Electronic cigarettes may be harmful to smokers, warns lung assoc.
Electronic cigarettes not a proven stop smoking program
Beacon Staff Reporter
Electronic cigarettes may contain carcinogens and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze.
Electronic cigarettes are a gimmicky, unproven method to quit smoking and may harm your lungs, says the Canadian Lung Association at the beginning of National Non-Smoking Week.
The lung association recommends scientifically proven methods and says smokers should avoid electronic cigarettes, which may introduce toxic chemicals into the lungs.
“Don’t be fooled by e-cigarettes. These electronic devices could be potentially harmful to lung health and are not an approved quit smoking aid by either Health Canada or the U.S. Federal Drug Administration,” says Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon, a tobacco issues spokesperson for the Canadian Lung Association.
Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that are designed to look like and to be used in the same manner as regular cigarettes.
These devices contain cartridges that may be filled with nicotine, flavouring and other chemicals. Electronic cigarettes electronically vaporize a solution creating a mist that is breathed into the lungs.
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Although not approved by Health Canada, they are readily available to purchase in Canadian retail outlets and from the internet. In 2009, Health Canada issued an advisory warning Canadians to not use electronic cigarettes.
“People who use e-cigarettes inhale unknown, unregulated and potentially harmful substances into their lungs,” said Dr. Theo Moraes, a medical spokesperson for the Canadian Lung Association and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. “There are many nicotine replacement therapies approved by Health Canada to help someone quit smoking; the e-cigarette is not one of them.”
Electronic cigarettes may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans including carcinogens and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze.
In initial lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found detectable levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals in two leading brands of electronic cigarettes and 18 various cartridges.
The Canadian Lung Association is greatly concerned that electronic cigarettes with candy-like flavours, such as chocolate and vanilla, are being marketed and sold to youth.
“We are afraid that e-cigarettes, if not regulated, may lead more young people to start smoking,” said Dr. Moraes, who is also a staff respirologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
“These products have candy-like flavours, which appeal to children and teenagers and can be bought by those under the age of 18. We are also concerned that electronic cigarettes may lead kids to try other tobacco products.”
There are many proven ways to quit smoking, such as individual or group counseling, stop-smoking medication and nicotine replacement therapies (gum, patch, lozenges, inhalers).
“Many people think they can quit on their own, but getting counseling can greatly increase your likelihood of quitting and staying quit,” said Bernhardt-Lowdon.
Established in 1977 by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, National Non-Smoking Week is one of the longest running events in Canada’s ongoing public health education efforts.
Category: Health
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You can darn be sure there are not 5000+ chemicals in it like the real thing.
I just did a double take…I can’t believe this article was published today. This looks like some generic smear piece that would have come out 3 or 4 years ago. I will address the glaring omissions and/or outright fallacies in order:
“These devices contain cartridges that may be filled with nicotine, flavouring and other chemicals”
To be precise, E-liquid contains propylene glycol (a common inhalant in asthma puffers and used in theatrical fog machines), vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and food-grade flavoring. We have reliable, long term data on the safety of all of these products.
“There are many nicotine replacement therapies approved by Health Canada to help someone quit smoking; the e-cigarette is not one of them.”
Correct, there are many approved cessation products approved by HC, and they all carry the exact same risks associated with ANY non-smokable product containing nicotine. Traditional over-the-counter therapies have a documented failure rate exceeding 90%. Obviously it’s too early to tell with electronic cigarettes, but at least anecdotally for now, we can look at the massive communities and support forums that have built up around e-cigs. These are former smokers helping other smokers and new vapers. The importance of support and community in helping smokers leave tobacco behind cannot be overstated, this is unique to electronic cigarettes. When’s the last time you saw a bunch of people gather to chew Nicorette and be miserable together?
“Electronic cigarettes may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans including carcinogens and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze.”
Diethlene glycol was found in one single e-liquid at a concentration about one million times lower than a tobacco cigarette. It poses literally no impact to human health at that concentration. Considering the amount of critisism the FDA report recieved for this ommision, almost nobody but the laziest, cut and paste journalists even use this old canard anymore. Published in Inhalant Toxicology in October 2012, the peer-reviewed IVAQS study puts forward convincing data that the vapor from electronic cigarettes is not only safer than tobacco, but relatively benign and of no significant health risk at all.
“We are afraid that e-cigarettes, if not regulated, may lead more young people to start smoking,” said Dr. Moraes, who is also a staff respirologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.”
Ah, here we go with the children. Anytime anyone wants something suppressed or banned, they play the “what about the children?” card as if invoking it absolved them of providing evidence to support their concern. There is no evidence to suggest that minors who otherwise would have not smoked would decide to pick up an electronic cigarette. Do a peer-reviewed study and I’ll read it, until then this is pure conjecture and opinion.
“There are many proven ways to quit smoking, such as individual or group counseling, stop-smoking medication and nicotine replacement therapies (gum, patch, lozenges, inhalers).”
Again, patches, gum and inhalers have an abyssmaly low success rate. The current nicotine cessation medications are essentially anti-depressants, and carry all of the same serious risks as all anti-depressants. It is not something to be taken lightly. If we are really talking about harm reduction, I would wager that inhaling food-grade propylyine glycol is several orders of magnitude safer than taking anti-depressants.
I have been using electronic cigarettes for 6 months, after smoking for 25 years, and I have never felt better. Taste, smell, lung capacity and energy levels are drastically improved. Most importantly, I’m no longer standing outside, freezing, and contemplating an early death every 90 minutes.
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