Buyer Beware! E-cigarettes are not a safer option

  • Published
  • By Gayle Kenyon
  • Altus AFB Health Promotion Coordinator
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Traditional cigarette use is on a steady decline in the U.S, but concerns about the use of other tobacco products appears to be on the rise. One device in particular is the increasingly popular electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). Are e-cigarettes safer than other tobacco products?

Proponents of e-cigarettes claim it has helped them quit smoking or that their health has improved by switching from regular cigarettes. However, research on the pros and cons of e-cigarettes is limited due to the product's recent emergence on the market. Currently, there is no evidence of long-term tobacco cessation as a result of using e-cigarettes. Though the user has the benefit of not receiving some of the harmful effects produced from a burning cigarette, nicotine is not without serious health risks.

Nicotine is much the same as cocaine and other addictive drugs. It raises the heart rate, increases blood pressure, increases cardiac output and constricts blood vessels. All of these reactions can lead to long-term hypertension and heart diseases such as congestive heart failure and arrhythmias. Though nicotine may not directly relate to lung cancer, it does relate to heart attacks and strokes. It can have dangerous effects on the developing adolescent brain, as well as pregnant women. Nicotine can impair night vision, cause erectile dysfunction and osteoporosis. It increases metabolism to produce energy for a sprint, but decreases endurance.

Nicotine is also a rapidly acting drug which makes it more addictive than those that act more slowly. The body tends to develop a tolerance for nicotine, so over time more and more is needed to get the same effect. There are the withdrawal symptoms and associated psychological challenges, like depression, that can occur upon quitting or reducing the amount of nicotine taken in.

E-cigarettes come with all sorts of fun choices in styling, color, flavors and even nicotine content. Yet, buyer beware--the majority of these devices are manufactured in China with no oversight regulation, which makes their level of safety unknown. Current investigation reveals that e-cigarettes vary widely in their contents and are sometimes inconsistent with labeling. For example, a recent study conducted on a variety of e-cigarette refill cartridges and do-it-yourself fluids revealed the nicotine concentration was often 10 percent higher than was indicated on the label. Many claiming to have zero-percent nicotine showed trace amounts.

With the possible dangers and inconsistencies described above, and little to no regulation in the manufacturing and marketing campaigns of these tobacco products, many states have no restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Recent morbidity & mortality weekly report (MMWR) data confirms an increase of e-cigarette use among middle and high school students from once percent in 2011 to two percent in 2012. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a dramatic increase in the number of poisonings related to e-cigarettes, especially in children.

The number of calls to poison centers involving e-cigarettes increased from one call per month in September 2010 to 215 calls per month in February 2014, while the number of monthly calls regarding conventional cigarettes during the same timeframe showed no significant increase.

The poison center calls regarding e-cigarettes were compared with those for conventional cigarettes. "Poisoning from conventional cigarettes is generally due to young children eating them. Poisoning related to e-cigarettes involves the liquid containing nicotine used in the devices and can occur in three ways: by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin or eyes." The most common adverse effects described in the e-cigarette poisoning calls were vomiting, nausea and eye irritation.

With no regulation over the e-cigarette industry, the threat of continued poisonings remains as the cartridges contain a potentially hazardous liquid and they are not required to be childproof. The candy and fruit flavors they come in makes them even more appealing for minors to experiment with.

So, are e-cigarettes a safer nicotine delivery alternative to other forms of tobacco products? Research to date does not support their use. In fact, a serious red flag has been raised with the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes and the potential hazards among minors. In conclusion, a good rule of thumb to remember is, there is no such thing as a safe tobacco product.