I remember a time when my sister, our two cousins and I cut some wild grapevine branches and hid behind our grandparent’s barn to smoke them. Yes, it was horrible and yes, we were caught and punished. However, we thought it was worth it. Sneaking around and being devious is always tempting to a child.
As a young adult, I branched out and started smoking the real thing. That didn’t last too long, though; I hated the way it made my clothes smell, and during the winter, I would get bronchitis at the drop of a pin.
As people are becoming more aware of their health issues, new things are constantly coming out on the market in an effort to make us healthier. One of the biggest issues is the fatal affect of smoking and/or second-hand smoke.
Scientists are constantly trying, without much success, to curb the use of tobacco with a variety of products offering nicotine replacement. There are patches, pills, gum, inhalers, lozenges, nasal sprays, hypnosis, acupuncture – the list goes on.
All of the above mentioned options are good and they do work, as long as the smoker allows them to work. But the commitment still has to be there, or they all fail. The one true cessation aid to stop smoking is still your own will and determination. If you aren’t motivated and committed to kicking the habit, no aid can help you. Many people quit successfully by going cold turkey, but for some, this seems too extreme.
One of the newest rages (and money-making operations) on the market today is e-cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.
The primary stated use of the electronic cigarette is an alternative to tobacco smoking, or a smoking cessation device, as it attempts to deliver the experience of smoking without, or with greatly reduced, adverse health effects usually associated with tobacco smoke.
Another attractive item with e-cigarettes is that they come in a variety of flavors. Chocolate, Cherry, Vanilla, Mint, Mild Tobacco, Strong Tobacco, Marbella, Apple – and some Web sites state that if you ask, they can make any flavor you desire.
This is all very appealing – especially to young people. It’s new, young and hip. They can purchase these cigarettes without regard to age limit. The cigarettes can be ordered online or purchased at mall kiosks and smoking stores.
However, there are drawbacks. Controlled studies of electronic cigarettes are scarce due to their relatively new invention and rapid popularity. The FDA has not issued a regulated safety statement, and numerous tests by the FDA have proved them to be as harmful as a real cigarette to the smoker.
“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.
“Because these products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, at this time, the agency has no way of knowing, except for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user.”
The FDA’s Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, the FDA’s analyses detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans, and in several other samples, the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines. These tests indicate that these products contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could potentially be exposed. (www.fda.gov)
Quality control is also lacking. In a recent study, six brands of e-cigarettes acquired over the Internet were evaluated by the University of California. None of the devices was labeled clearly with nicotine levels, expiration dates or other information.
Some experts also worry about the appeal of e-cigarettes to children. They come in flavors ranging from chocolate to bubble gum, and range in a wide assortment of colors such as pink, gold or blue.
“Once a youth has decided to try an e-cigarette, there is nothing that protects him from getting addicted to nicotine by puffing this product,” wrote Jonathan Winickoff, a pediatrician at the Mass General Hospital for Children, in a letter to the FDA. “Nicotine itself is not safe for children. Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest addictions to break.”
Without regulation, e-cigarette cartridges may contain undisclosed chemicals that could end up being more toxic than tobacco smoke. As of right now, they are unapproved and unregulated, and anyone can buy them.