Health & Medicine - Posted by Matthew Solovey-Penn State on Friday, September 16, 2011 12:19 - 4 Comments 
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Safety of e-cigs still in question
Initally seen as a gimmick, electronic cigarettes continue to be popular among smokers who are trying to quit, but questions about their long-term safety and effectiveness have kept medical professionals from recommending them. (Credit: iStockphoto)
PENN STATE (US) — While electronic cigarettes may be an effective long-term alternative to smoking, questions remain about their long-term safety.
Share this article
Email
Republish this article
The text of this article by Futurity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License.
E-cigs consist of a cigarette-shaped device with a battery, a heating element, and a cartridge containing propylene glycol and nicotine. Users puff on the mouthpiece to activate a circuit that heats the atomizer and produces a vapor that is then inhaled.
“If some smokers have difficulty overcoming both nicotine dependence and long-term habit change, then surely one solution is to help them avoid most of the health risks with only a minimal alteration in their nicotine-seeking habit,” says Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences and psychiatry at Penn State.
“This implies a nicotine replacement device that looks like a cigarette and delivers nicotine like a cigarette, but does not deliver the tar and carbon monoxide that cause the vast majority of smoking-caused disease.”
A new study published in International Journal of Clinical Practice, found that 78 percent of long-term users were no longer using tobacco and planned on using their e-cig instead. Only 8 percent were using the most widely marketed style of cigarette-shaped e-cigs—most said they don’t deliver adequate nicotine and had researched online forums for products that worked.
“These products initially seemed to be something of a gimmick and likely to be banned by the FDA,” says Foulds. “However, they are continuing to be popular and at least some smokers appear to find them helpful. However, we just don’t have enough information on their long-term safety and effectiveness for clinicians to recommend them.
“Until that research has been carried out, I would advise smokers to use proven treatments. The treatments that have been proven to work include counseling (available at no cost by calling 1-800-QUIT NOW), nicotine replacement, bupropion, or varenicline.”
Foulds says poor quality control remains a problem. Some e-cigarettes that are sold as “high nicotine” appear to deliver very little nicotine. There are also concerns about the quality of labeling and instructions.
“I am particularly concerned that a child may be poisoned by drinking the flavored liquid designed for e-cigarettes,” Foulds says. “These types of products have the potential to help smokers to quit, but right now tighter quality control and regulation is needed.”
Foulds also notes the sample of e-cig users participating in the study were not representative of all e-cig users, but were a self-selected sub-sample of enthusiasts who have used the products, on average, for more than a year.
More news from Penn State: http://live.psu.edu/
Please wait
4 Comments
Electricman
Amber
I was a smoker for 12 years, I quit 2 months ago using the e-cig. Do I know if it’s safe, no…do I know if its safer then real cigs, no, and I dont care, I smell better, look better and feel better. Smoking real cigs is horrible, horrible. I would not consider myself a guinea pig, only a non-smoker.
Seriously?
For the information of the author as well as readers – propylene glycol (used in fog machines at concerts, etc.) is only one of three (optional) bases used in “e-juice”. Vegetable Glycerin (made from plant oils) is another as is PG400 (polyethylene glycol 400 – considered the least toxic but expensive and not so good for taste). Other than that, add nicotine and flavor. Compare to the 3000-4000 known toxic chemicals and absolutely proven hazards of tobacco and I seriously wonder why there is such panic over these devices. The fear of children drinking these? They do not smell nice for one, and you should fear a child drinking something along the lines of drain cleaner more for the simple fact its pretty much guaranteed deadly and in most households.
Am I preaching its 100% safe? No… not at all. Am I pretty positive that its safer than tobacco? Yes. Just look at chemical content and it speaks for itself. Look… for one, if propylene glycol was so bad, most musicians would be falling over dead having inhaled huge amounts of it all the time at the tens of thousands of shows they performed at consistently. Is it safe for you? Probably not. Nothing beats just not inhaling foreign chemicals. I’m just tired of all the paranoia over something that could put a hurt on big tobacco. There’s no arsenic in e-juice, for one. There’s a plus.
Most reputable “ejuice” vendors sell it in child-proof bottles by the way… in case you need to continue worrying about the kids.
Come on, people… it just takes a little common sense and reading.
truthseeker
Electricman, on behalf of e-cig users, I thank you for giving us your blessing to continue using them. We were all waiting on your opinion.
Thank you.
It’s sad that ecig manufacturers say where pretty sure our products are safe?????? Pretty sure? Is “pretty sure” that a product is safe good enough for you, or for your family? If it’s a product that you inhale or ingest, “pretty sure” just does not cut it.
The most frightening aspect of electronic cigarettes is that consumers who do not seek out data and who do not think critically might be convinced by the old hackneyed ad line: “This is Safe!” This same line was shouted by physicians in the 1950′s about tobacco cigarettes before the data was in and the truth was known–decades and millions of deaths and inpatients later. We just don’t know yet, but if you want to be one of the first poor guinea pigs who reveals the dangers and illnesses associated with e-cigs feel free.