E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes first jumped on the scene in China back in 2004. By 2016, 3.2 percent of all adults in the U.S. were vaping. Sounds like a small percentage but the U.S. is a big place and major tobacco companies are nervous for the future of this alternative cigarette. 

Many e-cigarettes are marketed as a means of cutting or outright quitting regular smoking. Research is still being conducted but early conclusions however suggest the e-cigarette is not as innocuous as say 0% beer. In fact, young people in general have really taken to vaping which has regulators uneasy. 

The e-cigarette is composed of a mouthpiece (a cartridge), a rechargeable battery, a heating element and electronic circuits. The user sucks through the mouthpiece and a sensor is subsequently activated which powers the heating element to vaporize a solution (liquid) in the mouthpiece. An aerosol solution is then inhaled, or as the cool folks refer to it – vaped. Nicotine concentration in an e-cigarette varies from nothing to extremely high. Here is where the “beneficial” argument comes into play, obviously keeping that level as close to 0 as possible. 

There have been a handful of studies that have found that e-cigarettes can indeed help regular smokers kick their habit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) havecommunicated that vaping is not suitable for young folks, those who have never smoked before or women who are pregnant. Becausemost e-cigarettes do contain some amount of nicotine, this has thepotential of triggering an addiction, especially so in an adolescent brain. Another nasty side-effect to look out for is accidently swallowing the liquid. This resulted in a near fatal poisoning case. 

Like any vice caution needs to be applied. From a health perspective, e-cigarettes are better for you than conventional cigarettes but are still far from harm free.

If e-cigarettes are your vice, check out what Riffbuddy users are saying about select brands: Riffbuddy - E-cigarettes.