More and more smokers are switching to e-cigarettes to circumvent bans on smoking in enclosed public places, or reap certain “health benefits” which some mainstream media outlets have been touting. But are e-cigarettes really a healthier choice? More importantly, are e-cigarettes a credible alternative to simply kicking your smoking habit? In the wake of news that the Hong Kong government is considering bans on e-cigarettes, this topic has risen to the forefront of our social discourse.1
What are electronic cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes do not burn tobacco to produce nicotine. Instead, they contain cartridges filled with nicotine which can then be instantly vaporized for inhalation. As a result, users do not inhale smoke per se, but instead, a vapour filled with nicotine as well as other flavorings and preservatives. Hence, e-cigarettes are commonly known as “vapers”.
How popular are they?
Once a niche product, the use of e-cigarettes worldwide is on the rise. In the UK, for instance, use of e-cigarettes quadrupled in just four years from 700,000 to 2.8 million between 2012 and 2016.2
Quitting smoking… by smoking?
Some studies have cited that e-cigarettes is an aid to reducing traditional cigarette consumption or quitting cigarette smoking altogether.1 However, while the notion that e-cigarette use cuts down tobacco consumption has clearly lodged itself in the popular imagination, it should be treated with caution as its efficacy is certainly not as well-established as other products such as gum or nicotine.
Health hazards of e-cigarettes
The trouble with claims that e-cigarettes are healthier than normal cigarettes is that there is, at present, insufficient data to verify them. E-cigarettes are a recent phenomenon, and just as it took decades for the dangers of tobacco smoking to become apparent, e-cigarettes might just be a less benign force than many claim. For instance, most e-cigarette cartridges contain propylene glycol, which is known to irritate the respiratory system.3
In addition, e-cigarettes obviously still contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can cause instant physiological reactions such as an increased heart rate and lightheadedness. For young children, nicotine poisoning can result from swallowing a cartridge, so parents who smoke e-cigarettes should be careful to keep them away from probing fingers.
That being said, it is certainly true that e-cigarettes contain less proven carcinogens than regular cigarettes.3 But rather than choosing the lesser of two evils, your body will reward you most if you simply quit the nicotine habit all together.
Sources
- Vaping and e-cigarettes in HK. South China Morning Post. Visited 16 November 2017.
- Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) amongst adults in Great Britain. Smoking and Health (ASH). Fact Sheet. May 2016. Visited 21 July 2016.
- E-cigarettes: an evidence update. Public Health England. Published August 2015.
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