Do electronic cigarettes cause cancer?

[aristocatz]

I'm having a bit of a debate with someone over this.

Anyone know?

 

[disney1990]

I'm having a bit of a debate with someone over this.

Anyone know?

http://quitsmoking.about.com/b/2009/07/27/fda-issues-safety-alert-for-electronic-cigarettes.htm

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, look like the real thing but have just one thing in common with cigarettes made from tobacco: nicotine. An electronic cigarette consists of a white cylindrical tube with a brown filter and a red, glowing tip. Instead of tobacco however, e-cigarettes are filled with liquid nicotine. When smokers draw on the business end of the tube, a battery heats the nicotine, which creates a water-based nicotine vapor that is inhaled into the lungs. The excess cigarette-like "smoke" vapor is then emitted from the end of the e-cigarette, completing the cigarette smoking illusion.

 

[shellybaxter]

I don't think anyone does know yet. They are so new - I'm not sure that data is available

 

[tzolkin]

http://quitsmoking.about.com/b/2009/07/27/fda-issues-safety-alert-for-electronic-cigarettes.htm

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, look like the real thing but have just one thing in common with cigarettes made from tobacco: nicotine. An electronic cigarette consists of a white cylindrical tube with a brown filter and a red, glowing tip. Instead of tobacco however, e-cigarettes are filled with liquid nicotine. When smokers draw on the business end of the tube, a battery heats the nicotine, which creates a water-based nicotine vapor that is inhaled into the lungs. The excess cigarette-like "smoke" vapor is then emitted from the end of the e-cigarette, completing the cigarette smoking illusion.

They make them with varying levels of nicotine-- including none.

I don't think there is any data about whether they cause cancer or not. I don't really know exactly what's in them. (There are tons of flavors in addition to the levels of nicotine.)

DH has them. We know smoking causes cancer and he does that too.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not sure. Nicotine is addicting, I have not heard if that specifically is what causes cancer in tobacco products. Part of the issue with regular cigs is the inhaling of toxic substances from the burning of the cigarrette. However, products like chewing tobacco, don't burn--but they cause cancer as well.

 

[wishspirit]

It is the smoke of cigarettes that causes cancer. However the effect of nicotine alone has not been tested, however you are significantly more likely to get cancer from regular smoking, than using a nicotine replacement therapy to quit. However nicotine has been linked to heart problems, however the replacement cigarettes do not give you any more than a normal cigarette will.

in a sentence: Real Cigarettes are much more dangerous.

 

[aristocatz]

Thank you for the info so far

My DF just purchased this, to replace his smoking regular cigarettes. He decided against the patch or gun because he did not like the side effects. He keeps telling me the electronic cigarettes are perfectly safe & I just want to be sure. They seem a little too good to be true right now.

 

[tzolkin]

Thank you for the info so far

My DF just purchased this, to replace his smoking regular cigarettes. He decided against the patch or gun because he did not like the side effects. He keeps telling me the electronic cigarettes are perfectly safe & I just want to be sure. They seem a little too good to be true right now.

I agree with you. I don't think they're "perfectly safe" or healthy, but I figured with my DH if he's smoking anyway these seem less harmful.

He also doesn't smoke within sight of our children. Whenever he comes inside he washes his hands/arms and brushes his teeth, but there's still smoke in his clothes. With the EC there is no smell or smoke on him to affect the rest of us.

 

[tikilyn]

I've been thinking about getting my dad these. I just don't know where to buy them at. He only smokes Winstons so I know they need to be like them. I would love to be able to get into a car with him and not come out smelling like smoke!

 

[HelenePA]

I've been thinking about getting my dad these. I just don't know where to buy them at. He only smokes Winstons so I know they need to be like them. I would love to be able to get into a car with him and not come out smelling like smoke!

amazon.com has them. My brother tried them at the local fair and he wasn't sure if he liked them or not.. I do not smoke so I can not tell you much more than he told me.. I know they have different "flavors" on amazon as well.

 

[aristocatz]

amazon.com has them. My brother tried them at the local fair and he wasn't sure if he liked them or not.. I do not smoke so I can not tell you much more than he told me.. I know they have different "flavors" on amazon as well.

My DF has two flavors: the "Marlboro" one & the "Menthol" one. I recently quit smoking & I was a Camel Lights girl. I didn't really care for the "Marlboro" flavor, but surprisingly, I liked the menthol one, even though I detest menthol cigarettes. It's weird that he can smoke it right in our house and you cannot smell it at all. I guess he could probably use it inside any public place (restaurants, stores), but he won't because he is afraid that people will not understand what it is and get angry with him. You really cannot smell it any more than you can smell someone chewing gum or something.

So, just to clarify: nicotene is NOT what causes cancer in cigarettes? What are the health risks of nicotene?

 

[wishspirit]

So, just to clarify: nicotene is NOT what causes cancer in cigarettes? What are the health risks of nicotene?

This is from www.netdoctor.co.uk, which is a great site to look at!

How do cigarettes damage health?
Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances.
When you inhale, a cigarette burns at 700°C at the tip and around 60°C in the core. This heat breaks down the tobacco to produce various toxins.
As a cigarette burns, the residues are concentrated towards the butt.
The products that are most damaging are:
tar, a carcinogen (substance that causes cancer)
nicotine is addictive and increases cholesterol levels in your body
carbon monoxide reduces oxygen in the body
components of the gas and particulate phases cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
The damage caused by smoking is influenced by:
the number of cigarettes smoked
whether the cigarette has a filter
how the tobacco has been prepared.

 

[darlak]

My DF has two flavors: the "Marlboro" one & the "Menthol" one. I recently quit smoking & I was a Camel Lights girl. I didn't really care for the "Marlboro" flavor, but surprisingly, I liked the menthol one, even though I detest menthol cigarettes. It's weird that he can smoke it right in our house and you cannot smell it at all. I guess he could probably use it inside any public place (restaurants, stores), but he won't because he is afraid that people will not understand what it is and get angry with him. You really cannot smell it any more than you can smell someone chewing gum or something.

So, just to clarify: nicotene is NOT what causes cancer in cigarettes? What are the health risks of nicotene?

I bought mine right before we flew to WDW in September. I didn't use mine at my seat on the plane (even though the flight attendant assured me I could) because I was afraid people might think I had a real cigarette lit. I did make a couple of trips to the restroom and use it there though.

 

[darlak]

My DF has two flavors: the "Marlboro" one & the "Menthol" one. I recently quit smoking & I was a Camel Lights girl. I didn't really care for the "Marlboro" flavor, but surprisingly, I liked the menthol one, even though I detest menthol cigarettes. It's weird that he can smoke it right in our house and you cannot smell it at all. I guess he could probably use it inside any public place (restaurants, stores), but he won't because he is afraid that people will not understand what it is and get angry with him. You really cannot smell it any more than you can smell someone chewing gum or something.

So, just to clarify: nicotene is NOT what causes cancer in cigarettes? What are the health risks of nicotene?

I bought mine right before we flew to WDW in September. I didn't use mine at my seat on the plane (even though I had been assured that I could) because I was afraid people might think I had a real cigarette lit. I did make a couple of trips to the restroom and used it there though.

I really wish the end didn't even glow when I inhale. It would also make it easier to use when I'm at a movie. Now I just cup it in my hand so the glowing end isn't visable.

 

[aristocatz]

I bought mine right before we flew to WDW in September. I didn't use mine at my seat on the plane (even though I had been assured that I could) because I was afraid people might think I had a real cigarette lit. I did make a couple of trips to the restroom and used it there though.

I really wish the end didn't even glow when I inhale. It would also make it easier to use when I'm at a movie. Now I just cup it in my hand so the glowing end isn't visable.

So, you have used it successfully at the movies? Have you used it in any more public places? What was the reactions from strangers?

 

[mjkacmom]

Thank you for the info so far

My DF just purchased this, to replace his smoking regular cigarettes. He decided against the patch or gun because he did not like the side effects. He keeps telling me the electronic cigarettes are perfectly safe & I just want to be sure. They seem a little too good to be true right now.

What side effects? I would think that they would be the same with an electric cigarette, since it's just another way to get nicotene into the body. Back in the day, when I quit, the gum was the only option.

 

[feenie]

I remember noticing these in the mall this summer, and shortly after I read an article on CNN that they may not be safe.
I could not find that article, but I did find this one:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm173222.htm

 

[aristocatz]

What side effects? I would think that they would be the same with an electric cigarette, since it's just another way to get nicotene into the body. Back in the day, when I quit, the gum was the only option.

When my DF tried the patch, it caused quite alot of anxiety, trouble sleeping, & nightmares, especially in the beginning. So far, he has not experienced this with the electronic cigarette, so I'm trying to see what physical side effects it might cause.

 

[aristocatz]

I remember noticing these in the mall this summer, and shortly after I read an article on CNN that they may not be safe.
I could not find that article, but I did find this one:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm173222.htm

Thank you for this link!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Here's what the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA) have to say about them:

E-Cigarettes Contain Toxins, FDA Analysis Shows

Article date: 2009/07/27

By Rebecca V. Snowden
Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, according to a new analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One sample even included diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze.

E-cigarettes are often sold as a way to quit smoking or to get nicotine in places where smoking isn't allowed, but they aren't currently regulated by the FDA.

"The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.

E-cigarettes, first produced in China in 2004, are battery-operated devices designed to look and feel like cigarettes, right down to the glowing tip. They contain cartridges which are filled with chemicals and varying doses of nicotine, from high doses to no nicotine at all.

They’re available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which make them appealing to kids and teens. These products are also easy for kids and teens to buy – they’re readily available online and in shopping malls. And at this time, e-cigarettes do not contain any health warnings, such as those on FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes.

The FDA looked at 18 samples of cartridges from 2 leading e-cigarette brands. Half the samples contained cancer-causing substances. They found other impurities, as well, including diethylene glycol.

The report also found inconsistencies in the products. Nicotine levels from each puff varied a great deal, even between cartridges labeled as having the same nicotine amounts. Testing also found small amounts of nicotine in most of the cartridges labeled nicotine-free.

While these products have been billed as tools to help smokers quit, they have not been submitted to the FDA for that purpose.

Visit the FDA Web site to read the full report. For more information about e-cigarettes, the dangers of nicotine, and how you can stop using cigarettes and other tobacco products, see our Guide to Quitting Smoking.

Reviewed by: Members of the ACS Medical Content Staff

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/c...arettes_Contain_Toxins_FDA_Analysis_Shows.asp

FDA Full Report Evaluation of e cigarettes:

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ScienceResearch/UCM173250.pdf