Electronic Cigarettes Vs. E Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigs or vape pens are so often negatively looked upon as sources of addiction, rather than the health cigarette substitute they really are. E-cigarettes allow the delivery of nicotine to the blood without the nasty side effects caused by tars and carcinogens in traditional cigarettes. The electronic cigarette was patented by Herbert A. Gilbert in 1963, who lived in a society where smoking was generally accepted or even the norm but he saw the dangers of smoking tobacco and was one of the first to try to innovate alternate intake methods. 40 years later Han Lik, a chinese businessman, began to further expand on Herbert A. Gilberts idea of delivery of nicotine without the plethora of harmful chemicals in a lit cigarette. An electronic cigarette is a battery powered device often designed to look like a regular cigarette, inside the e-cig is an atomizer which heats up a liquid containing nicotine. When heated up the liquid becomes a vapor that can be inhaled, similar to cigarette smoke.

The profitable business of electronic cigarettes has raised over $3 Billion dollars annually, vastly spread across over 466 brands which have joined the ordeal. Above all, known as a “gateway drug”, electronic cigarettes have claimed the once-ordinary lives of people, specifically to those who have turned from tobacco cigarettes. What is more, scientists have determined that not enough research has been executed to automatically assume the healthiness of e-cigarettes. Despite this, many have claimed that e-cigarettes, are, and will be the new “healthy” drug, so to speak. Provided that e-cigarettes do not release harmful smoke, they are still not safe for one’s health given that not enough research has been performed on them.

Electronic cigarettes, more commonly know as e-cigarettes have taken the 21st century by storm. They are handheld devices that have evolved dramatically since they were first introduced to the U.S. in 2006. They have a variety of models ranging from the traditional cigarettes, to different sizes, shapes, and features. The battery-powered device is not regulated by the FDA and does not use tobacco. Instead they deliver nicotine to the user through the conversion of various chemicals such as nicotine, propylene, glycol, glycerin, and flavoring chemicals in to vapor to be inhaled. The battery on the device heats up to produce the vapor that the user inhales.

so popular? By 2013, the major multinational tobacco companies had entered the e-cigarette market. E-Cigarettes are marketed via television, the internet, and print advertisement as healthier alternatives to tobacco smoking, as useful for helping people quitting smoking and reducing cigarette consumption, and as a way to circumvent smoke-free laws by enabling users to “smoke anywhere. Contrary, to the E-cigarette advertising on television and radio is mass marketing of an addictive nicotine product for use in a recreational manner to new generations who have never experiences such marketing. Awareness of e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes trial have at least doubled among both adults and adolescents in several countries from 2008 to 2012. .

Tobacco use is a major threat to public health. Lung cancer and heart disease are the major causes of mortality and morbidity among smokers. In addition to that, second hand and even third hand exposure to tobacco smoke represents a risk of cardiovascular disease developments. With the increased awareness of these risks, a trend towards smoking cessation started years ago. As part of this alteration electronic cigarettes were initially introduced to the U.S market in 2006 as a healthier alternative to conventional tobacco cigarettes, and as a smoking cessation aid. Since their introduction to the market, e-cigarettes had widespread success among smokers, non-smokers, pregnant females and even youth, their sales increased by 1437% since 2008.

According to State of Hawaii House Bill 1951 (2016), an “electronic smoking device” is defined as any electronic product that can be used to aerosolize and deliver nicotine to the person inhaling from the device. This definition includes electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic pipes, hookah pipes or hookah pens (H. 1951, 2010). These devices deliver flavor and other chemicals along with nicotine to users. “E-liquid” refers to any liquid containing nicotine that is designed or intended for use in a reusable electronic smoking device (H. 1951, 2016). It is thought that electronic cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. Unlike traditional cigarettes electronic devices do not contain tobacco and produce vapor, not smoke.

The decision between the use of e-cigarettes and real cigarettes is an answer that can affect your life and your body during its progression. During the experiments done scientists tested how e-cigarettes affect the body and how well it is seen by the general population of physicians. The first experiment done on smokers using 14-37 packs a year, switching to e-cigarettes, showed that these people began decreasing the amount of packs they smoked by 22% in week 12 of the study and about 13% in one year. The next experiment measured the amount of people in a set group who have ever used an e-cigarette. The results showed about 9% of people said they have used an e-cigarette and about 1% said they have used and stopped using e-cigarette. The next experiment showed cytotoxicity of e-cigarettes and if mice developed any lung issues at various intensities. The use of intense e-cigarettes showed that the mice had much more CRV than the control group of mice, leading to the verdict that e-cigarettes could have a harmful affect on humans too. These results show how e-cigarettes are used between the population and who is more likely to come in contact with the product. Also, the results show that the e-cigarettes affect the human body just like regular cigarettes do.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, were invented in 2004 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik following his father’s death from lung cancer (CASAA, 2012). With the intention of offering a safer alternative to traditional tobacco, e-cigarettes quickly emerged in other markets around the world including Europe in 2006 and the United States (U.S.) by 2007 (TCLC, 2011). The device works via battery to heat liquid nicotine and an atomizer then turns the liquid into a vapor which is inhaled by the user. E-cigarettes, now readily available in convenience stores, mall kiosks and gas stations, come in many forms ranging from disposable cigarette-like devices to pen-like refillable devices with flavors such as bubblegum, chocolate and mint (TCLC, 2011; NIH, 2014). The speed with which e-cigarettes have gained popularity across the U.S. has placed manufacturers, tobacco control lobbyists and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at odds regarding the regulation of sales, marketing and use of the devices (TCLC, 2011).

Research indicates that there are benefits of using Electronic cigarettes rather than traditional cigarettes, some of which are obvious, such as they reduce the risk of starting a fire. Electronic cigarettes were designed to mimic the smoking experience by delivering nicotine without tar (Rom, et al. 2015). Based on various surveys conducted on Electronic cigarette smokers there appears to be a general belief that Electronic cigarettes are beneficial for smoking cessation and that this particular method of nicotine replacement therapy is less harmful for health than traditional cigarettes (Rom, et al. 2015).

The number of users of e-cigarettes is increasing rapidly. For instance, 2.1 million adults use it in Great Britain according to study done for Action on Smoking and Health and 4.2% of adults use it in uniting states about CDC figures (Bates & Gerry 4). The use of EC is spreading to other countries such as Australia. Unfortunately, the use of e-cigarette was banned in Australia by 2013. There are three generations of e-cigarettes: the 1st generation that is similar to normal cigarettes, and 2nd innovation that has features like a pen, and 3rd invention that is similar to a mod (Bates & Gerry

E-cigarettes appear as an innocent alternative to the real thing but the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory identifying the “volatile” substances in the device and its emitted smoke may not be that harmless after all (“FDA: Second-Hand Smoke From E-Cigarettes May Be Harmful To Your Health”, 2013). Electronic cigarettes contain organic substances including propylene glycol, flavors, and nicotine which are emitted as a mist into the air in enclosed areas. FDA studies show that these microscopic liquid particles have the possibility of penetrating deep into our lungs. Also cited by the FDA in a German publication on electronic cigarettes shows

Introduced in 2007 to the United States market electronic cigarettes have become a popular source of nicotine for many addicted individuals (Barrios, Orellana, Payne D, Mulkey K, and Nugent K). These devices primarily consist of a power source (typically one or two batteries), a coil (a piece of wire wrapped a number of times around a cylindrical object), a piece of wicking material (usually cotton or piece of silica to deliver juice to the coils), a mouthpiece (for delivery of the vapor to the lung), a body (usually metal or wood to house the components), and a button (to activate the device).

E-cigarette is believed to greatly reduce on the health effects associated with tobacco smoking. However, e-cigarette has been criticized as a leading cause of smoking among the youth due to its flavor as well as its novel appearance and campaigns. It is also believed to pose some health risks. Despite such drawbacks, e-cigarette has recently gained a lot of popularity and subsequent growth.

Perceptions and attitudes towards smoking influence greatly people’s behaviors towards e-cigarettes. The majority of research that has been conducted so far is on adolescents and young adults and it is mainly qualitative research that has gathered information on their perceptions on the matter through surveys. Young adults and adolescents are shown to be less willing to quit smoking and more willing to simply reduce it especially since they have the perception that e-cigarette is not harmful (Camenga et al. 2015). A study conducted by Barrington-Trimis et al., (2015),

Many smokers use electronic cigarettes as a way to quit combustible cigarettes. “Tobacco use remaings the leading cause of preventable death in the United States,” (Breland, Soule, Lopez, Ramôa, El-Hellani, and Eissenberg). They believe it is a way for them to intake nicotine in a safer manner as they are inhaling vapor instead of smoke. One thing that has always been harmful in electronic cigarettes and combustible cigarettes alike is nicotine because it is a highly addictive substance, but some smokers use electronic cigarettes without nicotine just