If you haven’t been living under a rock or in your room watching Netflix for the past few years (no shame if you have), you’ve probably seen the explosive new wave of electronic cigarettes. Whether at the bars or the coffee shop, there’s no denying that these futuristic faux-smokes have been spreading like wild fire. With seemingly unlimited flavors to choose from and advertised health benefits, e-cigarettes could be the perfect solution for tobacco smokers looking to improve their health.
That being said, there has been rising talk that these new devices aren’t as harmless as they might seem.
Studies conducted by the Centers of Disease Control last year show the percentage of middle and high school students smoking electronic cigarettes has more than doubled in recent years.
“Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes,” Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said.
There is also discussion as to whether these devices “re-normalize” the whole idea of smoking in general and further perpetuate smoking in areas where cigarettes are banned.
Although there is real concern surrounding the controversy, there are many advocates of the liquid pen who claim it is significantly safer than traditional cigarettes. They also say e-cigarettes can be used as a smoking cessation tool more successfully than other prescribed methods, such as patches and medication.
“There are a lot of people that will come in, buy this [e-cigarette], and just stop smoking all together,” Dennis Dietz, an employee of New Leaf Vapor Company in Jacksonville, said.
The ingredients used in these cigarettes, if purchased from the right places, are as harmless as a battery-operated cigarette can be.The four main ingredients include propylene glycol (an organic compound used in many other products of consumption), vegetable glycerin, food coloring and nicotine.
“The nicotine used in these, from reputable companies, is pharmaceutical grade. So it’s not just something that someone threw together in their backyard,” Dietz explained.
Dr. Igor Burstyn, associate professor in the School of Public Health at Drexel University, describes electronic cigarettes as, “low risk.” He said that many smokers don’t enjoy other methods of quitting, like the nicotine patches. Some doctors argue there are still too many negative side effects to electronic cigarettes.
“Doctors are a funny bunch,” Burstyn said. “They did advocate smoking at one time.”
Yes, it seems like you’ve seen that one Starbucks’ hipster vaping for an eternity now, but studies are still in the adolescent stages. For now, you could say the future of e-cigarettes is still a little … cloudy.
