Hidden dangers of 'healthy' cigarettes

[onehandle]

Source: Yahoo News

'E-cigarettes' are sold as a healthier alternative to real cigarettes as smokers can get their nicotine fix without inhaling tobacco, tar or carbon monoxide. But trading standards are concerned children could buy the fakes and suffer exposure to damaging levels of nicotine.

The government should ban sales to under-18s and force manufacturers to label them as hazardous, in line with current regulations for real cigarettes, regulators are now advising.

First developed in China, 'e-cigarettes' look almost identical to real ones, but are made of stainless steel and run on batteries. Inside is a cartridge of liquid nicotine, which vaporises when heated so the user inhales droplets of the drug and breathes out a mist rather than smoke.

Initially the metal cigarettes were traded mainly online, but they are now appearing in high-street stores and market stalls, feeding a demand from consumers trying to dodge the smoking ban. But tests by UK trading standards officers revealed levels of nicotine in some products that breach "highly toxic", the level that would normally need a warning label. The so-called healthier alternative is already banned in Australia.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14/20090313/tpl-hidden-dangers-of-healthy-cigarettes-81c5b50.html

[NMDemDist2]

1. hubby and I both use them

he hasn't smoked a ciggy since 11/11/08 and I went from 2 packs a day to 3 packs a week

[Abacus]

5. I quit ten days ago

It's my first attempt after smoking for 13 years; not so fun. I thought I was doing pretty well, but I had dreams about smoking last night and have been craving all morning. :freak:

It's good to know there's an alternative if it doesn't work out.

[wysimdnwyg]

11. Good luck

Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I ever did. After several aborted attempts, not to mention a few brief relapses since this latest one started in early 2000, I'm very glad to be able to say I haven't had a smoke in over eight years.

A friend who has always smoked a lot more than I ever did (I never quite reached 2pks/day vs his 3pks/day) has never been able to make it even one day. He's using these now and, at least from my perspective, they're great. He can puff away, but he only pulls this out once every 20-30 minutes when we play poker and takes a couple of hits. If he could actually smoke at our table, he'd go through two packs during a 5-6 hour game.

I'm sure there are health risks, as nicotine itself is a carcinogen, but from the outside looking in, I think they're great. Now if I can find a way to stop eating gum or snacks all friggen day.

[bain_sidhe]

16. "nicotine itself is a carcinogen"?

Actually, I can't find anything that suggests that at all. I've found a lot that indicates that nicotine may cause arteriosclerosis, and also raise cholesterol, but even that is uncertain because it hasn't been tested enough using only NRT (therefore some toxin in the smoke could be causing it, or boosting nicotine's effect on arteries and cholesterol). And I haven't seen anything at all that indicates that nicotine itself is carcinogenic.

Can you point me to your sources? I don't mean that in a snarky way, either... I've been researching this for a couple of days now - it's become very important to me, because today's the day I stop my NRT. Or not. So far, I've just had munchies, and a headache that ibuprofen took care of. But I felt I really needed to know if long-term nicotine replacement was an option, just in case...

**edit: close parenthesis, damn it!**

[bitchkitty]

20. Best of luck -

as a teen and young adult, I had been addicted to every substance known to be addictive, but I put them all behind me with little effort. Little effort compared to quitting smoking - I can't quit. I have tried. The craving never, ever went away. :(

[lazer47]

2. This is one I don't understand,, since nicotine is more addictive than cocaine

[annabanana]

4. . .nicotine, all by itself is not NEARLY as toxic as tobacco...

That's the point.

[Bryn]

9. Actually you can choose non-nicotine kind for e-cigarette

[bitchkitty]

21. Ah, a fellow imbiber of non-toxic herbal remedy!

I've tried substituting (second time I tried to quit, I did not smoke anything else but tobacco) with cannabis once. It worked to some extent, but I did not have the funds to keep up with that. So when I ran out of herb, I eventually bought a pack of cigs to keep me company. I'm so weak. :(

[annabanana]

3. That beats banning them outright... DH has but his tobacco consumption

by 3/4 since finding those things..

They are a god send.

[jmowreader]

6. Is the tobacco tax in England that high?

I did a web search for these. In the US, these run $75-$150 for the starter kit, and $20 for cartridges. Over a period of time this works out cheaper than tobacco cigarettes...but how many kids are into amortization?

[Wizard777]

7. This is basically a THC vaporizer for nicotine. Interesting.

[Ernesto]

8. Clean Coal?

[Lost in CT]

10. Yeah cause kids are more likely to drop over a hundred bucks for an electronic cigarette

than 4 bucks for a pack of twenty...

It sounds like the puritans are more worried about anyone receiving pleasure than anything else....

The what about the children is clearly a smoke screen (Pun unintended)

[zonkers]

12. 4 trillion tossed cigarette butts a year kill millions of fish, birds and mammals each year...

Yes this is a thread jack!....Reminding smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly.

And if you are really feeling ambitious, apply to Keep America Beautiful for a grant to install cigarette butt receptacles in your neighborhood. Deadline for grants is June. I don't have the link.

[Mojorabbit]

14. I find that hard to believe

I do wildlife rehab and most wild animals and birds are pretty particular as to what they will eat. It may be true but it has not been my experience.

[ConcernedCanuk]

15. Good point that - the pollution just from the butts, mostly filters - thrown all over the place

.
.

I never paid attention to the "butt" thing until about 15 years ago,

when visiting a friend who lived out in the country,

springtime it was, noticed hundreds of cigarette butts around his front door

That's where he liked to smoke - outside in the sun - appreciating the view of his country spot

I was so grossed out that I have never purposely thrown a butt on the ground since, even when camping

I'd wink out the butt and put it in my pocket, then put it in the ashtray/garbage when I got back to my camper/house

BUT

I don't have that problem anymore

quit smoking Dec 7 last year

no intention of restarting

[Union Yes]

13. Please people, don't blame vaporizors.

Blame the lack of standards on this imported crap. I'm willing to bet most of these are made in China. With little oversight into how much of a dose these ecig vapes give per puff.

Vaporizing is a godsend to medicinal pot patients that are concerned about breathing any smoke, including pot.

Properly used, a vaporizor delivers a clean smoke free dose of THC for those who need it for medical use. Or for those who use for rec purposes.

I have used 3 different brands of vaporizors. BC, Volcano, Vapor Brothers.

All 3 were super easy to use. Used a small amount of herb to achieve the water vapor mist. All 3 delivered a clean mist and I recommend any of these. They range in price fromm $100-$800.

They basically heat a small amount of water and herb to the point that water vapor forms in a collection device. That water vapor contains the THC released by the heated bud. The bud is not heated to the point of smoke but instead gently heated to the point where it releases the THC stored in the plant matter.

I've owned a Vapor Brothers vaporizor for 5 years now and love it.

Peace

[crimsonblue]

17. I loved my Vapor Bros.....

You could pull on that thing for a couple of hours without replacing the bud (assuming you are pulling every 10 min or so).... :D

[rcrush]

18. I have a Silver Surfer.

I love it so much.

[Bonobo]

19. The Hidden Dangers of Challenging the Cigarette Industry is more like it. nt