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Although Many people are lead to believe that vaping is just as, if not more dangerous than the conventional cigarette due to ignorance of the device, general safety of e-cigs, and their appeal to children, research shows that this is not the case.
E cigarettes and vape pens have been around since 2003, but they recently had an explosion in popularity as a smoking cessation device, or a recreational way of delivering nicotine and flavorings in a presumably harmless way. An E cigarette is a fairly simple device that typically uses a 3.7V battery, a small wire coil around a wick, and “e-liquid” or “e-juice” to create a nicotine and flavor containing vapor to the user just as a conventional cigarette would. E juice and E liquid are generally composed of four main ingredients, Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavorings. E-cigs, Vape pens, Hookah pens, Vapes, and Personal vaporizers are all perms used to describe this basic device. There are many different styles, nicotine concentrations, types, and colors of these devices, but all of them serve the same purpose. These devices are not yet regulated by the FDA and there has been much controversy over whether they should be regulated, and if the laws on the sale of these devices should be treated as if they are tobacco products in the US.

In a recent study conducted by scientist at Penn State University, they concluded that
“Two-thirds had previously tried to quit smoking using an FDA-approved smoking cessation medication. The majority of the sample had used e-cigs daily for at least a year. Three quarters started using e-cigs with the intention of quitting smoking and almost all felt that the e-cig had helped them to succeed in quitting smoking.” (J. Foulds 2011)
These findings conclude that E-cigarettes are a good way to cut back on smoking analog cigarettes, and in many cases quit altogether. Some statements have been studied on these e-cigarettes because there have been claims made on how even though they aren’t tobacco products, they do contain carcinogens. When the coil used to vaporize the e-liquid heats up, it can cause the e-liquid itself to break down and release some unsafe chemicals. The chemicals released were studies by using a gas chromatography test on several different e-liquids in different vaporizers, with a control group of regular cigarette smoke for comparison. Both methods of nicotine delivery had toxic chemicals in them, although the traditional cigarettes contained tens of times greater values of these toxins than the e-cigarettes did. The study done on the toxin concentration was done by the Department Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI), Braunschweig, Germany. Some of the chemicals released by the e-cigarettes are the same chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke. DMAIC concluded that the concentrations of these chemicals (μg/m³) are not nearly as harmful as cigarette smoke. One substance produced is isoprene. The average concentration in the e-cig vapor was approximately 8μg/m³, while the cigarette smoke produced 135μg/m³ of isoprene (Schripp 2012)
The chemical composition of these electronic cigarette vapors have been proven to be toxic, but they are in concentrations of up to 100 times less than cigarette smoke. With the chemical safety being a concerning factor, the overall safety of e-cigs and all of their individual components have been called into question as well. A few areas of concerns with these electronic cigarettes are mostly related to APV’s (Advanced Personal Vaporizers) the most common type of APV is called a Mod. These mods are constructed of a lithium ion battery, a metal tube casing, and a 501 threaded socket for the user to screw in their atomizer. The safety concern with these is that as vaping became more popular, there have been people who began creating these mods so that they can run a very low resistance coil in their atomizer, which when paired with a high current rated battery, can create massive plumes of vapor. If the user is not well-versed in battery safety, they can accidentally cause the battery to overheat and explode in a violent spew of fire directly in front of their face. This is a great concern because many people have died in results of these thermal runaway accidents, and is not recommended.
Another issue of safety with e-cigarettes is the fact that e-liquid is a concentrated bottle of nicotine. “There has been a particular focus on the toxicity of the liquid nicotine solution used in e-cigarettes and the potential for users to spill the liquid on their skin, or for children to accidentally swallow it and overdose” (Bell 2012). Children have become the victim of nicotine poisoning due to accidental consumption of a small bottle of potent nicotine that smells like candy. Although this is an issue that isn’t directly related to the act of vaping, there is still innocent lives taken due to ingestion of these toxic concentrations of nicotine.
Some may argue that kids and teens are drawn to vaping more than cigarettes because e-cigarettes seem like a safe alternative. “According to a 2012 CDC report that relied on the National Youth Tobacco Survey, the use of e-cigarettes among high school students more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 2.8 percent in 2012.Those percentages refer to teens who tried an e-cigarette — perhaps as little as a single puff. One in five middle school students who reported trying them said they hadn’t tried traditional cigarettes.”(Brill 2014) While there has been an increase in teens using e-cigarettes, there is evidence to suggest that teens are not drawn to smoking a cigarette as much as they are drawn to vaping. Even though this is a concern to many, others can argue that it is a good thing since vaping is safer than smoking. Many concerned parents are outraged with the fact that E-liquid is available in a vast array of fruity flavors that can be appealing to children. While these may be appealing to children, adults are also drawn to fruity flavors as opposed to the dirty smoke flavor of cigarettes. This argument is just as valid as saying that teens are drawn to alcohol because it is available in many fruity flavors. The fact of the matter is that just because teens are drawn to the fruit flavors, adults should not be denied the pleasure of a fruit flavored e-liquid, or alcoholic beverage.
Although Many people are lead to believe that vaping is just as, if not more dangerous than the conventional cigarette due to ignorance of the device, general safety of e-cigs, and their appeal to children, research shows that this is not the case.