E Cigarettes – A Safer Smoke, Or Is It Really?

Someone wrote us this article and didn’t think we would post it. Well here it is although I don’t think there are many facts here, in my opinion, but I want to know what YOU think. Comment below…


I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone smoking an electronic cigarette. I was at a mall, and from the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of a young man puffing away on a cigarette. “He’ll never get away with that” I thought to myself, “surely the mall security will catch him and make him put that cigarette out!” As my other senses became involved I realized I didn’t smell anything and no one else seemed concerned. I was curious and went for a closer look.

“Would you like to try it?” he asked with a smile. My eyes glanced to the banner above his booth and realized that this was a real product. “It’s harmless” he said as he took another puff. “No thanks” I said, feeling like I was back in high school saying no to drugs.

Electronic Cigarettes first gained popularity as it was advertised to be a safer alternative to smoking regular tobacco cigarettes. Take away the tobacco, carbon monoxide and tar, just leaving the addictive compound called nicotine, and you have a safer smoke, or is it really?

E cigarettes are fairly new, first being marketed in 2004 by a Chinese druggist. Since most laws in the U.S. regarding smoking specifically prohibit the smoking of tobacco in public places, many are left scratching their heads about whether or not to allow smoking of e cigarettes in their business establishments.

What are the experts saying? Nicotine is an addictive alkaloid that is harmful for humans. In the e cigarette, nicotine is the liquid that is turned into vapor by a battery operated heating element. It is then inhaled by a slow 3-5 second breath. If you mistakenly suck some of the liquid nicotine into your mouth by inhaling too quickly, it can be very damaging to your health.

Electronic Cigarettes also contain a component of anti-freeze known as Diethylene Glycol. It is toxic to humans and also contains cancer-causing compounds. However, carcinogenic health risks have not been proved by any study…yet.

The marketers and manufactures of e cigarettes are singing its praise and calling it a ‘safe alternative’ and a ‘healthier choice’ to smoking tobacco cigarettes, as if to imply there was anything healthy in inhaling an addictive substance. Meanwhile, the general public remains quite skeptical.

There are also concerns regarding the marketing strategy used by e cigarette manufacturers. Many brands offer mint, orange and chocolate flavors. So, instead of curbing smokers, this can actually encourage more non-smokers to take up the addictive habit.

Since e cigarettes are unregulated, there is no age limit to purchase the product. It can be bought online by minors without restrictions or supervision. Additionally, some e cigarettes have sweet tasting liquid flavorings like caramel and strawberry thus attracting the very young to smoke the nicotine-free versions.

My father quit smoking over 30 years ago and was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. The leading cause of throat cancer is tobacco abuse. Now whether or not e cigarettes are a better alternative to tobacco cigarettes has yet to be satisfactorily proven by research and scientific study. In my opinion, replacing one bad habit with another is no alternative at all.