Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that have been developed as an alternative to normal cigarettes, consisting of a heater, a battery and a cartridge that contains a solution of chemicals. They
give a smoker the apparent effect of nicotine intake without delivering the toxic elements like tobacco, carbon monoxide and tar that harm the lungs.
Electronic cigarettes have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, mostly because they're often portrayed as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes.
But research indicates that this is often not the case.
The study, published in the journal Nature (
http://www.nature.com/news/e-cigarettes
) found that people exposed to e-cigarette vapors suffer from "strikingly similar" negative effects as people who smoke or are around traditional cigarettes.
To come to this conclusion, researchers looked at human bronchial cells grown in a medium that were exposed to e-cigarette vapor. They then exposed a separate group of cells grown in a different medium to tobacco smoke. After comparing the two mediums, the scientists found that the cells exposed to the e-cigarette vapor showed very similar gene mutations to the ones exposed to tobacco smoke.
The electronic cigarette was devised in 2003 by a Chinese druggist named Hon Lik. It was introduced into the Chinese market in 2004. It began to be marketed abroad from 2005 by Golden Dragon Holdings, the company where Hon worked.
The Electronic Cigarette Association is the body that includes all private companies in trading of electronic cigarettes.
The marketing strategy of e-cigarettes has also come under criticism. Many electronic cigarette brands are being found to offer e-cigarettes in various flavors like mint, orange and chocolate. This can entice smokers as well as non-smokers. This actually promotes smoking rather than curbing it.
Some electronic cigarette juices have caramel (caramel when burned is a powerful carcinogen), and strawberry flavorings that may attract children into smoking.
Toxic components to vaping:
- Electronic cigarettes are found to contain an anti-freeze component known as diethylene glycol. It is toxic to humans and can cause health worries on inhalation. This is one of the major electronic cigarette side effects.
- Other than diethylene glycol, e-cigarettes also contain cancer-causing compounds like nitrosamines. If the cigarette accidentally breaks, humans may be exposed to such harmful components.
- E-cigarettes also consist of tetramethylpyrazine. Prolonged exposure to tetramethylpyrazine can result in brain damage in human beings.
It is a fact that no electronic cigarette company is endorsed by any health organization. This is the reason why there has been an effective electronic cigarette ban in a number of countries like Canada. For an effective removal of a smoking habit, it is best to give up smoking completely. It is best not to try to stop smoking with electronic cigarettes.
I've had wonderful success using a combination of acupuncture, ear seeds (special beads taped to specific ear points based on why you smoke, then you can stimulate them as needed during episodes of cravings), homeopathics and herbal formulas. The combination offers greater success than any of the single treatments alone.
However, the greatest indicator of success is desire.
You have to WANT to quit. I always tell patients that once they get to the place where they hate to smoke more than they enjoy it, they should set a date to quit that's not too far in the future, then use as many healthy modalities as they need to finally say good-bye to cigarettes and never look back.
Here's to healthy breathing!
