| Cigarette Smoke | | | | Q. What are the most common e cigarette |
| If you are like most smokers you probably haven't | | | | ingredients? |
| given a lot of thought or research into what you are | | | | A. Ingredients: |
| inhaling into your lungs. According to PhysLink.com, | | | | Propylene Glycol (USP/EP) |
| when you inhale a cigarette the temperature in the | | | | Electronic cigarettes contain between 65 and 90% |
| middle of the tip of a cigarette goes from 1100 F. to | | | | Propylene Glycol (PG). PG comes in two grades USP |
| 1300 degrees F. The tip or combustion zone of a | | | | EP and Industrial Grade. USP/EP is a solvent used in |
| cigarette or cigar produces carbon dioxide, carbon | | | | the flavor concentrate and fragrance industry. It is |
| monoxide and hydrogen. Further back where it is a bit | | | | used in sunscreens, shampoo, shaving creams, and as |
| cooler you have the pyrolysis/distillation zone. The | | | | a preservative in baked goods, flavorings, salad |
| distillation zone is where the 5000 or so chemicals are | | | | dressings and pet food (except cat food). In general |
| produced and unleashed. As the super saturated | | | | Dow does not support or recommend the use of PG |
| vapor cools it is transformed into aerosol particles that | | | | in applications where inhalation exposure or human eye |
| form the smoke. Some of the smoke goes directly | | | | contact with the spray mists of these materials is likely, |
| into your lungs the rest is dispersed as second hand | | | | such as fogs for theatrical productions. According to |
| smoke. The smoke that goes into your lungs and into | | | | Dow, "inhalation of the vapors appears to present no |
| your blood stream causes one set of problems, the | | | | significant hazard in ordinary applications". (1) The |
| smoke that surrounds your lips and wafts across your | | | | question you should ask yourself before using an e |
| eyes and complexion causes other problems. | | | | cigarette, is whether vaping is considered an ordinary |
| | | | application? Your guess is as good as mine, so why |
| If you are considering the e cigarette as a stop | | | | take a chance with a product that is up to 90% |
| smoking aid you need to know what chemicals are | | | | propylene glycol. Some countries or states such as |
| involved and how switching to vaping will help you to | | | | California permit the sale or use of electronic |
| stop using nicotine. Proponents of e cigarettes, which | | | | cigarettes while countries such as Canada prohibit the, |
| include the manufacturers, take the position that the e | | | | importing, advertising or sale of e cigarettes. (2) |
| cigarette is less harmful than a regular cigarette. From | | | | 1) Dow Chemical: Product Safety Assessment: |
| a sheer volume of chemicals ingested they may have | | | | Propylene Glycol: Form No. 233-0248-KC-0406 |
| a point. However you should also consider the | | | | (2) Health Canada Advisory 2009-53 |
| average smoker consumes between 20 and 25 | | | | Nicotine 0-19 mgs per cartridge |
| cigarettes a day and takes on average 10 puff per | | | | Other Common Ingredients (Less than 1%) |
| cigarettes or 70,000 puffs per year. The e cigarette hit | | | | Trimethylpyrazine |
| the market in 2004 so it's a little early to know the | | | | Tetramethylpyrazine |
| long-term effects of inhaling vapors from the e | | | | Acetylpyrazine |
| cigarette. It would be easier to buy into the harm | | | | Ethylmaltol |
| reduction argument if we knew for certain the effects | | | | Terpineol |
| of inhaling 70,000 puffs of propylene glycol over a | | | | Guaiacol |
| ten-year period. | | | | Acetylpyridine |
| Below are some questions you should ask before | | | | Octalactone |
| considering an e cigarette. | | | | Q. Do e cigarettes contain more or less nicotine than |
| Q. What are the long-term effects of vaping | | | | pipe smoking, cigars or cigarettes? |
| propylene glycol? | | | | A. An un-smoked cigarette contains about 11 milligrams |
| A. We don't know | | | | of nicotine and the average smokers ends up with |
| Q. Is switching to an e cigarette a good way to stop | | | | about 1.2 milligrams per cigarette. E cigarettes are |
| smoking cigarettes? | | | | either flavored or contain 0-18mgs of nicotine. The |
| A. Cigarettes are nicotine delivery devices. As with | | | | amount of nicotine contained in an e cigarette will vary |
| any nicotine delivery device or product, sooner or later | | | | depending on brand and strength desired. There is |
| you will have to deal with and eliminate the | | | | some controversy regarding the amount of nicotine |
| consumption of nicotine in any form. | | | | actually delivered by an e cigarette. One study by |
| Q. Is the e cigarette safer than tobacco based | | | | Virginia Commonwealth University suggests they |
| cigarettes? | | | | deliver "little to no nicotine", while proponents and |
| A. Proponents of the e cigarette use the term "harm | | | | manufactures suggest the opposite. |
| reduction" rather than "safe". | | | | Q. How do I know whom to believe? |
| Q. Does switching to e cigarettes reduce or reinforce | | | | A. If you don't understand it, if it doesn't make |
| my habits? | | | | sense or you can't pronounce it, beware |
| A. It is very possible that you may end up vaping more | | | | Q. What is the quality control of e cigarettes? |
| than you were smoking, which will surely reinforce the | | | | A. Having tested several brands the FDA Center for |
| habitual aspect of smoking | | | | Drug Evaluation, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis |
| Q. Will vaping increase or decrease my dependency? | | | | (DPA) have suggested that quality control processes |
| A. You receptors care not where the nicotine is | | | | used to manufacture these products are inconsistent |
| coming from. The more nicotine you get the more | | | | or non existent (3) |
| desensitized your receptors become, which generally | | | | (3) FDA U.S. food and Drug Administration Summary |
| means you will need and want more, which could | | | | of Results: Laboratory Analysis 4/7/2010 |
| increase your dependency. | | | | Q. Is the e cigarette a good way to stop smoking? |
| Q. How do e cigarettes work? | | | | A. Switching to a different form of nicotine is a |
| A. When you inhale through the device, airflow is | | | | transfer of dependency. If you are serious about |
| automatically detected by a sensor; a microprocessor | | | | ending nicotine consumption, you will |
| inside the device activates something called the | | | | eventually have to eliminate the source. |
| atomizer, which injects tiny droplets of liquid into the | | | | Q. Are e cigarettes legal in my country jurisdiction? |
| flowing air, which vaporizes the ingredients. | | | | |