What exactly are E-Cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes were created in China and are supposed to deliver nicotine to the user without the burning mechanism that traditional cigarettes use. The nicotine and flavor additives are contained in a liquid that is inside of a cartridge inside of the cigarette that can be disposed of and replaced. The nicotine is heated and turned in to a steam that looks like smoke.
Most e-cigarettes are made of propylene glycol (found in antifreeze), glycerin or a combination of both. Many of these cigarettes are created by fly by night companies in Asia and they are completely unregulated so there is no way of knowing exactly what is in them. When you inhale the vapor from an electronic cigarette you have no idea what you are inhaling into your body and what long term effects the vapors will have.
Researchers have discovered problems with some e-cigarettes relating to poor quality assurance and workmanship. Instances of nicotine leaking out of the device and coming into direct contact with the skin or the inside of the mouth have been reported. This creates a major risk for nicotine poisoning which which can make you sick or prove fatal for young children. Read more here.
Other reported problems include electronic cigarettes exploding in people’s mouths. See this story.
The unregulated, shoddy manufacturing methods behind e-cigarettes can expose people to dangers that they didn’t anticipate when trying to quit smoking. The major concern right now is that e-cigarettes are becoming a gateway to youth smoking and will reverse all of the anti-smoking efforts that have decreased the number of smokers in the past 10 years. Electronic cigarettes are now being pushed by celebrities as “being cool” and offer exotic flavors such as chocolate, coffee, strawberry daiquiri and cola. These flavors are designed to entire non smokers and hook as many people as they can.
Studies by the FDA show that advertised nicotine levels in many e-cigarettes were not always accurate and that the nicotine free versions occasionally do contain trace amounts of nicotine.
Healing Laser Clinics treats electronic cigarette addiction just like any other nicotine addiction. We noticed a large increase in clients wanting to quit the electronic cigarette rather than traditional cigarettes. For information regarding our electronic cigarette treatments, please call Healing Laser Clinics at 407-833-3800.
