Are Electronic Cigarettes Bad for You???

I don't smoke either!!! When they first came out, I was wondering why the FDA had no opinion. The maker claims they are no worse than a nicotine patch. If this is true, why is the FDA concerned??? They are made in the UK (London I believe) so does the FDA have any say in the matter???

They are made by Gamucci Ltd....based in London. The FDA allows melamine laced powdered milk into the country that kills us randomly. Then they want to ban something that an individual chooses for their own pleasure. I don't blame you, I wouldn't use em either if I was in your place!!!

The ecigs aren't cheap either!!!I think it was $80.00 but I don't know how long that lasted. The purpose is to have something to relieve the physical aspects of cigarettes without the chemical pollutants. It's a known fact that cigarettes will kill the user, yet they are allowed to be sold. ecigs have less nicotine & other pollutants so I just don't understand what the big deal is!!!

I agree with you. My guess is that the big deal is they can't tax the ecigs so the government loses the tax dollars revenue they are used to getting!!!

I do not understand why there is a problem either. It appears that selling them in Australia is illegal. It does not say if they are illegal if we buy them from the US. I do not understand how these are any worse than a nicotine patch except that they help with the habit side.

I am an ex smoker and I found the habit much harder to break than the addiction. These devices give the nicotine hit and help with the habit of having a cigarette.

I've only known one person who was using the ecig & she had just started using them the last time I spoke with her. Seems she was impressed with them at the time. My thinking is similar to yours....how can they be any worse than real cigarettes??? We know what real cigarettes do to a body. Not being a smoker, I don't have any idea the addictions that goes with either!!!

Seems like it. However, if a smoker can't stop smoking the real things which are full of carcinogens the least problem of which is Nicotine. It also seems that just Nicotine would be better for the lungs & body. Yes you're sucking on Nicotine all day but not filling the lungs with the other crap. Just remember that this is the country that gives free Methadone to get people off of Heroin. Not being a smoker, I freely admit I could be wrong. Just getting ideas here!!!

I use an electronic cigarette and I haven't had a regular cigarette in over 6 months. I feel better, my breathing is better (no more smoker's hack) and I have been able to cut back on my nicotine use

HOWEVER: Allow me to clarify a very important point:

The liquid used IS NOT 100% Pure Nicotine. Nicotine is poisonous at that concentration everyone/thing.

The liquid is usually a ratio of nicotine per milliliter. For example: I currently use a nicotine concentration of 6mg/ml. I started with 16mg/ml. The liquid contains Propylene Glycol which is an FDA approved food additive, found in cough medicines and cosmetics. It is used in fog machines and can be used as a non-toxic anti-freeze if you want to protect your pets.

(PG is NOT the same as PEG (Poly Ethylene Glycol) which is used as a laxative or Ethylene Glycol which is what regular toxic antifreeze is made of.)

In addition to the Propylene Glycol and nicotine, there's water, flavoring and depending on the manufacturer, other food safe, proprietary additives.

The liquid is heated by a coil that turns it to a water vapor that is inhaled by the smoker and what is exhaled is water vapor. The concentration of nicotine per puff is not high and most, if not all of the nicotine is thought to be absorbed in the mouth and lungs of the person smoking.

Keep in mind too that nicotine is found in many foods we eat (celery, coca plants,potatoes and English walnuts to name a few).

So although there is always a possibility that someone will become MORE addicted, most of the people that I know are long time smoker's who have tried EVERY OTHER SMOKING CESSATION METHOD and have been unsuccessful. They want to quit, but can't. It has become to ingrained in them as a habit and as an addiction.

The e-cigarette has provided them (us) with a method that we believe, improves our health and allows us to wean ourselves off the "demon weed" tobacco.

The FDA's concern is that the safety of inhaling nicotine in this form has not been PROVEN by them. (Although the pharmaceutical companies have had their own nicotine inhalers on the market for a while.) Another point to make is that the current approved nicotine replacement therapies manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies have an 85-90% FAILURE rate.

It's a very complicated issue. I invite you to visit a forum where e-smokers have gathered to share their experiences and information. www.e-cigarette-forum.com

Thanks!
GEP

The only people selling 100% pure Nicotine to puff on is Nicoret/nicotrol Inhalers, a NRT sold by one of the Big Pharma's.

E-cigarettes DO NOT HAVE 100% NICOTINE in them. E-cigs are toys compared to the Nicoret/nicotrol Inhaler.

I wish people would stop starting rumors and creating internet myths.

The only way to decrease that number is to decrease the number of people who smoke. This product does sound as if it may help reduce the number of people inhaling the terrible carcinogens, but what are the side effects on the other side??? I know that Nicotine patches have been attributed to heart attacks & other problems. Inhaling pure Nicotine will create its own new set of problems. The only real way to discover those problems is with human guinea pigs. I just really find it strange that the FDA waited close to a year after the ecigs were first sold to decide that they may be hazardous to our health. They aren't blocking them from being sold so I wonder what kind of tests they have even run.

The idea behind the artificial ones are to give smokers an alternative until they can wean themselves off the real ones. I fully believe it will be exchanging one set of problems for another set. Smokers atleast know what to expect from real cigarettes. The side effects from the ecigs will be learned as people use them. Those with an addictive personality will probably become addicted to the ecigs. I don't think we have enough knowledge to even make an educated guess!!!

Supposedly the only chemical in the ecig is pure Nicotine. Other than Nicotine, there are not supposed to be any other chemicals. I know my ex boss was wearing 2 Nicotine patches at a time when he first tried to quit. I understand it was invented as a safe alternative to smoking, but what will happen when it is abused??? I feel that the FDA is closing the gate after the horse has gotten out!!!

I think the ecig is supposed to be similar to what you've been doing. From what little I've read, it is filled with pure Nicotine (which sounds dangerous) but you should just keep it with you to use in those stressful moments.... NOT to smoke ALL the time!!! I don't know about where you live, but my little town has gone smokeless. Smokers are only allowed to smoke in their own home & not within 100 feet of the main door to any building/store. Most offices & government buildings are smoke free, so I can see these things taking off like wildfire & not being used as designed to be used!!! Sometimes, we humans are our own worse enemy!!!

The e-cig does NOT use 100% nicotine! As has been already eloquently stated, it uses x amount of nicotine per ml depending on the desired strength level. It is a simple microprocessor controlled device that senses negative air pressure created when the person vaping (not smoking!) draws on it. This turns on a simple LED and also supplies power to a heating element (called an 'atomizer') and the resultant heat vaporizes the water, propyline glycol, artificial flavoring, and nicotine into well.. vapor. This vapor is inhaled, and the nicotine is introduced to the bloodstream without the combustion or tar associated with normal cigarettes. The vapor dissipates into the surrounding air the same way the vapor from boiling water dissipates when the heat source is removed. This is why we don't have to worry about lingering vapor after the tea's been made. lol

The big picture here is that conventional smoking is a risk, not a death sentence as many go an entire lifetime without ill effects. These are the lucky ones. One in three according to published statistics don't fair so well. The e-cig virtually eliminates these risks. I personally don't need a multi-million dollar study to show me that this can't be nearly (if at all) as dangerous as combusting tobacco. It's unbelievable to me that in a free society decisions such as going with e-cigs instead of regular cigarettes are not left up to consenting adults when the choice of abortion is? It's really ridiculous when you think about it...

It just comes down to following the money..

Lady M: Please do a little more research. You sound intelligent, you just now need to get more informed.

Robbie

Robbie...

Why do you think I started this discussion??? It is my attempt to learn more about the e-cigs. I do NOT smoke conventional cigarettes & I do NOT plan on using the e-cig. Your comment was more than enlightening & I hope many read this far to see what you had to say!!! Thank you for taking the time & making the effort to turn this into an educated discussion!!! I'm a firm believer that it should be up to every individual what they do with their body...whether it is an abortion or cancer!!! I'm not sure I buy into the scare tactic that somebody else smoking will give me cancer. It bothers me that there is ALWAYS a major scare just before a campaign is started. Of course, looking at the other side, there are a lot of rude smokers out there who make it bad for the polite smokers.