5 Things You Need to Know About Vaping

This article is a translated version from English, sourced from the internet, primarily expressing the foreign attitude towards e-cigarettes, shared for reference by e-cigarette enthusiasts.

September 24, 2013—Introduction: E-cigarettes were invented in the 1960s, but only became popular about a decade ago. Currently, there are over 250 brands of "e-cigarettes" on the market, with flavors like watermelon, pink bubblegum, and java, even more varied than the colors of the iPhone 5C.
The Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association estimates that about 4 million Americans currently use battery-operated cigarettes. They expect sales of these devices to exceed 1 billion units by the end of this year. Here, we take a look at the trends of e-cigarettes, the good, the bad, and the unknown.

First: E-cigarettes explained: What are e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are battery-operated nicotine inhalers that include a rechargeable lithium battery, a tube known as the atomizer, and an LED that lights up at the end of the atomizer when you inhale, simulating the burning process of a cigarette. E-cigarettes typically contain chemicals like propylene glycol, as well as nicotine, flavorings, and other additives.

The device works similarly to a mini fog machine operated behind a rock band. When you "vape" an e-cigarette, the heating element vaporizes the e-liquid until it produces vapor. No matter how hard you inhale, the amount of vapor produced by the device remains the same until the battery or e-liquid runs out.

Second: E-cigarettes explained: How much do they cost?

Beginner kits typically range from $30 to $100. According to the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, the cost of replacing cartridges is about $600, compared to over $1,000 annually for a pack-a-day smoker. Discount coupons and promotional codes can be found online.

Third: E-cigarettes explained: Are e-cigarettes regulated?

In a 2011 federal court case, the decision granted the FDA the authority to regulate e-cigarettes under existing tobacco laws, rather than classifying them as drugs or medical devices, likely because e-cigarettes contain nicotine extracted from tobacco. The agency had hinted that it would begin regulating e-cigarettes as early as this year, but so far, the only action taken by the agency was to send a letter to e-cigarette distributors in 2010, warning them to stop various unverified marketing claims.

Currently, these devices remain unregulated by any government agency, which has raised concerns among experts like Erika Seward, assistant vice president for national advocacy at the American Lung Association.

She stated, "In the e-cigarette industry, we see a new product—tobacco—using the same old strategies to glamorize their products. They use candy and fruit flavors to attract kids, they make implicit health claims to encourage smokers to switch to their products instead of quitting altogether, and they sponsor research as a guise for promotion."

Thomas Kiklas, co-owner of the e-cigarette manufacturer inLife and co-founder of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, countered that these devices serve the same basic function as cigarettes but contain far fewer toxins. He welcomed any independent research to prove how safe they are compared to traditional cigarettes.

He said, "As smokers gradually move away from cigarettes that have been used for centuries, the number of e-cigarette users is expected to quadruple in the coming years. Therefore, e-cigarette users are certainly not few."

Fourth: E-cigarettes explained: What are the health risks of e-cigarettes?

The jury is still out. The phenomenon of e-cigarettes is so new that science has hardly had a chance to address safety issues, but some initial small studies have begun to highlight their pros and cons.

Researchers analyzed two major brands of e-cigarettes and concluded that they do contain trace elements of harmful compounds, one of which is a primary ingredient found in antifreeze. However, Kiklas pointed out that the FDA report found 9 contaminants, while a single cigarette contains 11,000, which is significantly lower in toxicity than cigarettes. Kiklas's e-cigarette brand was not included in this study.

However, Seward stated that because e-cigarettes remain unregulated, it is impossible to draw conclusions about all brands based solely on the analysis of two brands.

She said, "Just because some have been proven to contain fewer toxins does not mean they are all safe. We also do not know the extent of harm from trace elements."#p#分页标题#e#

Director Thomas Green of Science and Trends at the American Cancer Society stated that there is always a risk when a person inhales anything other than fresh, clean air, but he indicated that e-cigarettes have a great potential to significantly reduce harm compared to traditional smoking, at least in the short term.

"As for long-term effects, we do not know what happens when you regularly inhale vapor into your lungs," Green said. "No one knows the answer."

Fifth: E-cigarettes explained: Do e-cigarettes help smokers quit?

Kiklas stated that because e-cigarettes retain the hand-to-mouth habit of smoking, they may help smokers transition from harmful tobacco habits to less harmful e-cigarette habits. However, so far, there is little evidence to support this theory.

Last week, the medical journal The Lancet published the first study of its kind, comparing e-cigarettes to nicotine patches and other cessation methods, finding that they are comparable in helping smokers quit within six months. For this reason, Green said he believes these devices hold promise, although they may not be a panacea. Currently, the FDA prohibits e-cigarette marketers from promoting their devices as a means to quit smoking.

Seward stated that many of her concerns primarily revolve around e-cigarettes becoming a gateway to smoking, as many popular brands' flavors and colors seem designed to attract the younger generation of smokers.

She said, "We are concerned that kids may start using nicotine for a lifetime from e-cigarettes."

Although the National Association of Attorneys General today called for the FDA to immediately regulate the sale and advertising of e-cigarettes, the federal government has not imposed age restrictions to prevent children from obtaining e-cigarettes. Most e-cigarette companies proactively do not sell to minors, but the rate of e-cigarette use among young people is rising.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 1.8 million young people have tried e-cigarettes, and the number of middle school students using e-cigarettes doubled from 2011 to 2012.