Celeb Addiction: Katherine Heigl Loves E-Cigarettes

But the stop-smoking device may not be safe.

Celeb Addiction: Katherine Heigl Loves E-Cigarettes

But the stop-smoking device may not be safe.

-Jane Farrell

Katherine Heigl

It was a TV scene straight out of the 1960s, when everybody smoked everywhere: Katherine Heigl fired up a cigarette while talking with David Letterman. With the widely known health risks of cigarettes, they’ve been banned everywhere from offices to restaurants.

But Heigl smoked an e-cigarette, an electronic device that provides short hits of nicotine or a vapor that actually tastes like nicotine. The smoker blows the smoke out, just like they would do with a “real” cigarette. Heigl, 31, began smoking at age 25 (most users start much earlier) and told Letterman that she really wants to quit but hasn’t been able to. “I did the patch, I did the gum, I did the [prescription medicine] Chantix twice. I went bananas,” the actress told Letterman, according to tvsquad. But the e-cigarette seems to be working.

Read Stop Smoking-and Stay Skinny

Heigl even convinced Letterman, a cigar smoker, to try the e-cigarette. He said it made him feel dizzy; people often have that side effect when taking nicotine for the first time, or after a long period of not using it.

The drawback to the e-cigarette : It’s addictive, just as nicotine gum is. “I’m totally addicted to the device,” Heigl said to Letterman.

So what’s the difference from being addicted to tobacco as we know it? It depends on how much nicotine you’re using in in the electronic cigarette. The amounts are designated low to extra-high. Heigl didn’t say what the level of nicotine was in her smokes.

The federal Food and Drug Administration hasn’t ruled yet on the e-cigarettes, although preliminary tests have shown that there are often low levels of nicotine even in cigarettes that say they are nicotine-free. The FDA also has said that the products should be sold with health warnings and that they’re concerned that the e-cigarette is being marketed to young people.

E-cigarettes have already been banned in Australia and Canada, and while it’s not certain whether that will happen in the U.S., Heigl might want to stock up on her supply.

Or quit cold turkey, even if it does drive her bananas. It’s only a temporary state, Katherine. (tvsquad)

Jane Farrell is a senior editor at BettyConfidential.

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9 thoughts on “Celeb Addiction: Katherine Heigl Loves E-Cigarettes

  1. I am a recent convert to electronic cigarettes and I love mine. I do feel the need to correct you…nicotine does not have a “flavor.” You can purchase cartridges with tobacco flavoring, but you can also choose flavored nicotine refill liquids, from Apple to Watermelon, Waffle, German Chocolate Cake, Cream Soda, etc… They even have a flavor that tastes like Red Bull! At any rate, the health risks associated with using the e-cigarette device are FAR less than those associated with traditional cigarettes. NICOTINE does not cause cancer, and while it is addictive, so is CAFFEINE! I do want to be off nicotine completely eventually, but for the time being, I am much healthier using the electronic cigarette than smoking traditional “analog” cigarettes. I have not had a traditional cigarette in about 6 weeks now, and I have not missed them one bit. This is a FAR less expensive option. My hair, fingers and clothes don’t smell. I am breathing better and sleeping better! So, I think they are fantastic and I encourage anyone who is currently a smoker to give these a shot.

  2. Seriously here’s the real skinny, and btw, I don’t smoke at all, but I have many friends who do, and my fiance does, so I’ve researched this up the ying-yang to see if this would be a good way to either 1) help her quit smoking or 2) be a healthier alternative to her current addiction.

    The truth is that it could be effective for both.

    The reality is that the eCig doesn’t burn anything, so the majority of the health concerns are much, much, much less than smoking a real cig, because the CANCER risks are essentially eliminated.

    The actual legitimate criticims are:
    1) It wasn’t(isn’t) regulated (yet) and some people are distributing marijuania or viagra in this form with no regulation. –Ok so prohibit distribition of illegal or precription drugs in this format.

    2) People have to inhale harder with an eCig so they inhale more nicotine. — True, but the medical adverse affects of nicotine vs. everything else in regular cigs, makes this an absurd arguement. This is really just BS and propoganda from the traditonal Cigarette companies so they can ban something that is 10 to 1000 less carcinogenic (cancer causing) than their own product. Unfortunately, normal tobacco companies have such massive money, they are buying off politicians and promoting half-truths to get the much healther(although not perfect) alternatives banned.

    3) eCigs are being marketed to non-smokers/young people — This really is the only true negative. The ecigs are much healther than a traditional cig but that perception can, and in some cases is, used to promote the products to non smokers and worse, young people. This isn’t good or right because nicotine IS ADDICTIVE and has ADVERSE side affects, so promoting it to ANY non-smoker isn’t right, especially young people.

    The US FDA has finally take action against ecigs, but with the right level of force and arguebly for the RIGHT reasons as opposed to other countries that went so far as to ban it for no reason other than the big tobbaco lobby. I can’t say that the FDA didn’t have the tobbaco lobby pitching their ideas , however the arguement is sound. Essentially the arguement is that the product was sold with no qualifiers or evaluation. Instead it should have been sold only as a quit smoking OR medical treatment for smoking addiction that should been evaluated as such according to FDA guidelines. –Personally, I agree here in general. I think any true evalution would show this as great tool to aid in quiting smoking, as you can gradualy reduce the amount of nicotine being used or as a medical treatment for traditional smoking as this is far less carcinogenic. Additionaly, as already stated this should only be able to be marketed as treatments foreither of those, but not to the general public as a SAFE alternative.


  3. I was THRILLED to see Katerine Heigel giving some much deserved positive attention to this amazing invention. I was a pack (sometimes more) a day smoker for almost 40 years and had all but given up on being able to quit- I tried gum, patches,accupuncture,hypnosis, chantix,voodoo! and never had any sucess- I was profoundly addicted and thought it would simply be the reason I died an untimely death ( as my dad did ) I stumbled upon e-cigs accidently on the internet and decided to try it because I wanted to try everything – I had zero expectations and was certain I had, once again, thrown my money away on another scam. That was five months ago TODAY!!! I have not even slipped up once and have had virtually no withdrawal and almost no cravings for the real thing- This is a life-saving invention and the FDA is panicked about it- E-cigs are the first credible threat to both the tobbaco industry AND the parmaceutical industry,( the gum,patches and all the chemo drugs are cash cows for big pharm). The FDA is in bed with both of these very powerful entities and will do anything to stop the e-cigs from getting the positive exposure they deserve. I KNOW it’s an amazingly effective method for quitting smoking and if the FDA actually cared about our health they would be advertising e-cigarettes instead of doing their very best to kill this revolutionary new invention. Is it 1005 safe? I’m not sure but I am positive it’s a whole lot safer than the cancer-causing killer that tobacco is. They ave done extensive testing tying their hardest to come up with substantiated claims about the harm the vapor causes and the best they can come up with is “e-cigarettes appeal to children” SO DO REAL CIGARETTES tragically! I think the FDA should be able to regulate the sale of them and make sure minors can’t buy them ( most are too costly for kids anyway)-The companies who distribute them are self-regulating the sale of them as best they can anyway, and are much more responsible than the tobacco industry who spent almost a century advertising tobacco as safe for most of the last 100 years. They will save countless lives as more people learn about them and try them- I am a very proud advocate and also an affliate for Green Smoke- I have never sold anything in my entire life and my “real” job is a fashion editor in NYC but this is something I am so confident can change lives that I feel quite comfortable shilling for them! If you smoke and want to quit please try e-cigarettes and if you’d like to try Green Smoke please use my discount code and for $30 you can get a starter kit, ( usually $139) If you’re interested here’s the info: http://www.greensmoke.com/Lisafire and use this code at checkout for the discount AFFKIT_30_18060. It’s really a miracle as far as I’m concerned. Lisa B, NYC

  4. Smoking is associated with a very wide range of health problems ranging from lung cancer to delayed wound healing. Plenty of anti-smoking campaigns highlight the harmful affects of smoking and work hard to encourage people to give up smoking.

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