Do Electronic Cigarettes Work?

Electronic cigarettes have been marketed as a safer alternative to a normal cigarette since their introduction to international market in 2005, and since then have also been used as a smoking cessation device. However, though the mechanisms of e-cigarettes can be easily explained, the more pressing question is: do electronic cigarettes work? To answer this question, it is necessary to take into account the benefits, test, regulations, and health risks of the product.

 

Basic Function

So how do electronic cigarettes work? E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices shaped like normal cigarettes, but are made up of an atomizer and nicotine cartridges. The cartridges are available in a variety of different flavors and concentrations of nicotine, and are affixed with reservoirs that catch the water-based nicotine solution. When someone smokes an electronic cigarette, he or she will inhale through the mouthpiece, which activates the wick in the atomizer. This heats up the nicotine solution and turns it into the vapor that is inhaled by the user.

 

Potential Benefits

Electronic cigarettes do contain nicotine and are marketed to smokers, but the nicotine levels are lower, and therefore potentially safer. E-cigarettes are also non-flammable, cheaper than regular cigarettes, lacking in tar, more durable, and they won’t stain teeth. Another benefit is that, unlike regular cigarettes, they have a barely noticeable odor that won’t cling to clothes and furniture. Furthermore, the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) has approved e-cigarettes, citing the potential decrease in second-hand smoke.

 

Comparative Tests

In early 2010, Thomas Eissenberg at the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies in Virginia conducted a study comparing two different brands of electronic cigarettes against regular cigarettes. The study tested 16 different smokers who on alternate days smoked a regular cigarette, puffed a cigarette without lighting it, and smoked an e-cigarette. As they smoked or puffed, multiple blood samples were taken, leading to the discovery that smoking e-cigarettes deliver and puffing on an unlit cigarette deliver approximately the same results.

 

Use as Smoking Cessation Device

Studies backed by the World Health Organization show that as nicotine therapy, electronic cigarettes do not work as well as nicotine gum or the patch, which deliver doses of nicotine more systematically and effectively. In fact, e-cigarettes have been proven to deliver erratic amounts of nicotine, despite the level indicated on the nicotine cartridge itself. For example, nicotine was found in cartridges whose level was supposed to be zero, an irregularity that could pose a problem for people who need consistent doses of nicotine to successfully quit smoking,

 

Nicotine Solution Risks

Those interested in trying electronic cigarettes should also take into consideration some of the safety precautions attached to the device. For instance, the nicotine solution that fuels the e-cigarettes is sold in 500mg bottles, which is 10 times the lethal dose, making nicotine poisoning a serious risk if the solution is not applied properly. Because of this, Eissenberg’s tests at the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies concluded that more revisions need to be made to the labels and packaging.

 

FDA Tests

FDA began tests of the electronic cigarette in 2009, focusing on two specific brands: NJoy and Smoking Everywhere. These tests uncovered diethylene glycol (a poisonous organic compound) in the Smoking Everywhere products, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), which have been proven to cause cancer, were found in nearly all cartridges across both brands. As a result of these findings, the FDA has discouraged use of electronic cigarettes due to health concerns. However, the Electronic Cigarette Association responded by saying that the testing was insufficient, and that it did not boast any conclusive evidence.

 

FDA Regulations

A court order dictated that electronic cigarettes should not be regulated by the FDA not necessarily because of the aforementioned risks, but precisely because the e-cigarettes are so similar to actual cigarettes and are not in fact primarily marketed as an anti-smoking aid. However, physicians have also noted that because people are actually using these in efforts to quit smoking, they should be considered a drug as well as a tobacco product, and that the FDA should regulate the product to make sure people are using them to this effect correctly.

 

Advocates and Proponents of Electronic Cigarettes

Not all studies of electronic cigarettes have indicated negative results. Studies conducted by Health New Zealand and the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group found that while the nicotine cartridges do contain trace levels of TSNA, these levels (as well as the nicotine concentrations) are comparable to those found in other nicotine therapies, and are below levels considered harmful. Additionally, the Boston University School of Public Health concluded that e-cigarettes are in fact safer than regular cigarettes, as carcinogen levels in e-cigarettes are up to 1,000 lower.

 

Electronic Cigarette Association

The Electronic Cigarette Association, formed as a regulatory agency guaranteeing oversight of the claims made by electronic cigarette companies, has conducted its own studies to determine both the efficacy and the safety of e-cigarettes. In 2009, they conducted a survey of smokers who had actually used the e-cigarette, and found that these consumers found the product to be an adequate substitute. Additionally, these smokers reported a decrease in coughing, increased aerobic capacity, and a better sense of taste since switching to the e-cigarette.

 

Legalities

Laws over the use of electronic cigarettes vary widely by region. In the United States, they are marketed as acceptable for use anywhere indoors; however, many businesses (particularly airlines) restrict e-cigarettes specifically, along with regular ones. They are also are banned in Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. As in the case of FDA regulations, these restrictions seem to arise from the similarities between e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes, which could actually be a positive sign for those looking for a viable cigarette substitute.

 

In sum, the answer to the question “do electronic cigarettes work?” is: they do, but primarily as a less potent tobacco product. Most studies indicate that as a smoking cessation device, there are better products on the market. However, when used with caution, electronic cigarettes can temporarily assuage light nicotine cravings, without some of the negative effects of regular cigarettes.

 

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