The key difference between conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vaping) is tobacco. There are plenty of studies on cigarettes health effects that prove tobacco is linked to cancer. There are few studies of e-cigarettes health effects. Conventional cigarettes contain a whole list of chemicals which are harmful to your health. E-cigarettes have some similar chemicals. One of these chemicals is Nicotine. Note: everyone tests positive for nicotine. It is a normal part of our diet, unless someone does not eat vegetables. It shows up in everyone’s blood stream in small amounts, because it is a common ingredient in vegetables. It is highly addictive and has been linked to reduced bone health. (1)
E-cigarettes health effects: what do we know?
Jonathan Foulds, who studies cigarettes health effects like tobacco addiction at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center states “E-cigarettes are at least 90 percent less harmful, and maybe much less harmful to your health than that”. He adds “It’s really the smoke that does the harm”. “Burning tobacco produces thousands of chemicals, including dozens that cause cancer. It produces carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas, and tar, which clogs the lungs.” Still, excessive nicotine can contribute to heart disease, although it’s not the main contributor to heart disease that results from smoking. He adds, nicotine is especially dangerous to an unborn foetus, so e-cigarettes don’t offer an acceptable option for pregnant women.But for most smokers, “any cigarette replaced by vaping is probably a step in the right direction,” says Foulds.
Studies by the FDA on E-cigarettes Health effects in 2009 (2) found detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes. It is therefore understandable that some legislation will be needed on manufacturing of e-liquids. Traceability and transparency in the manufacturing of vaping liquids will be in the public interest. The truth about the studies on health has yet to be proven it is almost impossible to determine if a product increases a person’s risk of cancer or not until the product has been around for at least 15-20 years. Despite positive reviews from e-cigarette users who enjoy being able to smoke them where regular cigarettes are prohibited, very little is known about their safety and long-term health effects. To date e-cigarettes health effects compared to cigarettes are considerably less damaging.
(1) Tanaka, H.,Tanabe, N., Kawato, T., Nakai, K., Kariya, T., Matsumoto, S., & … Maeno, M. (2013). Nicotine Affects Bone Resorption and Suppresses the Expression of Cathepsin K, MMP-9 and Vacuolar-Type H+-ATPase d2 and Actin Organization in Osteoclasts. Plos ONE, 8(3), 1-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059402.
(2) Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA. FDA News & Events. FDA, 22 July 2009. Web. 09 Aug. 2013.
