Electric cigarettes have been in the news lately. Electric cigarettes are presented as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Plausibly safer than tobacco cigarettes, sometimes they are described as safe, something we will look at. Sometimes they can be used where smoking tobacco cigarettes is not allowed, though this can be complex to determine. There are many uncertainties about them. Let’s see if we can fix some of that.
Electronic cigarettes do not use tobacco. They use nicotine which is extracted from tobacco, infused into liquids, and sold in cartridges that are installed in the electric cigarettes. There is no fire; a battery operated heating element vaporizes the tobacco infusion in the cartridges, which is then inhaled by the user. Many electric cigarettes resemble conventional cigarettes. Others look like cigars or pens.
The nicotine infused fluid comes in a cartridge that is roughly equivalent to one or two packs of tobacco cigarettes. In a two part model, the cartridge and atomizer are combined and replaced as a unit. Three part models separate them so each can be replaced as needed. The battery, usually lithium ion, is recharged every day or so. Some of them light up via an LED that indicates inhaling. Are they economical? It depends on the cost of the cartridges, but they may be cheaper than tobacco cigarettes.
Conventional cigarettes cause a number of health problems. The tar and other noxious elements of cigarette smoke contribute to lung cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems. Nicotine causes cardiovascular problems that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Since electronic cigarettes don’t produce smoke, they should eliminate the risks of lung cancer and respiratory problems. However, since they still have nicotine, the cardiovascular risks are probably still present, though I don’t believe this has actually been confirmed by research studies. Thus, it should be reasonable to say that electronic cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes, but not that they are completely safe.
Is an electronic cigarette a tobacco product or a medical device? The answer is different in different jurisdictions. Their legality also differs, for example they are OK in the United States, but not in Australia. Stay tuned, as these judgments are subject to change.
Where electronic cigarettes are legal, they can often be used in areas where smoking conventional cigarettes is not allowed. They don’t produce smoke, so people close to someone who is using an electric cigarette will generally not be offended by it. Also, there should be no risk to their health as there may be with second hand smoke. It is difficult to make general statements about where they may be used as owners of businesses may choose to ban them in cases where they are legally allowed.
This is a brief summary of the current status of electric cigarettes. For those who have trouble giving up tobacco cigarettes, they may be a reasonable alternative. Unfortunately, however, they probably have some of the same risks as tobacco cigarettes.
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