E-cigarettes and Vaporizers – Trick of the trade or just a trick?

With the dawn of the new millennium, there has been a worldwide increase in the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers among smokers and young persons. Some use it as a means to quit smoking, or as a replacement for cigarettes to avoid the bad taste caused by cigarettes and due to the belief that it is a healthier option and safer indoors, while others use it simply as a way to impress each other by doing tricks with the vapor that is produced from these devices.

E-cigarettes and vaporizers can be found in many different shapes and styles, but all usually consist of the same components:

• a cartridge or reservoir to hold the e-liquid
• a heating element
• a power source or battery
• a mouthpiece

The user can either suck on the mouthpiece to activate the heating mechanism which causes the liquid to be turned into a vapor which is then exhaled by the user, or some models have a knob the user presses to activate the heating mechanism. 

The truth behind the vape

The application and composition sound simple enough and even more so is its availability. But no matter how easy it is to use, or to obtain, what is a vape really made of?

The liquid which is heated to make the vapor contains nicotine, among a sleuth of other additives which have all been linked to cancer. Nicotine has even been found in e-liquids marketed as being nicotine free. So can e-cigarettes really be used as a quit-smoking tool or healthy replacement for cigarettes, and is it safe for users?

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a quit smoking aid, and a study done by the CDC themselves have found that adults have been unsuccessful in quitting completely by using e-cigarettes but rather use both products. Government bodies, like the Ministry of Health, New Zealand, have even taken to parliament to ban the use of e-cigs indoors.

As for the health effects attributed to the use of e-cigarettes, studies have shown that the nicotine contained in the liquid can lead to nicotine addiction in non-smokers, lung and breathing disorders, nervous disorders, as well as increased blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine has also been attributed to negative brain development and mood disorders in teenage users. It is important to note, studies are still ongoing to determine the effects of prolonged use.