White Smoke Review
Perhaps one of the most controversial gadgets today is the electronic cigarette. These electronic cigarettes, or also more commonly referred to as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, are considered to be by some as the best alternative to smoking.
With the e-cigarettes, it’s like you don’t completely stop smoking, but you’re living a healthier lifestyle at the same time. E-cigs first originated in China, and was sold in the Chinese market in 2005. Within two years, the e-cigarettes became so famous that even the American market took notice of this promising product. Soon enough, over thousands of smokers bought the e-cigarettes and reported that they haven’t picked up another normal cigarette stick since then.
Because of all the benefits that this product claims to offer, the e-cigarette seems to be the Holy Grail for all smokers who wish to live a healthier life. On the other hand, many people are still skeptical on the safety issues regarding the e-cigarettes. An e-cig can help you quit smoking, but what else can it do? What are the dangers that one has to be aware of when using the e-cigarette? Are e-cigarette users safe?
The E-Cigarette vs. A Normal Tobacco Cigarette Stick
To give you a more clear idea of what the e-cig is, let’s compare it with your average cigarette stick. When we talk about appearance, the e-cigarette looks a lot like a real cigarette. Some people may not be able to tell the difference between the two when seen from afar. In terms of content, the e-cigarette lacks tobacco and the other hazardous toxins commonly found in an average cigarette stick. Instead of these ingredients, its batteries and a special liquid called the e-juice or e-liquid power the e-cigarette. The e-juice is where the vapor, nicotine and flavor came from. Speaking of vapor, unlike a normal cigarette stick, the e-cigarette produces vapor instead of smoke. Once again, this is because of the absence of tobacco in the e-cigarette.
There are many e-cigarette manufacturers today. There are some companies that are offering the e-cigarette alone, and there are those that are offering complete kits. These e-cigarette kits come with packs of e-cigarettes, a custom charger, e-juice packs, and much more. Normal e-cigarettes are meant to be rechargeable, but there are some companies that added disposable e-cigarette packs to their stocks. These disposable e-cigarette packs are made for first time e-cigarette users who wish to give the product a try before investing too much money in it.
Safety Concerns Regarding the E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes are gaining popularity fast, but just like everything else that is famous; the e-cigarette became a ripe target for suspicious critics. There are many health experts who are afraid of the long-term effects of the e-cigs. Many people argue about the consequences the e-cigarettes can cause, especially since there is not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of these products. Here are some of the safety issues concerning the e-cigs that many people are upset about.
- The ingredients. Many individuals fear the contents of the e-juice, claiming that it can be potentially dangerous. Let’s compare the ingredients of an average cigarette stick with the ingredients of the e-cigs. Real cigarettes contain tobacco, and once tobacco is burned, it creates tar as well as thousands of chemicals. Aside from tobacco, normal cigarettes also contain other ingredients, like hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde. Yes, you read that right.
- The e-juice of the e-cigarettes on the other hand is made from nicotine and propylene glycol. Some people argue that propylene glycol can be a hazardous substance, but in reality, propylene glycol is used for many medical purposes. Propylene glycol is an ingredient commonly found in asthma inhalers and sterilized drinking water.
- E-cigarettes can cause heart problems. This is a safety concern that has been disproved by many studies. One research performed an experiment on 20 subjects. 10 smokers were assigned to smoke cigarettes, and the other 10 were assigned to smoke the e-cigarettes. By smoking one normal cigarette stick alone, minor cardiac disruptions were already noticed by the researchers. On a lighter note, no cardiac disruptions were noted for the subjects who smoked e-cigarettes. Researchers believe that the lack of harmful chemicals in the e-cigaretteslead to these results.
- E-cigarettes can damage the lungs. Everyone knows that the first organ real cigarettes targets are the lungs. Chain smokers are susceptible to developing many lung related diseases. Is this the same for those who constantly use the e-cigarettes? A study performed in the University of Athens has concluded that e-cigarette use can lead to significant airway resistance. This resistance can lead to breathing problems, and perhaps to other lung diseases. Unfortunately this is where the study ends, and there is not enough data to conclude if the e-cigarettes are harmful to the lungs or not. Many health experts who support the e-cigarette believe that the e-cigarette is safe given that it is taken in controlled uses.
- The e-cigarettes can potentially lure children to smoking real cigarettes. E-cigarettes can be very enticing, and they promise very little side effects. Since there are lesser consequences that come with smoking e-cigarettes, adolescents become more tempted with smoking these products. This can be a huge problem, especially for those who’ve never smoked a cigarette in their entire life. E-cigarettes can possibly cause nicotine addiction, and it might make non-smokers curious on what it is like to smoke a real cigarette. Since e-cigarettes are not regulated by law, this means people of any age can buy this device. Yes, this means even a child can legally buy an e-cigarette. The e-cigarette is supposed to be a smoking cessation device, but because of its fun features, it just might invite non-smokers to try out this product as well.