leaves wrapped in thin rolling paper which contains thousands of harmful and sometimes, even toxic chemicals that can cause a host of respiratory ailments. Though an e-cig might contain nicotine like a normal cigarette, it has been proven to be much safer as it only produces smokeless vapors by heating a solution of polythene/polyethylene glycol stored in the tank or cartridge. As the liquid is vaporized when it is heated by the atomizer, no combustion actually takes place which in turn reduces the level of harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide that are primarily produced when tobacco is burned. Hence, an electronic cigarette is a much healthier and safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes.

As a consequence of its relative safety, thee-cig has been well received by both seasoned as well as occasional smokers. Moreover, chain smokers are free to use high-nicotine content e-cigarettes while smokers trying to quit or reduce can opt for low nicotine content ones. In fact, even nicotine free e-cigarettes have been introduced for people intent on doing away with their nicotine intake altogether. Therefore, the electronic cigarette is now viewed favorably even by health-conscious non-smokers as ‘vaping’ is now gaining acceptance as a much safer practice than smoking.

Moreover, the electronic cigarette poses a much lesser health risk to the public at large in addition to being more environmentally friendly than tobacco cigarettes. Smoke exhaled from smokers’ lungs coupled with the smoke from the burning tip of a cigarette is known as second hand smoke. This smoke contains the same harmful chemicals present in cigarette smoke and can lead to a range of respiratory and heart ailments especially among children. On the other hand, an e-cig produces no such second-hand smoke since a person using such a device only inhales smokeless vapors when the e-liquid is heated.

E-cigarettes are also long lasting and often last up to 400 puffs unlike tobacco cigarettes that last only for a few minutes. This has resulted in the widespread littering of cigarette butts which have sometimes led to forest fires.In all fairness, the existing body of scientific research on the e-cig is not enough to conclusively determine its health risks based on objective harm assessment. However, most medical experts and doctors agree that an electronic cigarette is far less harmful to both the individual and society at large. This is largely substantiated by a growing body of empirical evidence.

When questions are raised about the safety aspect of e-cig the answer is best sought by understanding its components as also their manner of functioning. Research has proved that an electronic cigarette is a safer alternative not just for the person who is smoking but those around him too.