Are electronic cigarettes harmful?
Electronic cigarettes are a relatively new product, and as such there are still many unknowns. During the years 2012 and 2013 there was a boom and many companies decided to market this product in a massive way without having any knowledge about it. During the first months many news appeared against the electronic cigarette to try to sink the market. This news came primarily from major tobacco companies, because they saw that this product could stole them a good market share. There was also a lack of legislation to regulate them. Since no one knew for sure if they were harmful or not, the government banned its use in public places.
Until today, many reports and studies have appeared, talking about the effects of electronic cigarettes. Most of them have concluded that it is not clear if they are harmful or not, even for the people around the vaper (passive smoking). If we think it over in deep, we realize that it is very difficult to know its effects today. It will take several years to categorically sat whether their effects are somewhat harmful or not, once many cases of people who have vaped for a long period of time have been studied. A wide and over a long period of time to evaluate its effects sample is needed.
What we can clearly say is that electronic cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes. In first place, because the components of e-liquid are natural substances and secondly because there is no combustion. In traditional cigarette there is a combustion in which the smoker inhales smoke of the burned paper among other substances like tar.
It has been clearly shown that traditional cigarettes are very harmful for health: cause cancer, clogged arteries, etc.
When we vape we only inhale vapor, we do not inhale all such harmful substances contained in traditional cigarettes.
Besides electronic cigarettes allow us to quit smoking. There have been lots of smokers who have used this product to quit smoking, which does not happen with traditional cigarettes. Being able to choose the level of nicotine makes the electronic cigarette a perfect instrument to quit smoking. We can start with a heavy dose of nicotine (18 or 24mg) and gradually decrease it until we vape with a level 0 of nicotine. Once we achieve vaping without nicotine, and not depending of snuff we will definitely be able to quit smoking. The electronic cigarette simulates the act of smoking. This fact and also because we can gradually decrease its nicotine levels, makes much easier to quit smoking than any other method.
In summary, we could say that electronic cigarettes have a huge potential and are a very valid way to quit smoking and much healthier than traditional cigarettes. Only in a few years, with long-term studies in our hands, we can assure that they have no negative effect on our body.
