The Truth About Electronic Cigarettes
Tags: e-cigarette, electronic cigarette, quit smoking devices
Ok, it’s time to spill the truth on electronic cigarettes, aka “e-cigarettes”. Each week I’m getting more and more emails about these type of cigarettes, so let me clear up everyone’s questions once and for all.
In a nutshell, e-cigarettes aren’t a viable solution to quit smoking. The reason for this is because as a substitute for regular cigarettes, they merely substitute one dangerous vice for another dangerous vice.
According to an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the biggest concern by the WHO is that there was no evidence presented to back up claims that e-cigarettes do help people quit smoking.
Some of my concerns about e-cigarettes are:
- They are manufactured and marketed in a completely different manner than traditional smoking remedies such as nicotine patches or gum alternatives.
- Marketed to a more ‘cool’ demographic.
- Offered in flavors such as chocolate, strawberry and even coffee. This carries the danger of luring in non-smokers and children who purchase e-cigarettes for their flavour.
In Hong Kong, possession of an unregulated pharmaceutical device such as an e-cigarette is subject to a two-year jail sentence as well as a $100,000 HK fine.
E-cigarettes have been refused approval by the FDA several times, mainly because they are considered to be a dangerous method to quit smoking due to the liquids used and false hope it gives to consumers.
SO WHY EXACTLY ARE E-CIGARETTES ARE A HUGE RISK?
According to a review on Examiner.com:
One of the testers experienced “a small amount of liquid leaked from the air vent holes in the side of the cigarette.”
It is unknown if the liquid is toxic when exposed outside of the device, but this could prevent it from being approved by the FDA merely as a safety consideration and something that would need to be addressed immediately before any further testing can be done.
A big concern is that as an electronic substitute, having something that is dependent on battery power for continued therapy that has no tested usage patterns may present problems for people who are heavy smokers, because when the e-cigarette runs out of battery power, it becomes useless.
You don’t see the same sort of problems with natural therapies such as herbal blends, vitamins, hypnosis or my Core Desire program.
Nicotine is still a drug, regardless of what the makers of these e-cigarettes would have you believe.
They’ve even been banned in Australia because of concerns that they would merely prolong nicotine addiction, in addition to safety fears about how they function.
WHAT FLUIDS ARE CONTAINED IN THESE E-CIGARETTES?
The fluid used in many e-cigarettes, commonly called “Ejuice” contain the following ingredients:
- Propylene Glycol, which can cause gastrointestinal irritation.
- Nicotine, the basic substance found in many cigarettes.
- Tobacco essence, which does nothing to keep people from continuing their smoking habit.
- Tetramethylpyrazine, which has been shown in lab tests to cause brain damage from prolonged exposure.
There are many other ingredients, some of which could be used as accelerants if exposed properly should one of these e-cigarettes break whilst charging. That plus using a rechargeable battery for a method of smoking cessation is just not a good way to get people to quit smoking.
SO SHOULD WE AVOID E-CIGARETTES?
Definitely!
Many manufacturers claim that e-cigarettes are similar in design to the widely available Nicotrol Inhaler. While this may be true, doctors prescribe Nicotrol Inhalers to patients who wish to quit smoking as a medically supported alternative.
Just take a look at the following points. You may now want to think twice before using an e-cigarette.
- E-cigarettes haven’t been approved by the FDA for use as a tobacco / nicotine substitute.
- E-cigarette manufacturers and promoters don’t offer any documented proof in closed testing by the FDA that they work as a viable form of tobacco cessation.
- There’s no breakdown of exactly how the devices are supposed to help people quit smoking.
Another problem with e-cigarettes is that their use may actually violate many states’ non-smoking laws.
Whilst manufacturers of e-cigarettes claim that they release a harmless, non-toxic odor, the mere fact that they even look like cigarettes and emit toxic substances like a cigarette should be enough of a deterrent for potential consumers.
Case closed. Now you make up your mind if you want to dabble with e-cigarettes.
Tara said:
Mar 07, 09 at 1:03 amLike it or not, some people do NOT want to give up nicotine. Nicotine has its bad points, but do you realize it has good points as well?
Recent research suggests that it may slow the deterioration in Parkinson’s patients, ward of depression, help minimize the symptoms of schizophrenia, and actually slightly increase one’s intelligence/thinking speed.
E-cigs are often a replacement for cigarettes (not a method to quit nicotine). Although they may not be completely harmless since they do contain nicotine (which has NOT been proven to be a carcinogen by the way although it has been shown to be bad for the cardiovascular system), they are a hell of a lot better for the user than cigarettes which have literally hundred’s of toxic chemicals including proven carcinogens not to mention lung clogging tar.
Furthermore, even if you don’t like the fact that some adults choose to use nicotine on themselves, you should at least be glad that the new e-cig devices do not produce second hand smoke that will hurt others (such as you).
Many things are bad for the cardiovascular system. Do you think we should ban all fast food and force people to do aerobics as well? It becomes a slippery slope quickly, doesn’t it? I certainly hope you don’t advocate banning fast food or forcing exercise. If you do, you’re probably a radical intent on trying to control others to compensate for your own feelings of powerless and can’t be reasoned with, and if you don’t, then you can’t logically disapprove of e-cigs.
Some have claimed that some of the Chinese liquids may not be safe and may even put off dangerous second hand vapors. This may or may not be true, but this is not justification to demonize the devices themselves or the American and European liquid producers who probably produce safe liquid (if they didn’t, we probably would have heard about it by now).
Keep an open mind about e-cigs as will I. I don’t claim that they should be defined as safe, but as it stands now, the evidence suggested that they are safer than cigarettes.
PS Please post the article (or email me the citation) which claims that the vapor contains Tetramethylpyrazine – I’d like to read this for myself as it concerns me.
Thanks in advance.
Peter said:
Mar 07, 09 at 1:23 amHi Tara.
Some well thought-out comments there. Agreed, smoking e-cigarettes is less damaging to your health than smoking tobacco cigarettes. That’s a given.
Though for users wanting to kick their nicotine addiction and quit smoking, the e-cigarette really isn’t a long-term solution and will result in relapses.
See http://uecigs.com/health which is a seller of e-cigarettes and lists Tetramethylpyrazine in the liquid. So obviously the resulting vapour will also contain traces of Tetramethylpyrazine.
Jame said:
Mar 07, 09 at 5:16 pmAlthough one of the few doctors to have carried out extensive testing on the electronic cigarette, Dr Murray Laugeson, stated that:
“…very safe relative to cigarettes, and also safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied.”
Source: http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/extra%20info/e-cigarette-safety-report.pdf
And when we interviewed Paul Bergen from the Tobacco Harm Reduction Project (http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/) about the safety of the electronic cigarette, he said:
Though there is not perfect certainty on how safe electronic cigarettes are, we are pretty certain that they are a lot safer than cigarettes are.
Source: http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/electronic-cigarette-interview.html
Kevin said:
Mar 12, 09 at 4:07 pmGive me a break. Propylen Glycol is used in almost everything from food to hair conditioner. Read this before making up your own facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol
Tetramethylpyrazine? Sorry, care to cite some sources on that? Didn’t think so.
And the battery argument is just crap. I suppose an electronic eye for a blind person would not be valid for the same reason?
Look, I agree e-cigs need to operate in the same framework as other nicotine replacement therapies. Product quality and chemical content are way too unregulated right now, so it is indeed a bit scary. E-cigs should get within the framework, have lab tests done, and meet regulations pertaining to product safety and quality. Same should happen with e-juice products as well.
I, for one, think the FDA should actually ban cigarettes once they have shown these devices to be safer than cigarettes. Why would the FDA allow such an incredibly dangerous product to be sold anywhere to anyone over 18, that is more addictive than heroin and causes cancer and other life-threatening diseases?
Regardless, I thought your article was extremely poorly written and insulting, despite us being on the same general side. You’re not entitled to your own facts.
Peter said:
Mar 12, 09 at 4:23 pmJust because Propylen Glycol is used in many other products, it doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Propylen Glycol is used as a less-toxic antifreeze, as a solvent, as a working fluid in hydraulic presses, as a coolant in liquid cooling systems and I can keep going on and on.
So do you really want to subject yourself to Propylen Glycol if it can be helped? Didn’t think so.
Appreciate your opinion nonetheless.
James said:
Mar 19, 09 at 12:10 am“Propylen Glycol is used as a less-toxic antifreeze, as a solvent, as a working fluid in hydraulic presses, as a coolant in liquid cooling systems and I can keep going on and on.”
I guess it depends how it is used – it has also been used in children’s wards to control infections… http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/extra%20info/e-cigarette-safety-report.pdf
Lisa said:
Mar 19, 09 at 11:54 pmI am living proof that e-cigs DO work to quit smoking. I used the patch in combination with e-cigs with zero nicotine (yeah, they come that way too) and it absolutely made this quit attempt successful. Now if I have a craving I just take a couple of puffs of the placebo and it satisfies the urge. The patch took care of the physical addiction, and the e-cig took care of the mental/emotional addiction. That is how they should be used!
Peter Jeffries said:
Mar 19, 09 at 11:59 pmGreat to hear it worked for you Lisa.
eCigs definitely are less harmful than normal cigarettes, so if you CAN choose, eCigs are the way to go. Though, I do recommend a more natural approach to quitting.
Nevertheless, if you can achieve your ultimate goal by quitting, then congratulations to you.
James said:
Mar 20, 09 at 12:22 amYou’ve changed your tune a bit:
“In a nutshell, e-cigarettes aren’t a viable solution to quit smoking. The reason for this is because as a substitute for regular cigarettes, they merely substitute one dangerous vice for another dangerous vice.”
You can see my full response here: http://www.ashtrayblog.com/2009/03/truth-about-electronic-cigarettes.html
Peter Jeffries said:
Mar 20, 09 at 12:49 amThat’s because they aren’t completely safe to use. No if’s and but’s about it James.
Steve said:
Mar 28, 09 at 9:39 amIf the FDA were actually looking out for the best interests of the people they would have banned tobacco cigarettes long ago. The truth is, the FDA is nothing more than a money making machine. There are hundreds of viable drugs and other products in use across the globe that the FDA hasn’t approved yet – but they give the “go ahead” to the huge drug companies that make products that are later found to be harmful. It all depends on who pays them the most.
As for your comments, basing any judgment on the fact that these run on batteries is ludicrous. How many vital medical aids and implants run on batteries? Invalid argument. E-cigarettes that I have seen are not directly marketed as smoking cessation devices. Sure, most people, myself included, feel that these may be a viable tool to quit smoking but the devices are not intended to be solely used for quitting smoking. Again, your argument is invalid. Of course it is obvious that nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction, and these probably won’t help with that. However, getting one’s nicotine without all of the other crap that is in tobacco cigarrettes cannot, in any kind of way, be seen as a bad thing. Nicotine doesn’t kill – tobacco does.
Your statement to the effect that these are evil because they contain propylene glycol is also way off base. Propylene glycol is in virtually everything we eat and drink as well as the manufacture of containers that we drink out of. It may not be the safest thing around, but it surely isn’t killing people at the same rate as tobacco products!
I have been a smoker for too many years to count. I am addicted to nicotine and I actually enjoy smoking. I have tried every method out there to quit, except for the prescription drug [which causes bad side effects]. I have found nothing that works, and most of the patches/lozenges/gums actually increase my craving for a smoke. My wife is at this moment picking us up some e-cigs, FDA approved or not. We’re not getting them in order to quit smoking, although that might be the end result. We are getting them as an alternative to tobacco products, in order to be able to use them indoors, and in order to reduce or eliminate our tobacco cigs. The bottom line is this – there is no compelling evidence to NOT use e-cigs, even after reading your opinions.
Anonymous said:
Mar 30, 09 at 5:10 am“SO SHOULD WE AVOID E-CIGARETTES? Definitely!”
What a “great” post. It really reflects the comprehensive research that preceded it.
This post is pure BS. The only reason it exists is to capitalize
on a buzz term that gets a good number of searches/day – to bring
in search engine traffic.
Why?
As a 2-pack a day smoker I was able to quit smoking from day 1 with my eCig and I feel great. Many others are doing the same. A post such as this could very well prevent others from trying them, opting to try something such as “Quit With Ease – Yesterday” instead, and stay hooked on cigs.
Wake up people. If you smoke and want to quit – try the eCig. Yes, you will be trading one habit for another but the latter poses a much smaller health risk.
Leon said:
Apr 04, 09 at 12:08 amJust a few side notes:
-No e-cig company claims that this is a smoking cessation device. Nor do they say you should use it as one.
-As the previous poster rightly said, its a healthier alternative for smokers, and they still get their nicotine. You even get, no nicotine catridges.
-The poster even acknowledged that e-cigs are healthier than normal cigarettes. “no if’s or buts about it…”
*shrug*
Czr said:
Apr 18, 09 at 12:57 pmI got one and it’s supplied in the USA. I love it.
I’m a heavy Newport smoker and have been for about 16 years. It doesn’t taste like a cig but sure helps the crave. If anything, it’s just like nicorette in liquid form. Plus there are beni’s for the nicotine use.
Quit or not I’m healthier as a e cig smoker and recommend to anyone and everyone that smokes.
Eric said:
Apr 28, 09 at 9:01 pmElectronic cigarettes may substitute one vice for another, but let’s be honest – it’s one 99% less dangerous vice.
The primary reason to want the world to quit smoking is to reduce the amount of carcinogens inhaled into the lungs of the smoker and the innocent bystander. This product accomplishes that completely. And the battery argument is almost idiotic. I am just as likely to forget my gum or patch as I am to forget to charge my batteries. Each e-cigarette comes with multiple batteries, by the way.
In short, after 20 years of smoking and after failed attempts at quitting using gum, patches, inhalers, hypnosis, etc., I am finally SMOKE-FREE since I bought an e-cigarette.
Pulling them off the shelves is like letting someone drown because the life raft is not approved and may be a suffocation danger to babies.
Tom said:
Apr 29, 09 at 3:15 amLet’s think about this… Big tobacco Companies have tons of lobbyists with all the cash in the world and both State & Fed. Gov’t. is taxing the heck out of regular cigarettes, both of whom stand to loose a fortune if this product were to become popular. How do you think the FDA will rule?
Lawrence Bilida said:
May 03, 09 at 12:39 pmAfter 44 years of smoking cigarettes and trying almost every gimmick on the market including cold turkey, last year along I made 10 attempts at quiting the smokes and made it 3 months before smoking again.
Some people such as myself just can’t quit for very long. I refuse to put myself and my family through the horrors of deep my deep withdrawal contentious attitude anymore.
I’m smoking an e-cig as I’m typing this and have been for the past month but I don’t smoke cigarettes anymore so I’m essentially an ex-smoker and yes I’m still on nicotine and will be for the rest of my natural life which I’m sure will be longer than if I continued to smoke cigarettes so shouldn’t the anti-smoking crowd love the e-cigs instead of condemning it?
Peter Jeffries said:
May 03, 09 at 1:59 pmCongratulations Lawrence. A whole lot better than dragging all that smoke into your lungs. Good to hear this news from you.
Dave said:
May 04, 09 at 4:15 amOk I hear the arguments for and against. I smoke 30 horrid cigs every day and I hate myself for it. Problem is I am hooked on nicotine.
Is there any risk if the cartridges leak etc, more importantly do they really work.
Would appriciate honest users not manufactured by the suppliers!
Also which ecig is the best.
Electronic Cigarette said:
May 07, 09 at 8:15 pmI’ve tested to smoke it on a plane, that’s work !!!
Diana Keaton said:
May 12, 09 at 12:12 pmThanks for all of your comments.
I have just purchased these for my brother who is 58 and smoked since he was 15 years old. He has a terrible smokers cough. We, our entire family are very worried about him.
I quit myself after smoking 10 yrs. and I quit while working as a prison quard, a very stressful job. I quit by hypnosis but my brother doesn’t want to quit, however, he he said will try these. Please wish him luck. I will be praying hard for him and all of those of you who are trying to quit also.
Idle Fellow said:
May 16, 09 at 8:09 amI’ve been a smoker since I was 15 and nearly 25 years later I satisfy my nicotine addiction with an e-cigarette which I actually like more than real cigarettes.
It doesn’t smell, doesn’t fill the room with smoke, it doesn’t feel ‘dirty’, it doesn’t cause coughing etc etc, yet it replicates the joy of smoking. And that is something the puritanical and the non-smokers don’t understand. To puff on a cigarette or pipe and reflect on life is a great pleasure.
To blow smoke rings and ponder the clouds of smoke (actually vapourised propylene glycol) is wonderful. In this day and age, the smoker is a a person surrounded by enemies, on one side, the tobacco lobby and on the other side the fascist puritanical non-smokers who seem to be determined to remove all pleasure from life. The latter group annoy me most. They seem to believe that their way is best and that others should be forced to behave as they see fit.
An example of the prevailing ideology of puritanism denying the truth is shown in the fact that one of my friends, godfather to one of my children, is an eminent professor of genetics who has told me that there is a significant body of evidence to show that nicotine acts to prevent senility as well as Parkinson’s disease. Putting your head in the sand and denying the truth because it doesn’t accord with your ideology is simply misguided.
CJ Johnson said:
May 16, 09 at 10:24 amI think you are putting way too much time into something that isn’t your business. If you’re so anti-smoking, beat the “secondhand smoke” drum.
Ecigs are a better alternative than tobacco smoking – you admit that yourself- and all addicts like me deserve alternatives. If it helps us quit, or doesn’t, that’s not your problem. If there’s no secondhand smoke, it’s even MORE not your problem.
And there’s no “obviously” to the notion that any chemicals in the “e-juice” are released in the water vapor. If they are, where do they go when the vapor evaporates? Unless you live where there’s no gravity, I decline to believe it would hit you if you were sitting right beside me and my e-cig. Go campaign against the abuses in Darfur or the starvation in Somalia and get off this soapbox already.
CJ Johnson said:
May 16, 09 at 10:26 amOh no.. the e-juice DRIPS? Goodness me. And I suppose the other thousands of toxic substances we deal with every day do not?
How about anti-freeze under your car? That’ll kill your dog in one dose. Oh somebody help us, an adult who bought e-juice might get it on their finger. Puh leeze.
J D said:
May 21, 09 at 8:46 amYou do not know the truth. You are like many of the “BIG” killers stating facts that are hear say.
Did the Fuddy Dumb Administration or some other “big” corrupt corporate entity spend more of our tax money to buy yet another vote against the e-cig? Many doctors from around the world have stated that e-cigs are much healthier than smoking a killer tobacco cigarette.
Tobacco kills, that is a fact, yet people are trying to save them, why? How much of our tax money is being spent to buy votes to say that e-cigs are bad? Check out… e smokers unite dot wordpress dot com…join the fight to save the e-cig!
Lenon Kitchens said:
May 25, 09 at 3:13 am“Ok, it’s time to spill the truth on electronic cigarettes, aka “e-cigarettes”.”
I was actually hopeful about this article after reading this. I was sorely disappointed by the rest…
“In a nutshell, e-cigarettes aren’t a viable solution to quit smoking.”
No one claims they are. They’re a smoking alternative. I no longer poison myself 25-30 times a day. I inhale nicotine suspended in propylene glycol instead. After just FIVE days of being off cigarettes, I felt better, my sense of smell and taste started improving, and I was coughing up huge masses of dark mucas that had been hanging around in my lungs for years. Every time I did, I was able to breath a little more deeply without choking.
“In Hong Kong, possession of an unregulated pharmaceutical device such as an e-cigarette is subject to a two-year jail sentence as well as a $100,000 HK fine.”
WTF does Hong Kong have to do with anything? What’s your point?
“E-cigarettes have been refused approval by the FDA several times, mainly because they are considered to be a dangerous method to quit smoking due to the liquids used and false hope it gives to consumers.”
That’s because the FDA is full of morons and incompetents just like you. IT’S NOT A SMOKING CESSATION DEVICE! It’s a smoking alternative. If it helps someone get over their nicotine addiction, that’s just a bonus. Additionally, please don’t pretend that the FDA’s resistance to these devices is about anything other than money…
“SO WHY EXACTLY ARE E-CIGARETTES ARE A HUGE RISK?”
Because they threaten big tobacco and big pharm…
“One of the testers experienced “a small amount of liquid leaked from the air vent holes in the side of the cigarette.””
OMG no! I hope they went to poison control immediately. Seriously, get real. I end up with a small amount of juice on my fingers or even in my mouth every time I clean my device. It’s no big deal. There are more than a few products under every American’s sink that are just as, if not more, dangerous. Properly labeled it’s not an issue.
“It is unknown if the liquid is toxic when exposed outside of the device, but this could prevent it from being approved by the FDA merely as a safety consideration and something that would need to be addressed immediately before any further testing can be done.”
This is one of the only valid points in your entire post. But seriously, how much more harmful than secondhand smoke can it really be? If you want to restrict these devices from being used in current non-smoking areas, I’d say that’s a sensible precaution until we have more data, but this is *not* a reason for current smokers to stay away from them and keep killing themselves with tobacco.
“A big concern is that as an electronic substitute, having something that is dependent on battery power for continued therapy that has no tested usage patterns may present problems for people who are heavy smokers, because when the e-cigarette runs out of battery power, it becomes useless.”
Again, come off it. It’s not marketed as a smoking cessation device and you know it…
Not only does this device threaten big tobacco and big pharm, but it threatens you as well? Just like everyone else who makes money off our addiction, you’re feeling the heat. You’re afraid that once these devices are proven safe, there will be no reason for a large percentage of people to use your “Core Desire” program.
“Nicotine is still a drug, regardless of what the makers of these e-cigarettes would have you believe.”
In fact, it’s clearly labeled as such on every bottle of reputable liquid. Not only that, but it’s also labeled as a poison AND as being toxic.
“* Propylene Glycol, which can cause gastrointestinal irritation.”
Also proven in a 1942 study which has never been refuted to be an antibacterial in its vapor form. Also used in stage productions and at just about every night club in America where it’s being inhaled for hours at a time by club goers.
“* Nicotine, the basic substance found in many cigarettes.”
As you say, it’s already in cigarettes in higher quantities puff for puff than you get from a vaporizer. Moot point…
“* Tobacco essence, which does nothing to keep people from continuing their smoking habit.”
I really which you’d stop spreading misinformation. It’s not intended as a smoking cessation device. So what if there’s a tobacco flavor to the juice? Make a good point already…
“* Tetramethylpyrazine, which has been shown in lab tests to cause brain damage from prolonged exposure.”
I love the way you present this as “fact” and don’t cite anything at all. Additionally, even if there is a report for one juice that does contain this chemical, that doesn’t meant they all do. All juices are not created equal.
“There are many other ingredients, some of which could be used as accelerants if exposed properly should one of these e-cigarettes break whilst charging. That plus using a rechargeable battery for a method of smoking cessation is just not a good way to get people to quit smoking.”
Idiocy. Have you ever even *seen* one of these devices? The cartridge does not stay attached to the batter while charging. There’s no more risk here than there is with any other rechargable battery.
“SO SHOULD WE AVOID E-CIGARETTES?
Definitely!”
Not. If you are not already addicted to nicotine, you should definitely avoid it in all its forms. However, if you are addicted, this alternative is vastly superior to smoking tobacco. All current data points to the vapor being far healthier than smoke. It contains no known carcinogens, and no tar. That alone is worth it.
“* E-cigarettes haven’t been approved by the FDA for use as a tobacco / nicotine substitute.”
And probably won’t be until they figure out a way to tax it, and/or keep it from destroying the tobacco industry and all the people like you that make money off us “helping us recover from our addiction”.
“* E-cigarette manufacturers and promoters don’t offer any documented proof in closed testing by the FDA that they work as a viable form of tobacco cessation.
* There’s no breakdown of exactly how the devices are supposed to help people quit smoking.”
No point in saying it again I suppose…
“Another problem with e-cigarettes is that their use may actually violate many states’ non-smoking laws.”
What? So they can’t be used anywhere you can’t smoke a regular cigarette. This is supposed to be a deterrent from switching to a healthier alternative?
“Whilst manufacturers of e-cigarettes claim that they release a harmless, non-toxic odor, the mere fact that they even look like cigarettes and emit toxic substances like a cigarette should be enough of a deterrent for potential consumers.”
Again, what? Is there no end to your lies? No manufacturers claim they “release a harmless, non-toxic odor”. Almost universally they claim that the exhaled vapor is virtually odorless. Studies by Ruyen indicate that 98% of the nicotine in the vapor is absorbed by the user and the exhaled vapor is almost pure propylene glycol, which is, in fact, harmless, and may even be beneficial.
“Case closed. Now you make up your mind if you want to dabble with e-cigarettes.”
Case closed? Hardly. These are still new devices and have the potential to do a *lot* of good.
As someone who has smoked 20-30 cigarettes a day for 20 years, I had no problems switching to this device. For the first few days, I felt like crap as all the toxins worked their way out of my body. Then ever so slowly, I started to feel better. Today, I feel better than I have in 15 years. I have yet to speak to anyone who’s switched to these devices that doesn’t tell the same story. To be completely objective however, there are a few people that seem to be sensetive to the PG vapor, and are not able to use it. This is usually characterized by a mile to severe headache. If you do switch, and start getting a headache, stop vaping and see if it goes away. If it doesn’t subside in a couple of hours, chances are it’s a withdrawal symptom. Not from nicotine, but from all the other crap they put in cigarettes to keep us hooked. If the headache is especially severe, go see a doctor immediately. There have been a very few cases of people doing something stupid and overdosing on nicotine. It would be very hard to get enough through a vaporizer to do any serious damage, but you *can* give yourself a hell of a headache.
Happy vaping to all of you intelligent people and welcome to a healthier lifestyle!
Donn Wash said:
May 27, 09 at 12:38 pmIf you and everyone else that is going to lobby against the e-cigarette, along with the tobacco companies since its cutting into their profits, why don’t you just lobby against tobacco instead. Isn’t it the real killer? Did the FDA approve it?
The FDA approved GMO’s when the only real research said it wasn’t a good ideal.
I haven’t heard anyone lobbying against it! If you attack the e-cigarette the only one you’re helping is the big tobacco companies!
Will said:
Jun 06, 09 at 1:12 amJust wanted to add to this forum… from the drizzly United Kingdom… Great forum – just about to go full-time on e-cigarettes from a 23 year spate of tobacco.
I concur with the general opinion here -it’s not the answer to giving up, but it is the best solution to nearly all the habitual and chemical addictions… and it’s socially acceptable… and cheaper!
The argument about financial gain for the powerful businesses that surround the industries of tobacco and health is a worrying suggestion – but in these days and times it seems more than likely.
One suggestion though.. when you go to e-cigarettes… don’t go back to tobacco… make the change and don’t vary between. Turns out it’s a nightmare and the carcinogens seem to win. It’s like going from a really nice cigar too a chemical laden high tar brand – gross, but strangely alluring. I suppose the e-cig smoke isn’t as ‘chewy’ as the traditional burners.
It’s quite literally ‘a small price to pay’ to be able to see my son get married and grow up.
Wish me luck!
William Yates said:
Jun 16, 09 at 1:20 pmFor the tests that HAVE been done actually quite extensively on Propylene Glycol just see the following page.
http://www.vapersclub.com/pg.html
There’s plenty of evidence advocating the safety. Many people, I’ve read that many people have quit using nicotine altogether but also use the e-cig for the physical addiction. Too many people have been using this for great results to say that it’s not a smoking cessation device in my opinion. Evidence is mounting and this will not go away. To read some of these stories go to http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/
Your article is an opinion piece NOT based on the known facts.
Chris K said:
Jun 18, 09 at 4:46 pmSo i hate to sound like i’m jumping on the bandwagon jumping down the author’s throat, but i gotta admit- while i completely appreciate the desire of the author to promote health and quitting, the evidence presented was poorly done.
I’m not going to break it down point by point as that has already been done. you by now know what mistakes you made in writing the article and in your fact gathering/checking.
i will however try to emphasize a couple of points made in passing by commenters that i don’t feel got the attention they deserved.
1. i quit real cigarettes day ONE. After the initial excitement and “new toy” feeling of getting my BluCig wore off (12 hours later), and i had the urge to smoke a “real” cigarette, i was repulsed. 12 hours of subjecting my mouth and airways to water vapor then the taste and feeling of real smoke was disgusting. I’ve been an avid smoker for over 15 years and i could barely force myself to finish half the cigarette. something i tasted 15-20 times a day for 15 years finally tasted disgusting. the drying and clogging effect of the smoke i could actually feel after the [albeit minorly] rehydrating effect of the vapor. The eCig did NOT totally smush my cravings as it does not 100% replicate the physical sensations of smoking but it did enough to make me want to totally avoid the real thing.
2. And this is the important one. After 15+ years of smoking somehow the physical nicotine addiction was never as big of a problem for me as the psychological/emotional addiction and oral fixation of it. For me the biggest obstacle i always had when it came to quitting attempts had always been after quitting cold turkey and a headache, days after the physical nicotine addiction was broken, about a week or so into quitting, i would go crazy without the comfort of the nervous fidgety habit of having something to do with my hands. i don’t care what anyone says, holding a lollipop or pen does NOT cut it. eCigs presented a viable way for me to completely separate the 2 aspects of quitting. i was using non-nicotine cartridges after 2 weeks and am now able to get over the psychological addiction on my OWN terms without the stress of nervousness PLUS the additional stress of knowing that to soothe my nerves, i’d be throwing myself right back to square one of quitting.
A single puff of cigarette smoke temporarily paralyzes the cilia of your airways so they cannot work to clear your lungs and pipes. the nicotine in a single cigarette is enough to relapse a physical nicotine addiction. so by not quitting cold turkey, you are merely prolonging the coughing and hacking and fiending and general unpleasantness of the quitting process. that’s one of the many reasons why solutions like gum and patches recommend the cessation of real tobacco products while they are being used. but when those products are able to do NOTHING to soothe the uncomfortable hand-to-mouth urge and psychological obstacles of quitting, what is a person to do?
In conclusion, i think the premature condemnation of devices that even show potential to provide the kind of help current quitting techniques do not is a mistake.
People who are quitting are stressed enough. we are irritable enough. Self-righteous proclamations against this or that do not help us quit. They do not make us confident to quit. Do not tell us we MUST use this technique or the other. Give us as many viable options as possible, and yes please explain the pros as well as cons of each one, and then let us make up our own mind without bedevilment. Especially when “tried-and-true” methods have failed us. If we want to try something that is a bit novel and different, even if it has not been tested to death or approved by a foundation that is notorious for not really knowing what the hell they are doing unless money is being paid, then how in the world would being supportive hurt in a situation where said alternative is already proven to be a much safer one?
ALL smoking replacements/substitutes carry risks and dangers to one degree or another. They ALL contain potentially harmful substances and ingredients that can be hazardous if used improperly. The POINT is that they are ALL safer than smoking tobacco cigarettes.
P.S. so WHAT if eCigs are advertised to a cooler demographic? Since when does making the move to make a healthier choice have to be ugly and embarrassing? I work in the fashion industry and if my options for a smoking cessation device are between a black and blue-LED flashy rave toy looking thing and something that makes me look like a burn victim with a skin graft on my arm, then more power to those companies for showing people that it CAN BE COOL to make the choice to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes. some people will just never be happy until everyone has completely quit everything. they can’t be pleased that people are even willing to make the effort to move from “totally dangerous” to “somewhat dangerous.”
I don’t care what anyone tries to tell you, a step up is a step up, and a step away from tar and carcinogens and carbon monoxide is STILL a step in the right direction, even if nicotine is still involved for the time being. :p
Peter Jeffries said:
Jun 18, 09 at 5:05 pmVery well said Chris and everyone else that commented. I do agree that smoking eCigarettes are less dangerous than smoking tobacco cigs.
It definitely is a step in the right direction.
Jim Williams said:
Jun 30, 09 at 5:18 amWhat a bunch of malarky. First off, site where you found that Tetramethylpyrazine is a component of the ingrediants in e-juice? The ingrediants are well known and Tetramethylpyrazine is not one of them.
Seriously, you’re about as dimwitted as that ambulance chasing lawyer that posted a blog about e-cigs containing Liquid Nitrogen and wanting to start a “class action” suit for people who were “injured” by electronic cigarettes. Just like your Tetramethylpyrazine claim, they say it contained “Liquid Nitrogen” for a shock factor to sucker people in, and not because it was based on any known facts.
It is idiots like this and the misinformation that gets posted like this crap is what people will end up hearing, and not the truth. Maybe you should run for politics, because like them, you have no clue.
Yet another mindless article about the e-cig - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat said:
Jun 30, 09 at 5:20 am[...] another mindless article about the e-cig The Truth About Electronic Cigarettes | Quit Smoking (Yesterday) NOW it contains "Tetramethylpyrazine" WTF is that?? Well, sounds a bit more believable [...]
e-pipeman said:
Jun 30, 09 at 5:30 amInteresting. I thought that a certain amount of preliminary research was required before journalists made pronouncements on subjects such as this. I thought that their profession was quite strict about it. Clearly I was wrong.
Lar said:
Jun 30, 09 at 5:51 amSeems that this article is nothing but an attempt to discredit e-cigs with exagerated and unproven information in order to sell another smoking cessation program.
E-Cig users know there are still risks, but those risks are certainly less than smoking tobacco.
kyle said:
Jun 30, 09 at 6:45 amE-cigs do not all look like cigarettes and since when does looking like a cigarette have s*** to do with price of rice in china?
Name one, just one toxic substance that it emits. Come on just one. You can’t do it can you?
There a tons of articles regarding safety and effectiveness of these products. Just because it isn’t an FDA closed study doesn’t mean it isn’t a valid study. The FDA just received an $800 million dollar a year salary raise to regulate tobacco. They do not want to see an effective NRT because they lose money when people quit smoking.
Simple fact of the matter is e-cigs are well over 100 times safer than smoking and an effective replacement that actually works. Yes it is not marketed like the patch and gum but it actually works and works so well that it is too important to sit in FDA testing for the next ten years.
I smoked 3 packs a day for 20 years and gave them up within days of receiving my e-cig. I have no cravings and no desire to smoke.
Chantix made me puke, it causes suicidal thoughts and you and your drug companies are’nt pulling it off the shelves. So much for testing. Patches don’t work, gum taste like ####. Zyban makes u sick.
E-cigs work they are the greatest thing ever invented and if you weren’t trying to push your own fake product you’d publish truth and not lies. I doubt you’ll even publish this comment.
kyle said:
Jun 30, 09 at 6:48 amI gotta know what does flavoring have to do with marketing to children. Vodka comes in 18 flavors, schnapps come in close to 50 flavors, so do intimate lubes. Adults like flavors too. Doesn’t listen to all the propaganda people do your own research and form your own opinion.
Jim Williams said:
Jul 01, 09 at 1:11 amKyle, that is because as adults, we like things bland and tasteless. Adults have no taste buds. At least that is what the government thinks. “Marketing to kids” is yet another cop out to expose the real truth to this, it is the money, the tax dollars generated on a daily basis to allow people to kill themselves, and not because of public health.
This article is nothing more than to spread disinformation for the sake of hawking yet another “stop smoking aid” and use the shock value of how “dangerous” e-cigs are based on no facts whatsoever. The sad reality is that our wonderful government wants to ban something because they “don’t know about the effects” yet keep a product on the market that they “do know about the effects”. Really screwed up logic.
Soul said:
Jul 01, 09 at 3:45 amHow can you call e-cigs a dangerous vice when you also state there is no evidence as to how safe they are?
Also, how can you say it gives false hope to consumers? The patch, gum, and losenges are less than 5% succesful. COMBINED. If I remember right, Chantix has the highest success rate so far as claimed (around 22%) but has proven to be less than that as well. Hey, I’ve quit analog cigs after using the E-Cig for a month and have read of hundreds of others doing the same. False hope or just a lack of research on your part?
Flavors? Yea its been said already. How many flavors of wine are there? Beer? Tequlia? Vodka? Hard lemonade and other speciality drinks? SERIOUSLY!! Get a better arguement.
E-cigs are useless when the batteries run out? DUH! So is your cell phone, but I bet you figure out a way to keep it charged don’t you? What a moronic statement. As for charging the battery and the ingredients in the e-cig carts…..you said “There are many other ingredients, some of which could be used as accelerants if exposed properly should one of these e-cigarettes break whilst charging.”
Um….I have yet to see an e cig that charges while having the carts with the e-liquid still attatched. So how in the world could this be a problem.
As for the ingredients, I bet most people have at least 5 or more itmes in there house, that they ingest, that have PG in them. As for this statement..
“?Tetramethylpyrazine, which has been shown in lab tests to cause brain damage from prolonged exposure”
I suppose you didn’t see all the other lab results talking about how TMP scavenges for free radicals and has been shown to help in some cancer treatments? NO? Again, you did very little research on your article.
Peter Jeffries said:
Jul 01, 09 at 7:36 amJim, kyle and the rest of the crew… I’m always interested to hear what other’s think of eCigarettes, and appreciate your frank comments and facts on the matter.
Looks like you guys know more about eCigs than I do, so thanks for sharing the light.
Jim Williams said:
Jul 01, 09 at 8:16 amThe big problem with the blog Peter, is you failed to see the bigger picture to it all. The recently passed tobacco bill to give FDA control of cigarettes was more to put Philip Morris into a huge market share to stiffle the competition, kill alternative methods (such as e-cigs) simply because of lost taxes and revenues, reduce the nicotine levels to insure that current smokers smoke more and deeper (due to compensation) for increasted $$$ because more quit or are dying, and give out disinformation like this that bloggers take and run with to further this goal.
Check out a little experiment I did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uZSYhGDO7s
Simple experiment, comparing an e-cigarette with a real one. Totally grade school science stuff, but shows the idiocy of it all. The government wants to ban e-cigs for the sake of keeping a known killer on the market, which in itself defies all human logic there is, and for Philip Morris, crafting their “Project Sunrise” decades ago to anticpiate something like this, using tobacco Free Kids as their suckers, wrote this bill, Congress approves it, president signs it, and it makes PM a shoe in for the market for decades to come. Nice corporate takeover of our Government by Phillip Morris!
And as for the government? They LOVE disinformation like what is posted here. Know why? E-Cigs are a big threat to their never ending tax revenue from smoking. If you believe for one nano-second that the US Government WANTS you to quit smoking, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you cheap. It’s little wonder why they want e-cigs banned so badly. NOT because it’s “untested”, as e-cigs have already been “tested” for years with no ill effects, but because of the potential loss in tax revenue from people switching over to an obvious safer method. Cigarettes are BIG BUSINESS to Big Pharma, Philip Morris, and the Federal Government. Public be damned.
It is a government for the Money, by the Money. Thats all it is. That is the bottom line to it all.
Surbiton Pete said:
Jul 01, 09 at 8:39 amThe article is entitled ‘THE TRUTH ABOUT ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES’ but it was almost all lies. If you really do care about the lives and the health of smokers. You should be ashamed. Or else do better research before you write anything.
Lisa Heckel said:
Jul 02, 09 at 4:45 amNow Peter… Lets see you do a REAL article on E-cigs or are you just blowing smoke?
Dino Trif said:
Jul 03, 09 at 11:03 amWhats all the b.s., if I was killing myself for over 35 years smoking Marlboro’s, and just purchased my Chinese electric ciggy and love it!!!!, what’s the F——g problem people!
This should have come out years ago, oh and excuse me, but made in America wouldn’t be prudent for all the Big Tobacco, and all the Liberals in Washington……….but glycol zycol, its worth every penny, and probably will put the Big guys out of business, but you better hurry and buy one because our Socialists will cut every pleasure we have ever known, especially if they cant make a dime themselves!!
Ben said:
Jul 06, 09 at 6:58 pmWhen i first read the article i felt the same as most of you. I just switched to an e-cig after 12 years of smoking a pack a day, and haven’t looked back. I wake up with no congestion, my cough is gone, my clothing and home do not smell like smoke, I’m more productive at work, and now I can steadily lower the amount of nicotine in the juice that I buy.
I can understand arguments on both sides of the issue, but the fact that the tar and other junk in cigs kills 400,000 people a year in the US should be enough to demand thorough analysis by the FDA itself as a service to its people, not just poopoo manufacturers’ studies.
If i could quit cold turkey, with gum, with a prescription i would. If the FDA bans this altogether will I be thrown back to the lions (aka phillip morris)? This is simply unethical. Perhaps they (and other non-smokers) think i deserve this fate? Thats what it seems like now… smokers are stupid and evil and self-centered.
Well guys, try to remember this, for all the “change” you are getting with the new administration in Washington, why are they still in bed with oil and tobacco companies? well… one word, revenue. The same reason behind electronic speed cameras… money grabbing. Imagine if the tobacco companies went out of business or we moved to clean fuel. Tax dollars down, jobs down … political popularity, well.. down!
Daryl said:
Jul 07, 09 at 4:25 amAfter 25 years of a 40 a day smoker i quit a year ago with the help of an e-cigarette,i used it for about 1 month and have not had a cigarette since, i have however used the e-cigarette on the odd time i have weakened but can say i can now live my life without cigarettes which i would have never thought possible before.
msbrooke said:
Jul 08, 09 at 10:08 pmAnyone concerned about the safety of e-cigs should read this detailed scientific report.
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdf
Having been rigorously tested for all kinds of harmful chemicals, they seem to be completely safe.
Jim Williams said:
Jul 09, 09 at 3:28 amMsbrooke, good report. One country actually did an unbiased analisys for a change and not get caught up into the hype over something they know absolutely nothing about. But the fact that “we” (“we” meaning the Unites States) didn’t do it means that it is not “good enough”. The mindset of the US is “We’re brilliant and the rest of the planet is stupid”. What a bunch of arrogant politicians we got.
The worldwide orgy of banning e-cigs is not about truths or public health. It’s all about revenue.
And anti-smoking zealots (and yes, that is exactly what they are) are very much like the moonbat left in this regard: They are relentless and they work incrementally.
They didn’t stop and kept pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing until they got what they wanted: an anti-business erosion of personal, private property rights that will shut down business and kill jobs, just so they can selfishly feel better.
Are they done? Will they stop now? Will they take their crying towels and sob stories and go home?
Are you kidding me?
How does that Internet lingo go?
LOL!!!
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
They won’t rest until you can’t smoke sitting in front of YOUR television in YOUR house that YOU own with the second mortgage that YOU are paying.
But what is scary is the fact that many of these NAZI like anti-smoking zealots (and yes, the prototype plan all these anti-smoking groups use was crafted by none other than Adolph Hitler), not only wants to abolish all forms of smoking, but actually wish death to current smokers who won’t, or can’t, quit!
Enter the Kennedy/Waxman bill. It is crafted in such a light, smokers will ONLY be given the choices of QUIT or DIE. And all the while, Uncle Sam and Philip Morris gets their cut on selling cigarettes and big Pharma continues to pump out quit smoking aids (that usually don’t work) or drugs used in your chemotherapy sessions when you DO get cancer, all compliments of Uncle Sam and Philip Morris, and all for the sake of the money.
The electronic cigarette is that bridge, but, like Hitler would have done, was swept into the mix. It’s NOT a “stop smoking aid”, but it is a far safer alternative to smoking the real things. This is a SERIOUS THREAT to the Kennedy/Waxman bill, a SERIOUS THREAT to tax revenues, a SERIOUS THREAT to big Pharma, a SERIOUS THREAT to Uncle Sam, a SERIOUS THREAT to Philip Morris, a SERIOUS THREAT to the guy who authored this blog, and a SERIOUS THREAT to anti-smoking groups who DEPEND on continuous smoking to keep their jobs and groups alive, and hand outs from donations.
Do you think these powerful groups want any of this? Hitler sure didn’t, and neither do they.
Good report Msbrooke.
lindsey said:
Jul 10, 09 at 5:21 amwhat i don’t quite understand is how the author can be all fire and brimstone, a real show-boater, “valiant hero” that is so intensely against ecgis but then as soon as a few people start to question his sources (or lack of), he tucks his tail and just says thanks.
i was looking for an argument against ecigs because i wanted to buy one for someone i care about very much but since the opposition suddenly agrees, i don’t know where to look! i don’t want to offend the author and i’m very sorry if i already have, but if you are going to stand up for something, please don’t sit back down and suddenly agree with everyone else.
but there’s some good news; i am pro-ecigs now. if the opposing side has nothing to say then i guess i have nothing to research. thanks.
Peter Jeffries said:
Jul 10, 09 at 7:39 amlindsey… after reviewing hard facts, it’s become obvious the health benefits of smoking eCigarettes as to normal tobacco cigarettes.
So what would you like me to argue against eCigarettes then? Only a fool continues to against facts presented.
Anyway, glad you have agreed to choose eCigs over normal tobacco cigs.
Graham said:
Jul 22, 09 at 7:04 pmFrom the UK here. I have been a solid 30 a day man for decades. Day one of using the e-cigarettes I smoked 7 regular ciggies. This has been diminishing to about 2 or 3. Last Friday I smoked zero cigs, yesterday, zero cigs and I intend to do the same today.
As far as changing one habit for another, is it any worse than walking around with those Nicotenette inhalers? I have tried them, rubbish compared to e-cigarettes.
Now the problem is, whilst in the UK there is the National Health Service providing support to those who wish to quit, I can see the government getting nervous about e-ciggies and either banning them or taxing them very heavily.
Peter Jeffries said:
Jul 23, 09 at 9:21 amUS Federal health officials said on Wednesday they have found cancer-causing ingredients in electronic cigarettes, despite manufacturers’ claims the products are safer than tobacco cigarettes.
The Food and Drug Administration said testing of products from two leading electronic cigarette makers turned up several toxic chemicals, including a key ingredient in antifreeze.
Full article at http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/electronic-cigarettes-contain-toxins-20090723-du38.html
joanne said:
Jul 24, 09 at 1:23 pmi love My e cig. Don’t Hate!
Ziggy said:
Jul 28, 09 at 7:23 amAs soon as I started using e-cigarettes, I noticed I would get a cyst somewhere on my body, usually my face.
I put down the e-cigarettes, the cyst would go away, waited a couple of weeks, started smoking them again, and the cyst would come back.
“I did this several times over a year, and each time I quit smoking them, the cyst went away. I waited a different length of time before starting again every time I did this. I have never before had cysts.
The latest episode, the cyst went away 3 days after I quit them and I waited 4 weeks before smoking them again and I got a cyst again. This is not good.”
Now that was so funny……
I’ve been using e-cigs for a month now but sometimes I would cheat maybe once a week (I’m weak…) but I definitely feel better and smell better and I get more hugs from my wife now… you know what I mean…
I will be completely smoke free soon, wish me luck..
and congrats to all who quit
Mark said:
Jul 30, 09 at 5:54 amWow, that is about the worst and most uniformative article I’ve seen yet on this topic. My name is Mark and I’m a registered Pharmacist in PA. Ok lets keep this short as I’m a busy guy.
Propylene Glycol (PG- some liquids substitute Glycerine)either way, you can’t find more benign and safe substances (in terms of human safety studies on planet earth)as an aside, back in the 40′s there was research done into using inhaled PG as a preventative for pneumonia and viral pulmonary infections.(other more practicle treatments became popular)
Tetramethylpyrazine- a pyrazine compound, found in many, many natural occuring plants. Used as a natural flavoring agent and a main ingredient in Chinese Medicine. Rather then being harmful, studies on this particular pyrazine(also called ligustrazine) have found it to have intrinsic anttumor, antibiotic and antioxidant properties.
As for the nicotine and tobacco alkaloids (which some companies DO NOT add), you’ve totally missed the point.
E-Cigs are NOT meant or touted as a smoking cessation device. Rather as a MUCH safer alternative for those who cannot or will not give up their nicotine habit.
You’ve also missed about 10 other ingredients (I’ve seen a MSDS sheet on Dekang eliquid- producer of 90% of eliquid on the market) all of which have been shown to be harmless by SGS (an international Safety testing organization) at the levels present in eliquid (almost all the others are extracts of naturally occurring flavoring essences).
Rob Taylor said:
Aug 02, 09 at 8:48 amIt is about revenue.
There are only two manufacturers of e-Cigs that they have found what ‘could be’ considered carcinogens and both are made in China. There is a manufacturer here in the US that they found no carcinogens in their product.
What about the patch? Is it really safe? No it’s not. If you smoke cigarettes while using the patch it can seriously ill or may even kill you. e-Cigs may not be a safer alternative to smoking because you are still allowing chemicals to be entered into your body.
On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about people complaining about the dangers of second hand smoke (even though I am getting the first hand smoke and the second hand smoke and I’m still alive after smoking for 20 years).
If the people that we pay to tell us what to do are so concerned, then traditional tobacco products would be made illegal as well.
There are far more dangerous chemicals in a real cigarette compared to an e-Cig so the argument is kind of null.
You can’t make something that is better alternative illegal when something that is legal is more dangerous. Hello!?
I totally agree that it’s about loss in revenue and as usual they need to stick their dirty little hands into something when it involves our money.
wapmom said:
Aug 02, 09 at 10:16 amPick up a bottle of Sunny Delight sometime and read the ingredients. Propylene glycol. You give this to your kids to drink. sooooooo……
skewerz said:
Aug 02, 09 at 1:52 pmThe FDA will never give a full test to any of these products. If proven to be safer by the FDA, the government would almost have to take steps to making real cigarettes illegal, which they don’t ever want to do. The taxes they’d lose out on would be astronomical…
Junior said:
Aug 03, 09 at 11:49 amI suppose you would rather sit next to someone smoking a cigarette rather than someone puffing on an e-cig.
I hear arguments from people who don’t smoke that smokers should quit, and that all it takes is some will-power. Yet not having experienced the addiction before, it’s easier said than done! For these people, please just step down from the soap-box and appreciate the fact that some smokers are trying to quit and are respecting the non-smokers fears of second hand smoke.
I have used the patch, which leaves an itchy rash on the skin, the gum which is like chewing on a piece of tile and tastes like crap, and the pills which does things that I’d rather not get into. The problem for me and many others with quitting smoking is not only the addiction to the nicotine, but the oral fixation of puffing. It is difficult to change a conditioned response, especially with those who have conditioned themselves for years.
These e-cigs are better for the person smoking them and for the people around them, healthwise, and it satisfies the urge of smoking.
“As we all live our lives, we affect those around us, so take into consideration the many ways we help eachother by helping ourselves”
daniel said:
Sep 03, 09 at 6:09 amI was thinking… our government has in the past hired instigators like say pay some dude to break windows in a peaceful demonstration or march…why would there be ”fake” e cig dealers to say all the wrong things to get this in there hands…..but i could be wrong.
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson
the revolution is coming..WE OUT NUMBER THEM, THEY KNOW AND THEY ARE SCARED.
Brian Burge said:
Sep 05, 09 at 3:29 pmI’m on day three of using e-cigs. The first day I smoked three regular cigs. The second day, I smoked one. Today, I am completely tobacco free, and it’s been easy for me. Surprisingly easy. I smoked for over 25 years, a pack and a half a day. I tried the patch, the gum, hypnosis, prescription meds, even acupuncture. Nothing ever worked. My e-cig works, and I’m already feeling better than I have in a long time.
I’m using a mid-strength nicotine juice right now, and I plan to reduce the strength as time goes on. Eventually, I will use a non-nicotine juice.
I don’t get how anyone can say that e-cigs are marketed to kids just because of the flavors. That’s idiotic. I’m 41 years old, and one of the best thing about e-cigs is that I can use different flavors. Am I supposed to hate things that taste good just because I’m not a teenager anymore? Absurd.
Are e-cigs for everyone? Probably not. Would I recommend it to a friend who wants to quit smoking? Absolutely.
Shawn Barfly said:
Sep 18, 09 at 4:01 amMonsanto however would be on your side about the FDA, being a supposed dept concerned for the health of the people. They produce seeds that grow into plants (that they have patents on, yep that’s right Monsanto has patented life) that kill every indigenous genus in range of pollination, making fertile areas dependent on reseeding ever year, and did you know that any food produced by these GMO’s are labeled pesticides, and guess what… FDA approved! It’s all hogwash, I mean seriously lets see Cigarettes, Asbestos, fluoride, all nasty sh*t all FDA approved!
Vince said:
Sep 25, 09 at 1:10 amThese drug delivery devices, like all other forms of tobacco MUST BE BANNED NOW! Tobacco is addictive, defective and lethal, when used AS INTENDED. BAN THE TOBACCO DRUG NOW AND PROSECUTE THE PUSHERS FOR WANTON MURDER AND GENOCIDE OF THE HUMAN RACE! More information at: http://medicolegal.tripod.com/effects.htm
Tommie said:
Sep 25, 09 at 1:15 amThere is NOTHING, repeat, NOTHING good about tobacco or this latest form of nicotine delivery. Any “studies” that report anything good about tobacco (like the JOKE of a study about how nicotine may help Parkinson patients) is a LOAD OF CRAP put out by the tobacco creeps and their “friends”, like much of the bought-off media.
Tobacco CAUSES brain damage and many, many cancers. We will NEVER eliminate cancer until we ban tobacco.
Incidentally, the use of tobacco in any form is a DRUG ADDICTION, not just a mere “habit”. Let’s get it right!
Joey said:
Sep 29, 09 at 12:06 pmI quit smoking analog cigs three weeks ago tomorrow. I did it cold turkey, but I still want to smoke. I don’t want nicotine, I just want to smoke. Because I know that it would take one simple moment of weakness for me to fall back into the nasty habit, I bought an e-cig last night online, along with nicotine-free carts. Now, I can enjoy the action of smoking without all of the 4000 chemicals and tar that’s in real cigarettes. I can still smell good, not bother people around me, and enjoy my e-cig wherever and whenever I want.
I think the thing that bothers the antis so much about the e-cig is that it takes the stigma away from the “action” of smoking, and that alone is enough to drive them insane. These are people who get off on looking down upon others, and who get a charge out of making others live the way they live…especially if it’s being forced by the end of a gun (government, laws, etc). It makes them feel better about themselves, for some reason.
Well, I really don’t care what people do, so long as they aren’t harming anyone else. The big thing with real cigs was that the ‘secondhand smoke’ was so harmful, and that’s why we ‘needed’ smoking bans and to look so disapprovingly on the personal choice of smoking. Well? With the evolution of e-cigs, there is no secondhand smoke that harms anyone else. So what’s the problem? Why is everyone so damned concerned with what everyone else is doing in their personal lives? What have we become as a nation when we have our noses implanted so firmly into our neighbor’s business that we’re paying more attention to what they’re doing in their personal lives than what we ourselves are doing in our own?
I am so f***ing sick and tired of busybodies, I don’t even have the words to describe how much they make my blood boil. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
“I don’t need you to worry for me, ’cause I’m alright. I don’t need you to tell me it’s time to come home. I don’t care what you say anymore this is MY LIFE. Go ahead with your own life, LEAVE ME ALONE.” — Billy Joel, with needed emphasis from yours truly.
Chris said:
Oct 18, 09 at 4:17 amOk lets all quit caffeine pop is dangerous and who knows what some of those crazy ingredients such as erthyobric acid & disodium edta has on long term consumption???
Lets get real people love nicotine go to a gas station watch how many walk out with smokes. Why do doctors etc need to say we all must quit it’s not going to happen!! We all want to but it’s more addictive then heroin.Plus at least if you are trying to quit a hard drug you won’t see it for sale everyplace you go. The government simply does not want us to quit, because they want the tax money.
Also to the Tommie comment I have yet found a link from nicotine gum or patches to brain cancer because that’s all it is! People are getting cancer left and right from who knows what.
So here comes a safer way to receive the nicotine and so what if it looks cool? Look at a damn mountain dew commercial I’d say a e-cigarette is probably safer! But no people like you just because you quit want to boast about it and say you can do it! I hate smoking I seen my father die from it but still can’t quit 100%. I have an e-cigarette a week – I LOVE it.
I like the effect physically and psychologically. Yeah it costs money but after the initial costs a 5 pack of cartridges is equivalent to about a carton the price $10.00 vs $50. Ok so it’s cheaper, no bad side effects I can run longer and not get winded,no bad odors, do it wherever. I never want to smoke a real cig again. Will I continue these forever I don’t know or care if I’m stressed or at a bar I will have it ready. So Im so glad idiots want to ban something that could save millions of Americans because you are better for quitting nicotine, funny most who do get fat and die from a heart attack anyways.
Reg Mann said:
Nov 01, 09 at 10:33 pmI do appreciate your opinion, but please don’t assist in spreading misinformation.
“E-cigarettes have been refused approval by the FDA several times, mainly because they are considered to be a dangerous method to quit smoking due to the liquids used and false hope it gives to consumers.”
Therefore, they would require a new drug application, which we encourage manufacturers to submit.
To address your last question, FDA has detained and refused several importations of various brands of these “electronic” cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and their components, and the agency continues to evaluate these products on a case-by-case basis.
Kristine Wollscheid
Compliance Officer
Food and Drug Administration
CDER/Office of Compliance
Division of New Drugs & Labeling Compliance
Doesn’t seem to me the word has gotten back to the FDA that they have refused approval.
Heather said:
Nov 05, 09 at 2:38 amI purchased Green Smoke e-cigarette. I think it is the best one out there and it’s made in the US.
I realize nicotine is addictive but it is also used in gum and patches so what would be the difference in using an e-cig? Nicotine is addictive but tobacco is what kills you.
Jack said:
Nov 22, 09 at 5:05 amVince: Good thing then that e-cigs don’t contain tobacco. This is a common misconception brought about from ignorance.
acezzz said:
Nov 23, 09 at 12:34 amAnd by the way, the FDAs stamp of approval on something doesnt mean squat to me. Just look at their track record.
Judy said:
Nov 23, 09 at 2:01 amI was a heavy smoker for over 40 years. I tried everything to quit. I only gained weight and kept smoking.
I found ecigarettes and I don’t even like cigarettes any more. I did this with 2 smokers living in the house with me. I think it is amazing.
I used a high level of nicotine juice at first but not the nicotine level is very low. I am not having to use it as often either. I realize this isn’t for everyone but for me it is a Godsend.
Jim Williams said:
Nov 24, 09 at 8:08 amMeg,
“I do appreciate your opinion, but please don’t assist in spreading misinformation. ”
Like the FDA did? Yeah, the American public is sick of misinformation your agency loves to spread
I ask you this, why did the FDA do a test on cartiredges manufactured by the two manufacturers suing you, and exclude all others? And why did your agency fail to do a test using a real cigarette as a benchmark?
Misinformation, yeah right.
karen said:
Nov 25, 09 at 9:16 amThe author has done a poor job of compiling his non-facts. If people want to write about e-cigs, why not list the pros and cons and let people decide for themselves instead of insulting their intelligence by only listing his own subjective negatives.
The FDA has not made a decision either way. The FDA has, already publicized false information based on their faulty testing methods.
Using electronic cigarettes is safer than smoking. E-cigarette users want to quit smoking and find this method works for them. Does society really want smokers to quit smoking? They sure have a funny way of showing it!
Lyle said:
Nov 28, 09 at 10:04 amInteresting article. More of an opinion piece than a fact-check one would use to decide to start e-smoking (or “vaping”).
The premise starts out flawed, using the e-cig to quit smoking and the reasons why one shouldn’t.
I vape, and I choose to because I like to smoke, I like the nicotine buzz, but I don’t like smoking around non-smokers nor do I like being forced not to smoke where I like.
The e-cig is a solution for all the above problems smokers have, plus the fact we aren’t inhaling 4000 + toxic substances, just some nicotine and water vapor. I imagine any trace elements are so scarce that one would have to vape 24/7 for many years to get sick from them. You get more toxic substances from the food you eat (pesticides, growth hormones, artificial coloring and preserving) then a puff from an e-cig.
Aso note, when one lights up a regular cigarette, that person is committed to smoking the whole thing or waste it.
When I want a puff, I take a puff and put it down, and since the nicotine is concentrated my need for a drag isn’t as often as with a standard cig. That being said, a couple puffs now and then over the course of a day is far safer than 2 packs of cigs, puffing away even after you have had your fill of nicotine.
What are the trace elements in patches and gums? Who knows.
Why does the FDA want to get in the e-cig business and trump up some false data about it’s use? That’s easy, the FDA has it’s hands deep in the pockets of the standard tobacco lobbyist. The FDA doesn’t mind patches and gums because very few people have actually quit smoking when they first try them, and realize the price of the patches and gums is more than a pack of smokes. However, vaping as an alternative to smoking causes the tobacco lobbiests to shake in thier shoes, and went to the FDA with money in hand to get e-cigs off the market.
That shows the short-sightedness of these guys, just like any market you have to adapt to change. Tobacco can still be grown and sold…to become the “juice” you screw into the e-cig.
Side note, much as hemp lovers like to point out, you can use the left-over tobacco plant for other uses, just use your imagination.
Again, the reason for the e-cig is not to quit, but a healthier alternative to tobacco use. And don’t get me started on dip and snuff….mouth cancer anyone? This is just vapor!
Larry said:
Dec 08, 09 at 10:46 amMyself and two friends quit the first week they received a quality electronic cigarette!! I smoked for 24 years and both my friends smoked longer!
You want info on the e-cig… just ask! I have everything from CDC reports on individual chemicals to interviews with physicians. 40-50 million Americans stand to benefit from these and anyone who is speaking negatively about them (including the FDA, pharmaceutical companies and the tobacco industry) do so out of a fear for lost revenue.
Before you claim you know the “truth about electronic cigarettes” do your homework!!!
Here’s an informal survey of 1,275 people who’ve tried the e-cig with 85.25% having completely quit tobacco. Understanding the actual health concerns of nicotine versus the 4000+ chemicals and carcinogens in tobacco is vital to knowing what you are talking about!
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/quitting/6470-e-cig-success-rate.html
Larry said:
Dec 08, 09 at 10:57 amHere… do some homework!
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLVlSY4fwIg&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96HPNkANZfM&feature=player_embedded#
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/egpg/propylene_glycol.html
Care for more? I have plenty!
Rod said:
Dec 10, 09 at 7:30 pmYou know what? I’m grateful that this article exists. Because it’s drawn so much attention from those who’ve tried ecigarettes (ALL of whom have, in some form or another had success in switching from cigatettes proper), it’s given me a much broader scope of opinion to draw from.
As someone who’s been a smoker for well over 50 years, and never had the urge to pack it in, I’m now going to use the ecigarette, and see if I can kick the evil burning tobacco habit!
Jim said:
Dec 19, 09 at 5:07 pmSorry Peter, I know it sucks, but once these are proven to be 99% safer than regular cigs I’m afraid Quit Yesterday business will pretty much dry up to nothing. Yes, that does suck for you I will agree.
But hey, look on the bright side – it will add years and years of healthy life to tens of millions of smokers!
People that will not longer be subjecting their bodies to 1,000s of harmful chemicals and carcinogens, but instead nicotine water vapor, with (shudder) Propylene Glycol too! If you knew half of the other chemicals that you have been exposed to in your life that are one thousand times worse than what is contained in an eCig, think you might change your tune! I smoked for almost 20 years, and chewed tobacco too! Now – Have not touched tobacco in over 18 months. This product will save millions of lives, quite literally…If the FDA doesn’t find a way to squash it so that the tobacco companies can continue to peddle their poison…..
Peter Jeffries said:
Dec 19, 09 at 5:12 pmHey, that’s cool Jim. I only hope that this post and the comments will help people quit. Saving lives is more important than making a few bucks. Glad to hear it’s been working for you.
fred johnson said:
Dec 19, 09 at 9:04 pmthe only reason the FDA doesn’t want the e-cig to be passed is because they will lose there tax$$$.
Its really up to the individual, and what works for them. I have tried many types of the “FDA” approved formulas, such as the qualude affect of the fine chantix.. wow that was a good TRIP!! forget it.
Try what works for you, and the real cig is the most harmful I’m sure.
Chewie said:
Dec 23, 09 at 3:40 pmI am a smoker. And even if it is just a little bit healthier (and a little bit cheaper), I’d say go for it.
I do have to agree that it should not be marketed as a “Stop Smoking” thing. But, choosing between conventional cigarettes and eCigarettes, I would say ECigs are better.
So I will not be heeding your advice of staying away from it.
Bobtow said:
Dec 28, 09 at 3:59 amNicotine poisoning seems to be one of the accusations listed against e-cigarettes.
No one mentions the nicotine is a mere one percent of the liquid in an e-cigarette cartridge.
A friend of mine wanted to try the nicotine inhaler, but was told by her doctor that she was too light, and that it was too dangerous for her to try safely.
So I tuned her in to the possibility of e-cigarettes. I gave up smoking thirty years ago. I tried the nicotine gum and lozenges, and ended up quitting cold turkey. This year I am just getting over the damage these methods did to my digestive system.
For people to even suggest that smokers go cold turkey, is criminal. That is the worse form of torture, one could subject another human being to.
It is cruel and inhumane. I am doing all in my power to educate my smoking friend about e-cigarettes and the many benefits of switching.
All the anti cigarette lobbies should be supporting e-cigarettes to help get smokers off of tobacco.
nathan said:
Feb 05, 10 at 12:19 amThe government can kiss my ass. 6 quid a pack of smokes? The e-cig is better 4 you and I feel a whole lot better.
Tom Young said:
Feb 09, 10 at 10:57 amok sorry if I’m repeating what someone else has already said but this is bullshit.
People should be ENCOURAGED to use e-cigs because although not proven completely healthy, there is no doubt regular “analog” cigarettes are a lot more dangerous.
Also I haven’t seen any company advertising them as a way to quit nicotine, it’s simply a way of switching to a healthier way of getting that hit.
I use one and definitely feel a lot healthier than when I smoked “analogs”.
Another thing I’ll point out is that it’s not smoking it’s VAPOURISING so you can quit and still get the hit!
Tom Young said:
Feb 09, 10 at 11:13 amand as for: “One of the testers experienced “a small amount of liquid leaked from the air vent holes in the side of the cigarette.”
I always get the liquid on my fingers I just lick them the nicotine goes in no big deal. The taste reminds me of nictotine gum slightly but no way near as bad.
Peter M said:
Feb 10, 10 at 4:35 ameCigarettes are not dangerous. Nicotine itself is not carcenogenic (it doesnt cause cancer byt itself) and the rest of the contents of the eLiquid used in them is propylene glycol plus flavourings. Propeleyne glycol is present in hundreds of foods, including Coca Cola, it has been in use for more than 50 years and is also non-cancerous even though it is an “antifreeze”… want to know another non-cancerous anti-freeze? Salt.
This site, however good its intentions, is contributing to misinformation.
Go and look up nicotine on Wikipedia, then look up propylene glycol. Reasearch had been done a while ago that suggests that inhaled propylene glycol actually prevents serious chest infections such as pneumonia.
Gordon said:
Feb 18, 10 at 8:25 amYou sure you aren’t working for the tobacco companies or something?
I have been using e-cigs for over 4 months now and I love it. I didn’t switch because I was trying to quit, I switched because I wanted to be healthier.
Since I’ve switched to e-cigs I’ve noticed a major change. I can breath better, I no longer have that awful tobacco smell luring around me. My teeth are no longer yellow, and my computer desk isn’t covered in cigarette ashes.
It’s like drinking coffee all your life made with muddy water and then suddenly replacing that muddy water with pure filtered bottle water.
Everything tastes better, smells better, and even feels better.
E-cigs was never intended to be used to quit smoking, it was intended to change the way you smoke.
Nicotine is a very addictive drug that for years had to be taken by inhaling tobacco leaves laced with hundreds of cancer causing chemicals. E-cigs offers people who have been addicted to nicotine a more clean non-cancerous alternative.
How can you possible down grade a product that can actually save lives? The only reason the FDA is against this product is because the more people that switches to it means less cigarette taxes for the government. Taxes that generate billions of dollars for uncle Sam every year.
It’s sad that our own government would rather we stick to using a dangerous product known to kill thousands every year rather then promote this product and help their own people try to live a better and heather life.
KF said:
Mar 04, 10 at 3:04 amI just want to share that I’ve been a tobacco smoke for over 30 years.
It was incomprehensible to me that I could ever quit and I never did, smoked solidly the entire time.
My grandmother died of lung cancer and I knew this was a stupid, stupid behavior and that I absolutely had to quit. However, drugs, gums, patches – none of those offered the comfort of the habit, the hand to mouth, the satisfaction of “smoke” from the lungs.
I’ve been on the e-cig for 2 weeks now, which is longer than I’ve ever been off of tobacco since I was 14.
I told myself that I was now a non-smoker, and that I could “vape” as a replacement, but I don’t follow the same habitual pattern (like taking breaks at a particular time).
If I panic about not smoking, I pull out the e-cig. It’s a great crutch, but already I see myself needing it less and less.
I have saved 2 weeks of carcinogens going into my lungs not to mention a whole bunch of money in this short amount of time.
Please don’t discourage people from this product unless facts are turned up that prove it is worse or just as bad as a tobacco cigarette.
chainsmoker said:
Mar 04, 10 at 4:26 pmI must say that I am impressed by Peter admitting that he was incorrect in nearly all of his assumptions.
Maybe there is hope for this country yet if there are enough folks around who will admit error (who knows… everyone who has posted here including myself may be pulling foot from mouth before its all over with).
To those who posted studies I thank you, this is the sort of stuff that will help me make up my mind.
Enemy combatant said:
Mar 05, 10 at 7:01 am“Chantix made me puke, it causes suicidal thoughts”
I never tried it but when I saw the commercial I thought it was a joke. It took them longer to read all of the side effects than it did for them to pitch their product!
This article is baseless. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first e-cigarette and this propaganda is not scaring me one bit.
sal said:
Mar 15, 10 at 2:17 amJust my 2 cents, I’m 49 and have been smoking for 35 yrs and my wife the same.
We have saved over $2500 and avoided over 8000 cigarettes.
Just check out the counter at my site. If these catch on then all the big tobacco company’s and the government tend to loose millions. That’s the REAL reason they are not going to ever be approved – especially the government we have NOW unless they can figure out a way to tax the hell out of it.
I’ve been smoking an e-cig for over 8 months now along with my wife, and if only us two can save this amount of money and feel better, just think how much the government tends to loose if these really do become the alternative to real cigarettes.
I for one will do everything in my power to promote these and to tell people my story as i feel as if i am, and also my wife, a lot better off using the e-cigarettes.
This is the first time in over 35 yrs that I can taste my food the way it should taste and yes, I breath a lot better also.
I COULD GO ON AND ON but I think everyone gets the point. It sure is nice driving around in my wife’s new 2001 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE she bought with the money we saved by using e-cigs and not buying those killing sticks WE WERE smoking on a reg basis.
Again what do you think would happen to the government if all smokers simply put down the real cigarettes and started to use the e-cig? They CAN NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!!! THEY RELY ON THE TAXES TO MUCH TO ALLOW ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO HINDER THERE INCOMING MONEY!
Karen! :D said:
Mar 28, 10 at 4:14 pmAfter a few months thinking about and researching e-cigarettes I decided that I was definitely going to try them as soon as I was finished with the last three packs in my carton.
Well, today at the mall I saw a kiosk for E-Cigarettes and I decided to buy a trial kit designed to last a pack/day smoker four days.
I am truly impressed at their similarity to real smokes and … I CAN NOW ENJOY NICOTINE ANYWHERE! I love it!
The author of this article is obviously a non-smoker and chances are, he’s never enjoyed a smoke in his life. Well, I personally love smoking and now I can do it anywhere I like with my new E-Smokes! :D I plan on replacing all my smokes with E-Smokes!
Though I’m not insulted by the authors ignorance, I am insulted the FDA is (yet again) out for Big Brother because he can’t collect tax from E-Smokers. HA! :P
Darth Vapor said:
Mar 30, 10 at 3:49 ameLiquid comes in many levels of nicotine, including zero. It’s up to the smoker to decide when and how they want to quit. Saying that Liquid that comes in sweet flavors is a lure to children is nonsense. The only places that I’ve seen where you can buy a personal vaporizer are at smoke shops (which tend to sell the crappy ones) and online, with a credit card. That seems easy enough to monitor your kids to make sure they don’t swipe your bank card or go to the headshop downtown.
Obviously, nicotine liquid is dangerous to kids (and everyone else, toxicity isn’t exclusive) and can result in “very bad things” should they get their little hands on it; but if you’re a responsible adult, you keep nicotine liquid (and any other bad chemical) out of the reach of kids
I don’t even want to start with the FDA, because everything they tell you in the god honest truth and only in our best interest, right? Right?
If people want to quit smoking you should applaud their efforts in whatever manner they choose to quit.
Hugh McMichael said:
Mar 31, 10 at 10:22 pmI’ve stopped all tobacco use after 40 years of smoking by using E-cigs. I don’t cough in the morning, the tight feeling in my chest is gone and I can ride my bike again without gasping for air. The difference, even in just a few weeks, is amazing. I heartily recommend them to anyone who wants to quit tobacco but still wants to enjoy smoking.
So now they want to ban E-cigs. Of course they do. Anything that allows someone to ENJOY themselves must be banned, right? I truly do not understand the mindset of these holier-than-thou bureaucrats. E-cigs are, from my experience and those of thousands of other people, far preferable to tobacco cigarettes. Whether they’re addicting or contain any potentially harmful substances is completely beside the point – they are less harmful than tobacco, full stop. I think it really, really bothers them when they see someone SMOKING an E-cig in PUBLIC!!!! OMG! Someone DO something! That person might actually be ENJOYING themselves!
I will eventually quit E-cigs also, but only when I’m good and ready to do so. If they ban them I’ll simply buy them on the black market or drive across state lines to get them. I refuse to allow these meddling small-minded bureaucratic non-entities to dictate to me what I can and cannot do with MY life.
trala said:
Apr 04, 10 at 3:02 amFor those of us (MANY) who have actually and somewhat miraculously quit smoking, after many failures (including with prescribed and nicotine containing products like patches and gum), this sort of irresponsible rubbish is anathema.
Nicotine is not a carcinogen; it’s closer to caffeine than to tobacco smoke. Have a coke. And far less dangerous than, say, a bud light. Alcohol is used in the most horrible products…
Not to mention the many carcinogens that tobacco companies add to their product.
This one is beyond the pale; the ignorance re “leaking liquid” is actually funny. Do I call 911 if i get a few tobacco crumbs on my tongue? Probly more likely that I should.
Freddy said:
Apr 12, 10 at 9:55 amI been using an e cig for 4 months. I buy a pack of cigs and i have that one pack for 3 days. before it was a pack a day.
I got away from the cartridges and went to the e liquid. and I refill the same cartridge.
Its great i love it.
Bob said:
Apr 12, 10 at 11:55 amI tried an E Cigarette (aka Electronic Nicotine Inhaler, Personal Vaporizer) on December 6, 2009 and I have not picked up a cigarette since. This after 40+ years of smoking two packs a day; I have not felt better in years. I’m not interested in giving up nicotine; I’m very interested in not inhaling the 4000 chemicals associated with cigarettes.
The few chemicals contained in E Cigarettes have been independently studied and none pose a significant health risk. I inhale more toxic fumes during my daily commute! Propylene Glycol, the main ingredient, is used to make fake smoke at concerts and magic shows and is contained in children’s asthma inhalers. The flavorings are the same ones used in candy and cakes, and nicotine (in diluted form), in and of itself, has not been proved to be a major health risk; if so, why are cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, etc. not banned?
I have a problem with the FDA and anti-smoking cause mongering fanatics attempting to take away from me the one product that has allowed me to put up cigarettes based on biased, junk science and the profit margins of Pharmaceutical and Big Tobacco barons!
I wish the FDA would just report their research results, alongside others, and leave the decision whether to use E Cigarettes as a safer alternative to cigarettes up to adults!
Every year tens of thousands of people are killed, hundreds of thousands maimed and disfigured, by those BIG cigars on wheels otherwise known as cars. Everyday, people consume junk food at the risk of cancer and heart disease. Everyone has a hobby or sport that poses risks. The bottom line is the people should be left to decide if the benefit outweighs the risks; no the FDA!
Leave E Cigarette users alone and quit chasing them back to cigarettes; I don’t preach to others about their particular vices!
Kanaida said:
Apr 13, 10 at 8:58 amI’ve been a smoker for 5 years, I just bought a Titan 510. I was never trying to quit, just wanted something safer and that wouldn’t bother people around me. Well I can tell you it was completely successful. I haven’t smoked a real cig since. There’s lots of little pro’s that you don’t realize till you have one.
Pros:
-Can smoke em anywhere I want to
-I only smoke as much as I like to (don’t always want a whole cig)
-More energy. I don’t feel as lazy and do more stuff.
-Better breathing
-Back Pain in the morning is gone. Never thought it was the smoking.
-My girl doesn’t give me crap about it
-I feel I have a much smaller chance of getting cancer (I have a feeling knockoff’s may not be very safe, but I have faith in reputable companies. We’ll know who those are soon enough.)
-The next day after the club my throat doesn’t feel like sand paper
-My house doesn’t smell and neither do I.
-It doesn’t run out, still on my first kit using a 5ml bottle.
-Cheaper in the long run
-Adjustable tobacco strengths, flavors and different models
-Makes for an interesting conversation starter when hooking up
-Don’t keep loosing lighters
-Don’t burn myself or furniture occasionally
-Don’t have to go to the store every 5 mins.
-If i need a flashlight really bad I take out the liquid cartridge and just press the button for a sec or 2 to plug in some cables behind my pc where it’s dark or something.
Cons:
-I only have one e-cig, sometimes I loose it in the couch lol :)
-Lots of crappy knock off’s, so far I’m the only person who got a quality one (totally wicked Titan 510). They decided to go with ones they saw in the mall for like $50 and all of them returned them because they didn’t make enough smoke, or were crappy by comparison after seeing mine. Theirs didn’t come with a handy charging case and aren’t re-fillable at all or as easily as the one i got. I saw one where the atomizer was nothing more than a solid copper wire folded like a letter U.
Jenni Lee said:
Apr 16, 10 at 4:46 amBefore stumbling upon this blog, I read the page on the FDA website that states a lot of the same shaky information Mr. Jefferies used. I just ordered my E-cig last night! I can’t wait to cut real cigarettes out of my life–so much that I paid extra for the 2-day shipping. It’s at least a months worth of product and cost me less than a months worth of cigarettes would.
I think this product will prove itself to save lives. I can’t help but to think of my husbands nana who died from emphysema (about 5 years ago) and continued to smoke until the day she died. She couldn’t quit. She had spent 50+ years smoking and she died that way. If the e-cigarette were made available years sooner, it very well may of prolonged her life; significantly. The Emphysema made it harder and harder for her to breath. And if you read reviews from people who have used the e-cigarette, they have pointed out the noticeable difference in their lungs. They can take deeper and longer breaths and just have that all over healthier feeling.
You cannot deny smokers a better option. We do worry about our health but have an addiction that is hard to break. The e-cigarette is a god send for me and my family. We now have the confidence that one day we can quit! (Since I have also heard, from reviews, that is easier to quit with the e-cig than cold turkey with a regular cigarette).
I’m waiting for my Magma kit to get here and I can’t wait to try all the flavors I can (I’m 28, and have a sweet tooth!). I even saw a pie series!
Oh, and I told my 4yr old daughter that I was making the switch to a way healthier cigarette that smelt better and had flavors. She told me that she was happy but stated that she still couldn’t smoke it! I didn’t have to remind her. She knows how bad it is and how bad we (her father and I) want to quit.
So please don’t condemn something before it has been tried and tested to the fullest and scientifically proven. Some of use are willing to take the risk if it means trashing another.
Mindy said:
Apr 21, 10 at 5:53 amMy husband and I recently just purchased the E-Cig. I was curious about it and looked it up on Ask.com I had great hopes for this alternative device till I saw some things that honestly scared me, said stuff about chemicals that could cause seizures and all kinds of unpleasant things…
Then I found this web site and well It helps to see what people have to say that have already used it…..
djtonyb said:
Apr 25, 10 at 2:27 pmYet another pack a day smoker here… that is until I started on the e-cig.
I watched my grandmother die of lung cancer, and yet I still couldn’t quit with the gum, the patch, the lozenges etc… Does this sound like a theme here?
More and more addicted people are switching to a safer alternative, and big tobacco and big pharma and the cancer treatment machine are all PISSED!
How dare we go outside their approved system and actually stop putting extorted money into their pockets?
null said:
Apr 27, 10 at 8:23 pmsolution: slap on a – dont know if causes cancer – sticker….
Lily said:
May 13, 10 at 12:49 pmI said i would let you guys know how i went with my eCig, so here it is.
So far, it’s been really good, i have been vaping it for an hour now and the liquid flavor in my mouth that is coming from it is nice sweet on my tongue.
I may have jumped the gun a bit before giving it a real try… not being able to see the led light when in the middle of a puff can be annoying but i can get over that… the performance is exceptional and the vapor output is as think as a cloud to say the least… but it’s the distance that counts and i have to wait an see how long this seemingly good performance and longevity of this e-cigar will be before showing any signs of failure… fingers crossed!
The battery is playing up though. I will try there atomizer some time today and see if that does the trick.
Michael said:
May 28, 10 at 6:09 pmSecond to everything Tara said but the author using Honk Kong as an example of why we in the U.S. should ban e-cigs kind of points to his political motives doesn’t it?
Hong Kong is a part of China, and China is a socialist/communist/marxist country, and subject to the doctrines of the same, which is complete and total control of the people in all ways, and strictly enforced by any means required.
Although I realize and submit to the fact that the United States is now just as if not more marxist/socialist than a lot of other officially claimed such countries, we are still to some degree the land of the free, and oddly enough being more socialist than other socialist countries we are still the most free of all countries.
While after reviewing the contents of the liquid it was quite obvious that it was more safe than 98% of the food you consume (even that overpriced organic crap that often contains just as many chemicals and FAR more impure contaminates that non organic), I still had my doubts.
The day I started these, I had 3 real cigs all day. Still had some cravings for the real deal.
The next day I had no cigs. The next day 1 cig, because the smell made me crave it, but then I smoked it and it did NOTHING for me at all.
A few days later I had 2 more smokes as I had forgotten my e-cigs at home and had to bum a couple of the real deal, which were BARELY tolerable.
My wife is much happier with me smoking the e-cig. For my health, her health, and the health of our kids, not to mention the cost savings. And no I never sat down in a smoke filled room with my kids that’s just BS and wrong.
I never was a typical smoker, I never allowed the second hand smoke to waft over my body or in my face. I always held my cig high and away from my body, and always exhaled forcefully upwards and away from myself and others, and always exhaled with the wind direction. My e-cig dissipates within 2 seconds. Although that is of little concern overall as the tests have shown that when exhaling an e-cig there are no detectable amounts of nicotine, only water vapor and and carbon dioxide. The latter of which is exhaled by all living breathing creatures.
As for the claims that flavors are designed to attract children, that is just insane. So are you making the claim that adults should and do only eat things that taste like crap?
Should we shun apples, and oranges, because they taste good? Please get a clue, taste concerns are not just for children, regardless of the product. That same tired cliche of taste being used to attract children, has been overused, and is no more true now than it was back when it was first uttered. It’s nothing more then a crux grabbing for straws when you know your arguments against something can’t hold up, and you are losing your battle.
I find this to be typical of many whiny people nowadays the bitch about everything being offensive, when all logic fails resort to anything that sounds good whether it has any basis in fact and reality or not.
While you report that the companies are marketing it as a smoking cessation aid, I’ve not seen one single company make that claim. Perhaps that is because any reputable company will not make that claim? Although in the strictest sense, the claim would be valid.
If you are a smoker and you switch to an e-cig you are no longer smoking. You are not consuming any burning material, nor are you consuming tobacco. You are merely inhaling vapor.
Cool demographic? You CAN’T be serious, that MUST be a joke. That is as much braaying from a small equine animal as I’ve heard in a LONG time.
While it’s true, smoking area’s have made smoking a social habit, I have yet to see e-cigs being marketed as being cool. They are marketed for what they are, an alternative to TOBACCO. Heck most people know what an e-cig is now, so they are merely being marketed as just that, and are competing with each other, not marketed in the strictest sense. They all compete against each other over who has the best e-cig and why. As for the individual styles of the e-cigs themselves, while a few shallow individuals might get one style because other people might like the way it looks, most people buy something for themselves base dupon their own personal tastes.
Most e-smokers are in their 40′s, I happen to be in my early 30′s. I chose the blu based on it’s features and cost. I chose the sleek black version instead of the white. For one I like the black better, I could care less what other people thought (If I cared what other people thought I’d wear my pants around my knees and listen to rap music to be cool). The fact is I like the black design. The other reason is more practical. The white will just get DIRTY around alot of the stuff I do for fun.
Do yourself a favor, and go get a REAL education instead of an art degree. Look at the big picture, instead of what you are told by your liberal masters.
Stephanie said:
May 30, 10 at 4:50 amThe righteousness of anyone who preaches about the dangers of anything that they are far from an expert on, should and will fall on dead ears.
Many times it is a matter of personal opinion and choice – how much risk is one willing incur during their life? Otherwise, it is merely seeking to promote a personal opinion.
To put things into perspective, the recent BP oil leak is likely to have larger ramifications than e-cigs (even if what you say about e-cigs health ramifications is found to be true), although being a fairly isolated incident.
We live in a world of chemical exposure – you are not contraindicated from this fact just because you disapprove of e-cigs. Drinking a soda, working on your car in a garage, visiting New York City (or Hong Kong!) i.e. smog/acid rain/etc., taking any pharmaceutical – even those tested and approved by clinical trials, spraying for spiders, eating conventionally grown or genetically modified foods, etc., all expose the body to numerous chemicals, none of which can be empirically proven safe with any finite measure.
There is no right and wrong in this because there is not an empirical black and white – there is a body of evidence, most of which is contradictory.
The only thing one person should expect of another person is to consider the body of evidence and choose for themselves what level of risk they are willing to take. Anything else is tyrannical and amoral; and will likely be a failed attempt at persuasion.
In other words, mind your own business; if you do not like e-cigarettes or real cigarettes for that matter, don’t use them.
I will not attempt to preach to you about how they can improve your life in some way or another. I expect the benefit of you – being of the same ability as me to make your own decisions in life – not preaching to me about possible harm of an activity that I may or may not choose to partake in.
(
Just as an endnote:
The FDA has an incredible benefit to our safety, however, they are not always right and have made plenty of recorded mistakes. Drugs make it to the market after being found to have a low percentage of adverse affects – years later, the actual percentage of adverse affects is found to be much higher. The institution is not perfect and can at times have less than acceptable motivations. It is a political system and should garnish respect and reputation accordingly.)
peachy said:
Jun 07, 10 at 1:19 amFirst of all … WHO is financed mostly by private companies, like big pharma. Do you really believe a word they say?
We have here a small group of companies taking over the entire world. They want us to buy THEIR products. Medical journals which doctors and students used, are also financed in part by these companies, thus using their power to brainwash doctors and make more money.
They also know that cannabis oil is a very widely proven cure for cancer, as it kills cancer cells. This information is being kept from us, and the product is even banned.
I am not going to sit down and watch them control our lives. I am going to smoke !! Even if it’s banned and I have to make cigarettes with grass on the ground, I will do so ! Freedom is always worth fighting for.
Cars are much more toxic and dangerous then any cigarette. Many ”ignored studies” have shown this. Yet, it’s viewed as perfectly ok to stink up the town with those 4 wheeled killers and to expose our children to all the toxic fumes while they are sitting in the back seat of the car.
People are just blind o stupid.
Smoke has been a part of humanity forever, we can’t say the same for cars.
So next time you pass by me with your car, please stop and turn it off so I can breathe !!
If I don’t have a right to smoke my petty little cigarette, you shouldn’t have a right to drive a car and endanger my life. Which is a proven fact. We cannot say the same about passive smoking.
Some facts .. the oldest living people and population are mostly those who smoke the most. Asthma, which was once cured with cigarette smoke (many still do so today and have a better quality of life) has increased by 800% in children since the smoking bans.
Smoking also reduces the risk of babies dying of a common breathing problem, by 50% !! They tell you this? Of course not.
Populations who are not victims of diesel, also happen to have no or barely any lung cancer, like the Eskimos, some Indian tribes etc…
The global stats obviously show that smoking is not the problem, yet many countries are being lied to by WHO. Many countries tried the smoking ban and saw no results after doing so, except for a broken economy and pissed off citizens.
They says for example that heart attacks have decreased since smoking bans .. but fail to tell you that heart attacks decreased no more then what they were in the years preceding the smoking ban. So there was actually NO difference. Many studies actually report the contrary, saying that a smoker who stops is at HIGHER risk for heart attacks, obesity & other health problems. Do they warn us so that we can take precautions? NO !! They HIDE it !
All this smoking ban thing was probably created to hide the fact that lung cancer was greatly increasing after people had been exposed to radiation and doctors were complaining. Doing so saved them ”billions” of dollars. Ever wonder why in the world so much money is being invested in this even when results are lacking?? Well … it’s obviously very fishy.
I fail to understand why most people know that gov lies, yet still believe every word they say. Maybe people believe whatever they want to believe without verifying the facts.
You know what happens when lies are told over and over again? We believe them. It’s human nature and they use this to manipulate us.
Just like the H1N1 vaccine. WHO was able to get most gov’s to believe there was a serious problem, when the problem actually killed less people then the common cold. Intelligent countries who refused the vaccine, did not have any epidemic whatsoever !
It’s a lot to think about, but we need to wake up and stop being controlled.
I would like to be able to trust doctors again, but unfortunately can’t because they are totally manipulated and controlled, except for the few who notice what’s going on and tell people about it.
Stephan said:
Jun 08, 10 at 1:23 pmThere’s a lot of anger up there.
I will tell you this:
I had been smoking over a pack a day for 28 years
I had tried the patch and gum under a physicians supervision and they did not help.
I have tried cold turkey and could not do it.
I have been using e-cigarettes for one week and have not had a cigarette since my first puff on an e-cigarette.
I have been lowering nicotine content in the cartridges since the third day with no problems. (The first three days I needed the “high Nicotine” cartridges).
I would use the Nicotrol Inhaler instead if I could get it OTC in the land of liberty and freedom (it is only available OTC in about every other civilized country), but I have spent enough on doctors and worthless pharmaceuticals with no results.
I paid $60.00 for two “starter” e-cigarette kits at a truck stop and haven’t smoked in 7 days.
Say what you will, it is working for me, and I don’t see I’ll have a problem kicking e-cigarettes as I am already “vaping” less and less every day.
Dustin said:
Jun 17, 10 at 12:46 pmThe ecigs help me and my wife quit and we havent experienced any relapse or adverse side efects.
And if this article is so biased against e cigs, why is it’s author advertising green smoke e cigs?
Peter Jeffries said:
Jun 17, 10 at 1:25 pmHey Dustin,
If you take a look at my comments, you will see that I admit to my mistakes. Heck, we all make mistakes, and I’ve owned up to this rather than hiding from you guys.
I’m no longer biased to eCigs, as long as it helps smoker’s quit the harmful chemicals and smoke from normal cigarettes.
Rosie said:
Jun 18, 10 at 11:56 amStop making up excuses and putting your family members and loved ones through hell. They are the ones that will push you on a wheel chair with your fashionable oxygen tank, enough excuses! try quitting first! E- Cigarettes are just another way to drain your wallet. While you might say they prevent depression I say that’s Bull&%$! I live with a smoker and he’s depressed most of the time!
Dr. J. Dodd said:
Jul 16, 10 at 11:42 pmI smoked over 20 years, I tried the e-cigarette, and at first I didn’t like it! The throat hit was not there! it seemed much lighter than the ultra lights I was smoking, and the batteries went out fast!
But I stayed with it! I bought a e-cigarette called the SCREW DRIVER! The batter last me all day! Then I found a website that has a e-liquid base called Vegetable Glycerine (VG). http://www.americaneliquidstore.com
I get a bit of a stronger throat hit from the (VG)and the vapor of the smoke is great!
now I know the argument with Propylene Glycol (PG) with it being in antifreeze and so fourth! What is going to be the complaint of Vegetable Glycerine (VG)?
Yes smoking is bad for you real cigarettes are very harmful to the body! But since I changed to e-liquid I feel a lot better! and it is cheaper! I can vape any where!
It did take me a while to change over completely to e-smoke but I did it and I am glad I did! No with draws, No angry issues, the e smokes are for me!
Marc said:
Jul 20, 10 at 7:47 amI think people here are delusional about a so-called “safe” ciggarette. There is nothing safe about it…it still carries the same bullshit that a normal ciggarette would have.
This is just some new trendy thing for people to get addicted to. I see no true affect for people to quit with an e-ciggarette. A person said above, “oh I’m living proof that I quit”, but you are still taking puffs from time to time. You are truly not done with smoking…nor did you truly quit.
E-Cigs are just another ploy to get people addicted…to that and make money off the users who buys them. It goes like this…people want to quit, so let’s push another crutch on them. Let’s make e-cigs and try to put the tabaco companies out of bussiness.
Plus an e-cig made a friend of mine really sick one day…and she’s a normal smoker.
Let’s keep it plain and simple, no ciggarette is safe or healthy for you, even the e-cigs.
Sandy said:
Jul 24, 10 at 1:18 amThe FDA made these things illegal because of the chemicals in the vapor. Your essentially going up to a fog machine you would see in a theatre. Hooking up a hoze and breathing in the vapor.
When I worked on movies they actually gave you more money for scenes with smoke because of known dangers of exposure to the stuff.
Austin said:
Jul 29, 10 at 8:21 pmI was a 3 pack a day smoker and very much into this smoking habit.
I’ve been smoking for the past 4 years and these were the worst part of my life.
My look completely changed to something nasty. My hair started falling, I lost my weight, teeth turned yellow and lips turned black.
I looked horrible when I saw myself in the mirror. My handsome look was gone. I was dam worried because I stand among the beauty conscious people.
I tried quitting this habit couple of times but failed every time. I even tried gums and patches and even chantix but none of them worked out for me.
One day I saw a guy in my street using e-cig. Upon asking I came to know that it’s a smoking alternative.
I used it for a week and was completely mesmerized. Can you believe it… you get the same tobacco taste without 4000 chemicals except nicotine.
Same density vapors. No harmful tobacco smoke, just clean vapors. No fear of second hand smoking.
And above all I can smoke everywhere. I mean it was hard to believe that how could somebody imitate a tobacco cigarette. But its true YES e cigarette completely changed my life. Now I am regaining my beauty back. No more yellowing of teeth, I have even regained my weight.