What is the Electronic Cigarette
The electronic cigarette is a device designed to simulate and replace, both in its use and appearance, traditional systems for smoking tobacco derivatives, such as cigarettes or cigars. Similar to conventional counterparts, electronic cigarettes can contain a variable quantity of nicotine, which they enclose in special cartridges together with a chemical mixture typically composed of water, propylene glycol, glycerol and other substances. This mixture is made to vaporize, passing from the liquid to the vapor state, due to the heat.
Here is how electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes ) work: the atomizer heats a liquid solution containing variable percentages (depending on the model) of nicotine, flavorings and other chemical products; due to the heat, this mixture is transformed into steam, which, once inhaled by the user, allows one to experience a sensation similar to that associated with the use of cigarettes or other traditional methods for smoking tobacco. As there is no combustion toxic residues due to this process are missing (tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.), so electronic cigarettes are probably safer than traditional products used to inhale smoke. Despite this, the benefits and possible risks associated with these devices are much discussed in terms of safety, efficacy and acceptable quality. Due to the relative novelty of technology, tobacco laws and drug administration policies, public health surveys and laws governing the sale and use of electronic cigarettes are currently hotly debated in many countries. including Italy
How she was born
Since the 1950s, industrialized societies have become increasingly aware that a growing number of people were developing health problems related to smoking cigarette tobacco. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik developed the electronic cigarette after his father, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer. Hon Lik applied his first patent to the electronic cigarette introduced into the Chinese market by the Golden Dragon Holdings, later renamed "Ruyan" to make it more representative of the product (Ruyan means "almost like smoke"). Ruyan has continued to develop and distribute the electronic cigarette to become one of the world's largest producers. Similarly, Dr. Sam Han (Cixi E-CIG Technology) has also developed a number of inventions related to electronic cigarette technology, including four US patents and two in China. After the distribution of Ruyan and Cixi E-CIG electronic cigarettes in Asia, the products started to be sold in significant quantities also on the Internet. In Europe, the product gained popularity first in the UK, thanks to Greg Carson, the first to "westernize" the "Electro Fag" electronic cigarette.
Components
Electronic cigarettes are available in different shapes and sizes, often artfully modeled to resemble their conventional counterparts. Common components include: a liquid solution, a cartridge, an atomizer (vaporizer and cartomizer) and a power source (rechargeable battery and internal electronic circuit). Many electronic cigarettes are made up of replaceable parts, while disposable devices combine all the components into a single part that is discarded when the liquid contained runs out. Cartridge replacement packs vary in price depending on the amount of nicotine declared.
Cartridge
It generally serves as both a liquid and a filter tank. The solution contained in the cartridge may contain different concentrations of nicotine (high, medium, low or absent). Furthermore, different flavors are available that simulate the taste of tobacco or reproduce a wide range of tastes (example: mint). The cartridge is designed to allow the passage of liquid into the atomizer and the vapor to the user's mouth. When the liquid runs out, users can refill or replace the cartridge. A refill is equivalent to about 7-25 normal cigarettes, depending on the nicotine content, but its duration obviously depends on how the device is used.
Atomizer
is the central component of the electronic cigarette. It generally consists of a small heating element responsible for the vaporization of the liquid.
Power
most portable devices contain a rechargeable battery, which tends to be the largest component of an electronic cigarette. The battery can contain an electronic flow sensor that is activated by the user's inspiration through the device; other models, on the other hand, use a power button that must be pressed during operation. An LED can also be used to indicate activation. Some manufacturers also offer a portable cigarette-shaped refill containing a larger battery. The devices can have additional features and support for a wide range of internal batteries, accessories and atomizers.
operation
- The user inhales through the filter.
- The air flow operates a sensor in the battery, which is thus activated.
- The vaporizer heats the liquid solution contained in the cartridge. At the same time, a LED is activated at the end of the electronic cigarette to simulate the color of the burning of a conventional cigarette.
- The user gets a puff of hot gas, which inhales like tobacco smoke.
- During expiration, steam, thanks to the presence of propylene glycol (PEG), simulates the visual sensation that is obtained by smoking traditional cigarettes. The steam emitted by the device disperses quickly.
Health effects
Electronic cigarettes are often advertised as substitutes and alternatives to tobacco or as smoking cessation devices.
The different marketing strategies related to the electronic cigarette highlight several (alleged) advantages:
- For smokers who do not intend to stop smoking tobacco, the electronic cigarette is a way to "smoke" even in environments where there is a ban on conventional smoking, such as planes, restaurants and workplaces.
- For smokers who do not want to give up nicotine addiction, some studies suggest that switching to electronic cigarettes reduces the potential damage attributable to their habit.
- For people who want to quit, some suggest that electronic cigarettes can help in the transition from smokers to non-smokers.
However, the health benefits associated with these statements may be based on inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information. In July 2013, the World Health Organization took a position on it, stating that no rigorous studies have yet been conducted to determine whether electronic cigarettes are really effective in helping people quit smoking.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has questioned the safety of these products after detecting quantities of nicotine different from what was declared, and traces of toxic chemicals including known carcinogenic components (such as nitrosamines) in samples of two very popular brands. This prompted the FDA to issue a warning about the potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes.
When electronic cigarettes are used as smoking cessation aids, they are intended to provide nicotine directly to the lungs. All other regulated and approved products for smoking cessation, such as nicotine patches and chewing gum, on the other hand, provide it in other ways. Therefore, the biological mechanism by which smoking cessation can be achieved using the electronic cigarette is still unknown.
Although the artificial "smoke" of electronic cigarettes appears to contain less toxins than those found in traditional cigarette smoke, the long-term health impact must still be deepened.
Lacking reliable data on the efficacy and safety of the electronic cigarette, until independent mid-term and long-term studies are carried out, it will not be possible to take a clear position on its health effects. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, electronic cigarettes should be avoided at least by young people and by pregnant women; moreover, it is always good to remember that:
the most important risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking (and this also applies to passive smoking). This means that the more you smoke (or the more you breathe in life), the more likely you are to get sick.
Only in Italy there are 37, 000 new cases of lung cancer each year, which is responsible for 30, 000 deaths a year. The percentage of deaths from lung cancer due to cigarette smoking is around 90% in men and 70% in women.
Safety and potential toxicity
The absolute safety of electronic cigarettes has not yet been scientifically proven, and preliminary studies showing the opposite are not lacking. However, it is likely that these products have less toxic effects than cigars, cigarettes and the like. However, clinical confirmations are insufficient to draw definitive conclusions, although some experimental evidence is promising and suggests that these devices are safer than traditional cigarettes. However, this does not mean that electronic cigarettes are completely harmless.
Generally, electronic cigarettes seem to provide less nicotine than tobacco smoke. In tobacco derivatives, nicotine is the main addictive chemical and in excessive quantities it can be toxic (if> 0.5-1.0 mg per kg of weight of the person). The nicotine concentration contained in the cartridges can therefore represent a risk for poisoning; for example, if a child weighing 30 kilos swallows the contents of a 24 mg nicotine cartridge, he could be subjected to acute poisoning. Nicotine inhaled, ingested or placed in direct contact with the skin, can be particularly dangerous for the health and safety of certain categories of people, such as children, young people, pregnant or nursing women, subjects with heart disease and seniors.
Electronic cigarettes, their nicotine cartridges and refill accessories must be kept out of the reach of children, to avoid the risk of choking or poisoning due to improper use in childhood.
Since electronic cigarettes do not generate smoke through the combustion of tobacco, their use is commonly considered safer by consumers. However, the chemicals used in electronic cigarettes have not been fully studied and regulated.
Experimentation with some of these products suggests the presence of toxic chemicals. A preliminary analysis by the FDA Pharmaceutical Analysis Division analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, FDA analyzes found diethylene glycol, a chemical toxic to humans, usually used as an additive for antifreeze fluids. In many other samples, FDA analyzes have found carcinogens, including specific tobacco nitrosamines (TSNAs) and formaldehyde. Finally, the analyzes revealed nicotine in some cartridges declared to be free of the substance. In Italy, batches of refills for electronic cigarettes containing benzene have been intercepted. Acrolein and formaldehyde are other known substances of concern.
It is presumable that in the future - thanks to regulation and strict surveillance of production processes, together with the use of safer chemicals and materials for the health of the trader - electronic cigarettes become an increasingly safer alternative to tobacco smoke. In the meantime, it is a good idea to be wary of cheaper products and avoid procuring electronic cigarettes and / or top-ups through risk channels (markets, suspicious websites, etc.).
