E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices designed to deliver a vapor that contains nicotine to users by heating a solution made up of glycerol, propylene glycol, and flavoring agents. Manufacturers of e-cigs tout them as healthier alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes.
However, they have grabbed headlines in recent months and years for all the wrong reasons. Here is some more information about the controversy surrounding electronic cigarettes:
An overview of e-cigs
Despite their different sizes and shapes, e-cigs work in a similar manner; when a person places an e-cig in his/her mouth, a sensor switches on a battery-operated heater that vaporizes liquid nicotine, propylene glycol, and flavoring agents.
The e-cig user inhales this vapor and exhales it as smoke. It is probably important to note that the cartridge that contains nicotine and other chemicals is replaceable.
Concerns about e-cigarettes
Over the years, there have been concerns about smoking e-cigs. In the United States, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to five distributors of electronic cigs for engaging in poor manufacturing practices and violating the FDCA Act.
In fact, the FDA found that some e-cigarettes labeled as nicotine-free contained nicotine. Manufacturers of electronic cigs have countered the FDA warning by claiming that their products contain fewer toxicants than tobacco smoke, and therefore are safer to users as well as third parties than traditional cigarettes. However, researchers carrying out more studies on the safety of these cigarettes do not seem to agree with the argument presented by the manufacturers.
In fact, several studies published in September 2014 are likely to stoke this debate. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 263,000 teens in the US who have never smoked traditional cigarettes use e-cigarettes. In addition, the number of teens using e-cigarettes has tripled since 2011.
Another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was posted by Reuters and some other sources just a few days after the release of the aforementioned CDC study claims that e-cigs could be a "gateway drug" to more addictive and hard drugs such as cocaine.
Additionally, the American Heart Association (AHA) has also waded into the debate by publishing a statement in the journal Circulation saying there is need for tighter regulatory control of e-cigarettes. This is because, according to the AHA, teens who smoke electronic cigarettes have a higher likelihood of graduating to traditional cigarettes. Moreover, certain e-cigarette brands from abroad cannot be sold in the US after reviews showed they do not meet the FDA's stringent safety standards.
The future of the e-cig industry
Currently, the electronic industry is at a crossroad. On the one hand, health bodies and organizations such as the AHA are calling for a complete ban on electronic cigarettes. On the other hand, traditional tobacco companies such as Phillip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT) are encroaching on the turf of e-cig manufacturers, which means competition is going a notch higher.
Additionally, there is a plethora of comsumers who are advocates of electronic cigarettes, whom use them, and they state how their lives have improved in many ways, be it the lower cost versus smoking tobacco, health claims, and many have gotten into the industry, which has grown exponentially, and they say strict regulations will hurt small businesses.
According to Bonnie Herzog of Wells Fargo Securities, e-cigarette sales in the US will hit $1.7 billion by the end of 2014. Traditional cigarette companies want a piece of this cake because e-cigs seem to be the next big thing in this space. Both scenarios are giving entrepreneurs in the e-cigarette industry sleepless nights.
Canada fired the first salvo when it banned the sale of electronic cigs that contain nicotine in 2009. In August 2014, the Toronto Board of Health met to discuss a ban on electronic cigarettes. The United States may follow suit soon, according to a report published by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Even if the industry escapes an outright ban, it may face tighter regulation. When this happens, Forbes contributor Andrew Goodman reckons companies that do not have the financial muscle to withstand or comply with new regulations are likely to close shop. As a result, Goodman expects the big traditional tobacco companies to dominate the electronic cigarette market in the future.
In conclusion, smoking or "vaping" an e-cigarette is becoming increasingly popular in the US. However, some health experts claim that people who use e-cigs are likely to graduate to more addictive drugs or traditional cigarettes. Other health experts argue the other side, that there aren't as many risks as some headlines lead people to believe. The bottom line is more research is needed for a better understanding of these devices.
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