Written by Sanika Joshi
One of the biggest myths many students believe is that electronic cigarettes are the best alternative to traditional smoking because they are less harmful. But are electronic cigarettes truly a better option? On May 5th, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a decision to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and sale of electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products such as hookahs and premium cigars [1]. Previously, the Tobacco Control Act of 2009 only regulated traditional cigarettes including smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own-tobacco [2]. This new regulation became a concern for many as electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are used as a tool to help smokers quit and provide an alternative to conventional smoking [3]. Before deciding whether e-cigarettes are harmful or beneficial, it is important to understand the truth and then make informed decisions.
E-cigarettes consist of three components: a rechargeable lithium battery, an atomizer, and a refillable cartridge. The atomizer is a heating coil that boils the chemicals (also known as electronic juices) present in the refillable cartridge until it produces a vapor that is inhaled by the user [4]. Before the FDA’s recent announcement regarding the regulation of e-cigarettes, manufacturers did not have to label all the chemicals present in electronic juices and researchers have had trouble understanding the effects of smoking e-cigarettes [1].
The first time the FDA attempted to regulate e-cigarettes was in 2009 when they tested several e-cigarettes for harmful chemicals and found that one product contained a small quantity of diethylene glycol, a chemical known to be hazardous to the liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract at large doses [5]. The FDA had previously banned e-cigarettes due to this finding, but since there was no evidence that those e-cigarettes were harmful, this ruling was overturned and the product continued to be sold in stores [1]. One factor that pushed the FDA to control the e-cigarette industry was the three-fold increase in the number of middle school and high school students smoking e-cigarettes from 2013 to 2014 [2]. Many e-cigarette companies specifically target this consumer audience by creating a variety of appealing flavors and using celebrities in advertisements to endorse e-cigarette smoking [6]. However, the recently passed regulation now allows the FDA to control how companies advertise their products and to restrict their sales to those over the age of 18 [7].
There is not enough evidence to show that e-cigarettes have been successful tools in smoking cessation programs. Some studies have actually shown that some nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches and gum are effective methods to help people to quit smoking [8]. On the contrary, organizations such as the World Health Organization, American Public Health Association, and American Medical Association do not support the use of electronic cigarettes to quit smoking due to the lack of definitive evidence [9]. Furthermore, it cannot be said with certainty that e-cigarette smoking are less harmful than traditional smoking since companies were not required to list all the chemicals present in their electronic juices [9]. Although it is difficult to characterize electronic cigarette smoking as a blessing or a curse, it is important to understand the significance of its regulation and its consequences to our health and well-being of our world.
References:
1. Jen Christenson. FDA to extend tobacco regulations to e-cigarettes, other products. 2016.
2. CDC. E-cigarette use triples among middle and high school students in just one year. 2015.
3. Charlotte Schoenborn, Renee Gindi. Electronic Cigarette Use Among Adults: United States, 2014. 2016.
4. NBC News. 5 Facts About E-cigarettes and the FDA: No, It’s Not a Ban. 2014.
5. Phillipine Prosperity Chemicals, Inc. Material Safety Data Sheet [Diethylene Glycol]. 2010.
6. CDC. E-cigarette Ads and Youth. 2016.
7. Salynn Boyles. FDA Regulates E-cigarettes, Hookahs. 2016.
8. Stead, L., Perera, R., Bullen, C., Mant, D., and Lancaster, T. Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation (review). The Cochrane Collaboration. 2008; 3: 1–160
9. Wall Street Journal. Are E-cigarettes a Healthy Way to Quit Smoking?. 2016.