Riverside Corporate Wellness – The Surprising facts about e-cigarettes

• E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are not risk free.
  • E-cigarettes became commercially available in 2003. Short-term research (the only kind of research available), shows that e-cigarette side effects are similar to real cigarettes.
  • E-cigarettes have batteries. Defective e-cigarette batteries have exploded, resulting in serious injuries.
• E-cigarettes and other vaping devices contain nicotine and other substances.
  • Using nicotine, regardless of how it’s delivered, increases the risk of addiction.
  • Nicotine-free vapors still contain substances that are ingested and may cause harm.
• E-cigarette users often end up smoking more than cigarette smokers.
  • The real cigarette smoker knows when they are done smoking because it burns down to the filter and goes out.
  • An e-cigarette smoker can continuously smoke; there is no “end” unless the device runs out of “e-juice.”
• E-cigarettes and vaping are not used exclusively by people trying to quit smoking, and they are not proven methods to quit smoking.
  • Use of these products alongside traditional cigarettes is common in places where smoking is not allowed. Used as an exclusive replacement, e-cigarettes and vaping may be a preferred alternative to traditional cigarettes.
  • There is little evidence that they reliably reduce cigarette smoking or lead to smoking cessation. The end result is increased exposure to nicotine and its harmful effects.
  • E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are not approved by the FDA as a cessation aid.
• E-cigarettes are popular with young people, including those who have never smoked.
  • E-cigarette juices come in a variety of flavors as a direct marketing scheme, making them more appealing to young people.
  • E-cigarettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can be disguised as other objects such as a flash drive, making them less visible.

A final word of caution
Until recently, manufacturers and distributers of e-cigarettes weren’t bound by standards of safety set by the FDA for smoked tobacco products. There is limited research into long-term health effects of aerosolizing nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes. Evidence does show that the additives, heavy metals, and ultrafine particles in e-cigarettes contain toxins and carcinogens. Long-term exposure to these toxins and carcinogens could lead to negative health effects.

Written by Michelle Pless, Mayo-Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist