Introduction
Lung disease is a broad category of diseases that affects many Americans on a day to day basis. In particular, COPD (and its component diseases) and lung cancer two of the most common of the lung diseases. In both of these diseases, the lungs are damaged by pollutants or other various particles present in the air. Cigarettes are known to be a prominent cause of COPD and lung cancer. Smoking cigarettes is known to release carcinogens alongside the nicotine it is intended to release, which enter the lungs and damage its cells.
E-cigarettes are a relatively recent invention caused by an increased public knowledge of the harm of traditional tobacco cigarettes, intended as an alternative to cigarettes in which users can intake nicotine, the active ingredient in cigarettes drawn from tobacco leaves, without being susceptible to lung disease. Supporters of e-cigarettes argue that e-cigarettes are not carcinogenic and do not cause secondhand smoke, the possibly addicting smoke released from burning tobacco products, decreasing the risk of disease from e-cigarettes. Opponents of e-cigarettes point out that the potentially harmful chemical propylene glycol is a major ingredient in e-cigarettes, as propylene glycol is often used as the fluid in the atomizer of the e-cigarette, and sometimes is used as the e-cigarette flavoring (12). In addition, e-cigarettes produce some ultrafine particles and aldehydes in addition to the nicotine and water it is intended to produce.
The severity of the health problems that come from smoking e-cigarettes are that we are still unaware of what exactly do these electronic devices contain. At it is stated in the article “Drug Facts: Electronic Cigarettes” that they contain different amounts of nicotine, flavoring, and other unknown chemicals. With these unknown chemicals, we are unaware of what can be the consequences or risks are with long-term consumption of using e-cigs. There are over “400,000 deaths each year in the United States” at a cause from smoking and inhaling nicotine; yet the worst risks are the development of cancer and heart diseases (Drug
People are lead to believe that electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco and that they are safer than real cigarettes. Little do they know, electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigs, expose their inhalers to harmful and toxic gases that cause health problems and harm the lungs. In most cases the solvent in an e-cig is considered “food grading,” which means it should be safe enough to eat, but manufacturers are changing the configuration of the solvent so it contains both the flavoring and nicotine. As a person inhales, the flavored liquid flows through the e-cig and as it passes over hot coils the liquid changes into a gas. The more frequently an e-cig is used, the toxicity of the fumes increases. Nicotine is always added to the starting
Kim Krisberg is the author of Harmful Chemicals Found in E-cigarettes. She has been writing about public health for more than a decade and is a freelance public author that lives in Austin, Texas. The Nation’s Health is a online newspaper from the American Public Health Association. This online publication has the latest health news for healthcare professionals and has won countless awards for its publications. Krisberg’s article reveals that a flavoring chemical in electronic cigarettes has been linked to respiratory illnesses. Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have tested 51 types of flavored e-cigarettes and the liquids and found chemicals like diacetyl, acetoin, and pentanedione inside. Diacetyl when inhaled is what causes people to get “popcorn lung.” The other chemicals have been linked to other serious health problems.
In addition to nicotine, e-cigarettes emit other potentially harmful constituents like carbonyls that result from thermal degradation of propylene glycol and glycerol; which are the most commonly used solvents in e-liquids [PMCID: PMC5226727]. Several studies reported that aerosols from these devices contain significant levels of carbonyls, including various aldehydes; such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein. [PMID: 23467656], [PMID: 24958024]. To this end, although earlier studies that used first generation e-cigarette devices did show that the levels of these constituents are much lower than those found in tobacco smoking, more recent studies in which newer generations
E-cigarettes are short for electronic cigarettes. They are used to deliver chemicals that contain flavor and other harmful substances such as nicotine and various chemicals. The means of delivery to the user is through a vapor. The vapor is created by and internal heat heat source. After the liquid has been vaporized it is inhaled by the user. This hot liquid alone can pose serious external damage to your skin. It has been reported that some e-cigarettes have malfunctioned and exploded in the users face, causing severe burns up to second degree (Chen, 1).
Electronic cigarettes are designed to replicate cigarettes without the smoke, tobacco, and tar. Although smokers enjoy the electronic version of a cigarette, many non-smokers are not too fond of being around one. These devices provide nicotine to the user by converting a liquid mixture to an aerosol, usually composed of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavored chemicals, and a varying amount of nicotine (Grana). Electronic cigarettes have caused a major debate among doctors, smokers, and non-smokers on whether the use of e-cigarettes is safe enough to be used in public. Based upon studies and research, smokers should be able to use electronic cigarettes in any public place they choose.
Subsequently, e-cigarettes are known to be dangerous at any rate, because they contain toxic chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, propylene, and many more which are all popular for initiating cancer (SCOPE, 31). More importantly, people exposed to secondhand smoke released (as vapor) from e-cigarettes should take extra precaution, because the vapor contains many carcinogens, as mentioned earlier, all a factor of cancer (www.lung.org, 2015). Be
Despite various claims via online websites and advertisements, electronic cigarettes are not a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. Often advertised as having no dangerous chemicals, many people would think that they are completely safe because of these misleading ads. However, electronic cigarettes still have toxic chemicals inside of them, and even more that are created when smoking them. The biggest reason cigarettes are addictive is because of a drug called “nicotine” inside of them. This drug creates a feeling of pleasure in the brain, but it is short lived, turning that pleasure into irritability and eventually addiction. Besides nicotine, e-cigs also have other ingredients such as aldehydes (which kills cells around the mouth and throat), nitrosamines (which can cause lung cancer), and even some metals. Because of these dangerous chemicals that are still present in electronic cigarettes, they are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, the presence of nicotine being the biggest reason.
These cigarettes are battery-operated devices that combine nicotine and other chemicals into a vapor meant to be inhaled by those that are using it. The cartridges inside can curb the taste and smell of regular cigarettes by combining the nicotine and chemicals with flavoring to make them more appealing. However, the FDA is cautious about how the devices, and their safety, appear to the public eye. Although many market the device to be a healthier way to smoke, the products may contain ingredients that can are toxic. Advertisement of e-cigarettes towards the younger generation may lead kids to want to try other forms of tobacco which have been proven to lead to disease and death. E-cigarettes can also come in different flavors that may be appealing to a younger audience, such as strawberry, and chocolate. These devices can also give way to nicotine addiction. The biggest concern is the unknown. Typically, clinical studies were not submitted to the FDA showing the efficacy and safety of the devices. Without this information, the consumer does not know what dose of nicotine in combination with the types of concentration of chemicals they are inhaling or whether the device itself is safe to use. E-cigarettes also do not have any comparable health warnings to replacement products for nicotine or traditional cigarettes that are FDA- approved. Lab analysis obtained by the FDA compared cartridges from two brands of e-cigarettes and found known carcinogens and toxic chemicals that can be found in
“ The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror – not the glamour and sophistication the pushers in the tobacco industry try to portray ”. – David Byrne. Smoking has been an habit in teenagers and adults for a very long time and it is well known that it is harmful for them as well for the environment. Technology has advanced, and now there are electronic cigarettes, called E-cigarette, which are devices with battery that carry nicotine heated aersosol in a fashion that imitates common cigarettes, while carrying lower levels of toxins than a conventional lit cigarette. They can be used indoors, which allows smokers to get their fix wherever and whenever they want. A study from NBC News (Leshae) shows that electronic cigarettes are a technique for smokers to try quitting their addictions. Manufacturers consider that e-cigarattes are healthier than normal tobacco cigarattes, since smokers are inhaling vaporized nicotine rather of carcinogen-filled smoke. However, according to a Thomas Jefferson University Alumni article, some reseachers have found harmful ingredients in certain e-cigarettes, such as ethylene glycol poisoning, a primary ingredient in brake fluid and antifreeze. E-cigarettes mey seem like a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, nevertheless there is some research that proves the contrary and we still don’t know its long term effect.
E-cigarettes appear as an innocent alternative to the real thing but the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory identifying the “volatile” substances in the device and its emitted smoke may not be that harmless after all (“FDA: Second-Hand Smoke From E-Cigarettes May Be Harmful To Your Health”, 2013). Electronic cigarettes contain organic substances including propylene glycol, flavors, and nicotine which are emitted as a mist into the air in enclosed areas. FDA studies show that these microscopic liquid particles have the possibility of penetrating deep into our lungs. Also cited by the FDA in a German publication on electronic cigarettes shows
There is a new trend hitting the market known as e-cigarettes, or “vaping.” Many people believe that e-cigarettes are better than traditional cigarettes, but research shows just how unhealthy and harmful e-cigarettes are for everyone. The FDA has not yet decided if e-cigarettes should be regulated like tobacco products. E-cigarettes are marketed to help people quit smoking and live a healthier nonsmoking life. E-cigarettes are meant to help break the habit of smoking, but why are there so many “toxic chemicals” (Gilger) in the vapor? Is this new invention to help people quit smoking or just another way for tobacco companies to get richer?
Lung cancer can be caused by multiple factors and many factors can work together to cause someone to have lung cancer. Besides smoking, radon, secondhand smoke, the environment and someone’s occupation can all cause lung cancer. As we already know smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer cases worldwide and over forty-three million people just in the United States smoke cigarettes. There are more than fifty chemicals in tobacco smoke that are ingested each time someone smokes. Some of these chemicals include benzene (which can be found in pesticides and gasoline), Formaldehyde (which preserve dead bodies), pesticides (which are found on lawns and gardens) and Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (Martin, 2012). When a person inhales the chemicals in cigarettes, they inhale thousands of poisons, toxic metals, and
The popularity of e-cigarettes and vapes has grown exponentially within the last couple of years. These two alternatives offer a “safe” way to consume nicotine or just a substitute to regular cigarette smoking. These products omit water vapor instead of tobacco smoke, constructing it as less of a health risk. Nicotine can be added to the mixture to help quit smoking or offer a healthier option to those with nicotine dependence. There has not been widespread research on conventional e-cigarettes, in addition to data on vapes been relatively premature. These smoking devices have not be regulated by the FDA yet, but the FDA has looked into e-cigarettes and its contents (FDA, 2015). Many e-cigarettes that are thought to be free of nicotine, have
E-cigarette is believed to greatly reduce on the health effects associated with tobacco smoking. However, e-cigarette has been criticized as a leading cause of smoking among the youth due to its flavor as well as its novel appearance and campaigns. It is also believed to pose some health risks. Despite such drawbacks, e-cigarette has recently gained a lot of popularity and subsequent growth.