Electronic cigarette: pros and cons of its use

Electronic cigarette

Increasingly, smokers faced quit or, at least, reduce the amount of cigarettes that are daily to the mouth. Reasons for this are many. The main, the negative effects of tobacco for health, but there are also others such as legal restrictions increasingly older around its consumption or because it is expensive for the Pocket. Today, there are on the market many solutions to try to put aside the tobacco dependence, but there is one that some years prevails over any other. Electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is, without doubt, the remedy which is popular.

How does the electronic cigarette?

Electronic cigarette usually consists of three parts: a battery that produces heat, a sprayer and an interchangeable tank containing a liquid mixture of chemical compounds, with or without nicotine. When the user absorbed through the nozzle, device releases the load in the form of steam producing the same feeling than the typical opening to the conventional cigarette. That is why the Act of breathing in with an e-cigarette is known as 'vapping'.
These systems can have different designs. They tend to be cylindrical and elongated, with an appearance similar to the traditional cigar or a thick pen, but there are even shaped like pipe. At the same time that it has increased its popularity, has also grown the amount of flavors and aromas that are marketed, such as that of mint, chocolate, fruit or coffee. In terms of its composition, the amount of chemicals or nicotine containing also varies.

Popularity of e-cigarettes on the rise

The popularity of these electronic devices dispensers of nicotine (ENDS, for its acronym in English) has been increasing since they came to China from Europe and America less than a decade ago. A recent survey conducted by Harvard University researchers has reflected that about 30 million smokers in the European Union have already tried the electronic cigarette, i.e., almost a quarter of the total number of consumers. Data that contrast with the Special Eurobarometer carried out two years ago, according to which a 7 per cent of the citizens of the Union demonstrated to have tested. But this boom has not only occurred in the countries of the old continent, but also others such as United States, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Turkey and Israel.
The growing interest in the e-cigarettes has resulted in the proliferation of shops specializing in the sale of this product and it is estimated that revenues generated in 2013 about 1 billion dollars. There is also more and more brands, accessories and models of this type of device.
This increase in the use of the electronic cigarette has also attracted greater interest by scientists to know the real effects on the health of these devices. Investigations and studies on this subject have proliferated in recent years, giving rise to a controversial great among those who ensure that they are harmful to users and who say that they work as therapy to definitely quit tobacco. Therefore if you are thinking of resorting to these devices, the best is to know before their pros and cons.

Negative effects of electronic cigarette

Since the use of the electronic cigarette began to spread, raised voices for and against these devices. Experts agree that there is still a long way in the investigation of the effects that have the health, but there are already studies that warn that they are harmful. The World Health Organization recommends not to use the e-cigarette until there is data showing that they are safe and effective to overcome tobacco addiction.
Different conclusions related to the damage posed to the health of the vapersare among studies that discouraged the use of the electronic cigarette. Therefore, if you use this system, you have to keep in mind that:
• Have toxic components: in addition to the nicotine, which is toxic and addictive, electronic cigarettes contain ingredients such as propylene glycol, glycerine and other additives that are associated with the throat and respiratory tract irritation or redness of the eyes.
• Contain carcinogenic substances: a study of Agency (FDA) United States food and drug alert of the presence of nitrosamines and various metals in the composition of the cartridges for electronic cigarettes. Other research has also found formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and Acrolein, carcinogenic substances.
• Can cause respiratory problems: the scientific journal Chest two years ago published a study indicating that the use of the electronic cigarette for more than five minutes increased pulmonary resistance. In addition, two cases of pneumonia attributed to the use of electronic cigarettes, the last occurred already this year in Spain.
• Create addiction: the amount of nicotine in electronic cigarettes varies according to the composition of the cartridges, but it's a substance that creates dependence on those who consume it. For this reason, critics of these devices ensure that they can create addiction, rather than make it disappear.
• Are detrimental to those who are around: research indicating that electronic cigarettes emit volatile particles which, in high concentrations, has adverse effects have been conducted. However, the emissions produced by an electronic cigarette are minimal, so there is no definitive evidence in this case.
• Incite consumption: electronic cigarette critics assure that the popularization of these products and their presentation as an innocuous article can encourage adolescents and non-smokers to start the habit.
Before all of these effects, a number of researchers advocate the hardening of the laws around the use of the electronic cigarette. They consider that, although they are not as harmful as tobacco, use no ceases to be detrimental to the health of the people.

Arguments in favor of electronic cigarette

The electronic cigarette has become in recent years in the first resource using the majority of smokers who want to park the tobacco of their lives or, at least, reduce the amount you consume daily. Many consider that it is an ineffective device to achieve that goal, however, also many voices claim its use as a therapy to say goodbye forever to that habit.
Those who are in favour, ensure that the e-cigarette really helps to quit smoking and the amount of harmful substances that compose it is practically imperceptible. Their arguments in favor of electronic cigarette are the following:
• Are useful to quit: for the defenders of the electronic cigarette, we have an effective solution to quit tobacco use. Some studies point to that direction; for example, in 2010, research published in the journal Tobacco Control showed its validity to control withdrawal.
• Are more effective than other remedies: exist in the market multiple therapeutic options to quit smoking, including nicotine gum or patches. The journal The Lancet published last year an investigation that concluded that the e-cigarettes were more effective than patches to stop smoking, and added that there is no difference between them in terms of adverse effects that cause.
• Is absorbed less nicotine than with conventional cigarettes: the amount of nicotine that exist in electronic cigarettes cartridges varies between zero and 24 milligrams per milliliter. As the composition is indicated in cases of deposits, the 'vapeador' can, therefore, choose between a major or minor doses of nicotine.
• Contains less additives: a tobacco cigarette contains over 600 additives, most of them harmful to health. The e-cigarette, however, has few tens not be so detrimental.
• Not to do harm to those who are close: according to the followers of the electronic cigarette, no study has been demonstrated convincingly that fumes coming out of the device are harmful to people who are close to the 'vapeador'.
• Is less harmful than conventional cigarettes: one of the main arguments to defend the use of electronic cigarettes is that, in any case, always will be less harmful to health than tobacco. A study of the Department of Cardiology of the Onassis Center of Athens, in 2012, reflected among its conclusions a significant difference between the blood pressure that produce conventional cigarettes and the electronic.
For all these reasons, a part of the scientific sector demand to be included the electronic cigarette between therapeutic resources that currently exist to quit smoking or as a strategy to reduce the damage which causes the tobacco.

Article contributed for educational purposes