She started smoking when she was 13-years-old. "My reading of the evidence is that it is quite convincing that e-cigarettes are helping some people quit smoking."Ĭaren Kagan Evans, 56, of Washington DC, is one of those people. "We don't have the definitive study on that," Warner says. But, Warner says, while the danger from secondhand vapor isn't zero, "it's probably very low." Do They Help Smokers Quit? Some states and communities that ban smoking in public places also ban vaping. But from a practical view, they're probably on the order of 80% to 85% less dangerous, at least." But, he adds, "The worst critics of e-cigarettes would probably argue they're a half to two-thirds less dangerous. That figure is controversial and might be a little high, says Kenneth Warner, a tobacco policy researcher at the University of Michigan. A 2015 expert review from Public Health England estimated e-cigs are 95% less harmful than the real thing. Most of the harm comes from the thousands of chemicals that are burned and inhaled in the smoke, he explains.Į-cigs don't burn, so people aren't as exposed to those toxins. Cigarette smoking kills almost half a million people a year in the United States. "Diacetyl is a well-known harmful chemical, which, among other things, causes a lung disease called 'popcorn lung,'" says Erika Sward, assistant vice president for national advocacy at the American Lung Association.Į-cigarettes aren't thought of as 100% safe, but most experts think they're less dangerous than cigarettes, says Neal Benowitz, MD, a nicotine researcher at the University of California at San Francisco. Some use a buttery-tasting chemical called diacetyl, which is often added to foods like popcorn. Some brands contain chemicals including formaldehyde - often used in building materials - and another ingredient used in antifreeze that can cause cancer.įlavors in e-cigs also raise red flags. Pregnant women shouldn't use anything with nicotine.īut the concerns go beyond nicotine alone. Harm the developing brains of kids and could affect memory and attention.And some initial research shows it may hurt your arteries.
Nicotine isn't good for people with heart problems. When you stop using it, you can go into withdrawal and feel depressed and crabby. Most contain the chemical nicotine, which is addictive. Using an e-cig is called "vaping." Are They Safe? A heating device turns the liquid into vapor that you inhale when you take a drag.They have containers filled with liquid that's usually made of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals.There are hundreds of brands, and they're sometimes marketed as a way to get your nicotine fix without the danger of cigarettes. Some with refillable tanks look a bit different. The BasicsĮ-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that can look like a real cigarette or pen. So you have to be 18 to buy them and show an ID if you're under 27. In the summer of 2016, new rules about their sale went into effect. Stores selling them - called "vape shops" - are everywhere across the country.
Public health experts and tobacco researchers are trying to find out.
E-cigarettes: Are they a safe way for smokers to stop or a gateway to getting kids hooked on a habit that's known to cause deadly diseases of the heart and lungs as well as cancer?
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