What you need to know about ecigarettes

As tobacco use continues its inexorable fall from grace, a growing number of people are turning to electronic cigarettes. These nifty electrical inhalers are being seen and sometimes even marketed as a "healthier" alternative to smoking tobacco. But are they really a viable alternative to cigarettes, or ust a passing fad! "hat is it like to smoke one! And are they really safer than conventional cigarettes! #ere$s what you need to know about the e%cigarette. What is it? The e%cigarette is meant to mimic the experience of smoking a real one. &t looks like a conventional cigarette, and is used in nearly the exact same way less the fire and smoke. &n fact, the experience is so true to traditional smoking that some consider it a viable cessation therapy.

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(ach e%cig is powered by a small lithium battery that atomi)es a propylene glycol*nicotine solution. The substance that$s being inhaled even looks like smoke, but it$s a vapor similar to fog albeit a nicotine drenched fog+ the amount of nicotine it produces closely approximates what$s found in a conventional cigarette. 'tarter kits range in price from ,-. to ,/.., and the li0uid refills costs about ,12 each what$s the e0uivalent of five packs of cigarettes. 'ome models even allow for recharging through the 3'B port of a computer. 4anufacturers say much to the chagrin of federal regulators that it$s a much cleaner and safer way to inhale nicotine. And unlike cessation patches or gum, the experience is meant to be en oyed, hence the assortment of flavors that have been made available, like menthol, chocolate and strawberry. The technology was first conceived by American #erbert 5ilbert in /678, but its modern form took shape back in 1..8 owing to the work of 9hina$s #on :ik and his company, 5olden ;ragon #olding <which has since changed its name to =uyan, meaning "like smoking">. Though once a lone player, the company now has plenty of rivals all of whom are vying for space in a potentially lucrative market. What's the experience like? To get a better sense of what it$s like to smoke an e%cigarette, we spoke to ?ayar :a @ontaine, a Toronto resident who took up the habit three months ago. "&$m probably an atypical user of e%cigarettes," he told io6. "& was never a heavy user of tobacco in the first place but &$ve always loved the effects of nicotine, what tends to sharpen my thinking." :a @ontaine was exposed to e%cigarettes while attending Burning 4an in 1.//. There, he met a number of users who, like him, were not prior smokers. @or :a @ontaine, the initial appeal of e%cigarettes had a lot to do with his asthma. "& would do some casual smoking, but it would make me feel absolutely awful afterward," he said. This was frustrating, as he en oyed the social aspects what he calls the "nicotine consumption ritual." 'o, with the introduction of the e%cigarette, he felt that he didn$t have to worry so much about the harsh toxic chemicals found in tobacco. "&t$s a safer delivery system for a social drug that & en oy using every once in awhile," he said. &n terms of the experience itself, :a @ontaine describes the effect as a bit muted and not as acute as when smoking traditional cigarettes. #e also doesn$t get a headrush or di))iness following inhalation. "But it also doesn$t irritate my lungs," he told us, "not the way that regular cigarettes do though & occasionally feel a tingly sensation."

"e asked him if he has any long term concerns about prolonged use. After a slight pause, :a @ontaine admitted that he$s curious to see what the long term studies will show. "& do have concerns about the overuse of nicotine because it does play with our reward system, he says. "& worry about its addictive 0ualities and how it might be affecting my behavior." And indeed, he$s worried that a dependency has already started to take hold. "& have to admit, even though it$s been only three months, when & misplace my e%cigarette & immediately scramble to find out where & left it and & don$t leave home without it. &t$s something &$m starting to be increasingly aware of." But is it safe? As :a @ontaine pointed out, there simply isn$t enough information yet to prove safety. This has sparked a firestorm of criticism against its use, and even some outright bans.

' As it stands, the sale of e%cigarettes is prohibited in Australia, 9anada, &srael, and #ong Aong. 'pecifically, these products cannot be sold in a retail space, nor can they be marketed. And what$s being controlled is not the e%cigarette device itself, but the e%li0uid cartridges. 4uch of the criticism also has to do with claims being made by certain e%cig manufacturers, many of whom claim that it$s a safer alternative. "hile they may eventually be proven right, federal regulators like the 3.'. @ood and ;rug Administration accuse them of making unsubstantiated claims. And indeed, back in 1..6 the @;A sei)ed an inbound shipment from 9hina on these very grounds. Bther concerns are that these products are being sold to children, and that there$s a heightened chance of nicotine overdose given the ease with which it can be consumed. "hat$s also not known is whether there$s a threat to non%users from "second hand vapor." As for its safety, preliminary tests by the @;A indicated that they do contain some dangerous cancer%causing chemicals, but at lower levels than regular cigarettes. Actually, as Boston 3niversity 'chool of Cublic #ealth professor 4ichael 'iegel has pointed out, at much lower levels. 'peaking to NPR he said, "&t is comparable to what is present in nicotine%replacement products, which are on the market, and, in fact, if you look at the actual

levels of the carcinogens in electronic cigarettes, they$re about /,-.. times lower than in 4arlboros." 'iegel would know. #e was involved in a 1./. study published in the Journal of Public Health Policy which indicated that e%cigarettes were in fact safer than cigarettesD Few, if any, chemicals at levels detected in electronic cigarettes raise serious health concerns. Although the existing research does not warrant a conclusion that electronic cigarettes are safe in absolute terms and further clinical studies are needed to com rehensively assess the safety of electronic cigarettes, a re onderance of the available evidence shows them to be much safer than tobacco cigarettes and com arable in toxicity to conventional nicotine re lacement roducts. Their survey reviewed /7 laboratory studies that identified the components in electronic cigarette li0uid and vapor. The researchers found that carcinogen levels in electronic cigarettes are up to /,... times lower than in tobacco cigarettes. 'iegel went on to claim that, "The truth is, we know a lot more about what is in electronic cigarettes than regular cigarettes." At the same time, other studies are showing that e%cigarettes do in fact harm the lungs. @;A ;eputy 9ommissioner ?oshua 'harfstein agrees with the concerns and says consumers should be wary that it$s premature to be umping on the e%cig bandwagon. "'ome products, which are marketed as exactly the same, have wildly variable amounts of nicotine in them," he told NPR. "Bne of the products has a poison in it that is diethylene glycol. And what that indicates is that we don$t really know much at all about the way these things are produced." A lesser evil? Eot surprisingly, tobacco companies are having a fit over e%cigarettes what$s a clear and present danger to their business. "This is exactly what the tobacco companies have been afraid of all these years, an alternative method of delivering nicotine that is actually en oyable," said ;avid 'weanor when speaking to the !A "imes. #e$s an ad unct law professor at the 3niversity of Bttawa who speciali)es in tobacco issues. "&t took the 9hinese, who are very entrepreneurial, and not burdened with all kinds of regulation, to take the risk." All this said, it$s a clear case of vapor%inhaler beware. Eot only are the long term impacts of e% cigarette use extremely unclear, it$s obvious that nicotine addiction is a necessary part of the e0uation. As :a @ontaine admitted, while he does en oy the benefits of nicotine, it$s a potential problem, one that may already be impacting on his behavior. 3ntil more is known, it$s probably best to exercise caution.