The E-cig smokescreen: 10 things you didn't know about electronic cigarettes

Are e-cigarettes better for you than traditional smoking? Are e-cigs more addictive than cigarettes? Facts, fiction, myths and truths here...

By Dave Lancaster |

17:21 15 April 2014

Electronic cigarettes are the common substitute to smoking tobacco and have become increasingly popular in an era in which traditional smoking is becoming outlawed in public places. 

 

But what do you need to know about them before you light up? 

 

1) Some smoke without fire: E-cigarettes don't actually contain tobacco, nor does anything burn. In its place is a mechanism that heats up liquid nicotine, turning it into a vapour that the smoker inhales and exhales. As such, e-cigs have found their way around numerous international tobacco marketing, distribution and quality control laws. 

 

2) They still may cause cancer. A study published in Clinical Cancer Research noted that the vapour affects human bronchial cells in similar ways to traditional cigarette smoke, mutating genes in a bad way. 

 

3) It's not necessarily easier to quit when you use E-cigarettes: JAMA Internal Medicine noted that "although 85% of smokers who used E-cigarettes reported using them to quit, e-cigarette users did not quit more frequently than nonusers."

 

4) Not all E-cigarettes are the same: Customers can choose varying strengths of cartridges for their 'cigarette' - they can be stronger than traditional smokes or much lighter. You can even get them without nicotine if you like posing. 

 

5) A matter of taste: If you've ever frequented a proper tobacco shop, you'll know that all different flavours of herbal cigarettes are available. The same is true for E-cigarettes with flavours from fruits to chocolate. This, coupled with a relative lack of regulation, has made the product a dangerous proposition for children. 

 

6) What's inside? An e-cigarette contains three key components: a battery, an atomiser and a cartridge. Within the cartridge, you'll find the nicotine which is suspended in propylene glycol and water. 

 

7) Are E-cigarettes healthier? Quite possibly yes. Let's remember that smoking TOBACCO is the single greatest cause of avoidable death and ill-health. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) stated: "e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine without the harmful toxins found in tobacco smoke, are likely to be a safer alternative to smoking"

 

8) Are E-cigs more or less expensive than traditional cigarettes? The start-up costs of E-cigarettes are higher as it's the electronic cigarette itself that is typically very pricy. However, they last much longer and if you shop around for deals on bulk refills, you'll save a packet. 

 

9) E-cigarettes are nothing new: The first smokeless cigarette was patented way back in 1963 by an American called Herbert Gilbert. A Chinese pharmacist called Hon Lik was the first one to really get the ball rolling though in 2003. 

 

10) Secondhand smoke? Yes, it's true that E-cigarettes don't give off secondhand smoke, but they do give off secondhand VAPOUR. The jury is still officially out on whether this cloud is just the harmless water vapour that the E-cig companies state or if it can pass off harmful substances. In 2013 the Advertising Standards Authority banned a claim that the vapour exhaled is "completely harmless"