Electronic cigarettes as an alternative to traditional tobacco products

"This is an electronic, alternative to smoking device that mimics the very process of smoking. At the same time, users and other people are not exposed to the risk of getting carcinogenic and chemical substances that usually come from traditional tobacco products, "says Craig Youngblood, president of InLife, which produces electronic cigarettes.

[caption id="attachment_736" align="aligncenter" width="200"] electronic cigarettes[/caption]

"They supply the body with nicotine and are used as regular cigarettes. We do not yet know what happens to those who only get nicotine and stop inhaling the resins that are present in ordinary cigarettes. At least, there is only a potential risk, "states Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Pulmonary Association.

Electronic cigarettes do not produce real smoke, but only simulate its appearance and combustion process. Perhaps you've already seen them on sale in kiosks or online stores. They are safer than cigarettes, according to their manufacturers. However, the Food and Drug Administration is not allowed to authorize their sale in the United States at the request of the largest medical associations. The Canadian health agency also banned the import and sale of such products. What's the problem? There is still a discussion about what an electronic cigarette is.

What is an electronic cigarette?

Like gunpowder, electronic cigarettes are a Chinese invention. The first sample was released by Ruyan in 2004. According to media reports, the company sold 300,000 cigarettes in the past year, and this is by no means the only company that produces such a device.

• They come in different sizes and shapes. Most of them are more or less like long cigarettes; others on cigars or tubes. The principle of their work is the same:


• When the user draws in air, the device creates a vacuum, triggers the sensor, connects the battery, the steam generator reproduces the cold vapor and the cigarette starts to work.


• The heater emits propylene glycol (a substance used to create smoke in the theater) in the cartridge.


• The user inhales hot gas, which is very similar to tobacco smoke.


• When you exhale, a cold cloud of propylene glycol smoke forms, but it quickly disappears.


• Electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco products, since the nicotine that is present in the cartridge is synthetic.

Retail price varies from 100 to 200 dollars. The cost of the cartridge depends on its filling. Each of them can be used several times, while the substance for recharging cigarettes at home is also sold.

Advantages of electronic cigarettes

Different manufacturers emphasize different advantages:

• Smokers who do not plan to abandon this harmful habit, manufacturers recommend the use of such products in places where smoking is prohibited, for example, on board aircraft, in restaurants or in the workplace.


• Smokers who do not want to give up nicotine addiction, manufacturers offer such cigarettes in order to reduce the harmful effects of nicotine on the body.


• For people who want to get rid of this habit, such cigarettes will help to move from smoking to non-smokers (although the World Health Organization has forbidden manufacturers to specify this on products).

Disadvantages of electronic cigarettes

It is not proven that electronic cigarettes do not harm the body. This is the main factor that worries health care professionals. "To date, we can not confirm either the harm or benefit of using this kind of products, since there is no scientific evidence," says Elena Mendez, MD, a pulmonary research researcher at the University of Miami.

"What happens to those who stop inhaling tar, but continue only nicotine?" While we can not give an answer to this question (it means smoking for 3, 5, 10 years). If there is an addiction, getting rid of it will not be easy, "says Edelman. Moreover, electronic cigarettes can exacerbate nicotine addiction, according to Michael Eriksen, director of the Public Health Institute at Georgia State University in Atlanta and ex-director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "I have not met smokers who would like to switch from conventional cigarettes to electronic and or other smokeless tobacco products. If you look at how they are implemented, you can conclude that they should be used when you do not smoke. Conclusion: You just increase nicotine addiction, but you will not smoke less.