Why the Need for an Electronic Cigarette?
Smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans every year; second-hand smoke is responsible for close to 50,000 of the deaths. It is estimated that smoking will claim the lives of almost 6 million people by 2015. It can be argued that these statistics are strong enough to justify the need for a nicotine-delivery product like the electronic cigarette, which does not cause the fatalities associated with smoking tobacco cigarettes.
An electronic cigarette is safer than what it replaces
There is a dire need for a safer alternative to a traditional tobacco cigarette. Smokeless tobacco, and more recently, the electronic cigarette, have been seen to fulfill this need. There are not enough studies that conclusively prove the safety of electronic cigarettes. But for most part, they are safer than smoking tobacco sticks. For starters, there isn’t any tobacco smoke produced – this is the main culprit, causing cancer and cardiovascular conditions. What remains is the e-cigarette tube, which does not pose any danger unless you happen to swallow it or get poked in the eye with it! Then there is the nicotine, which is just as ‘dangerous’ as caffeine. The propylene glycol in an e-cigarette, when inhaled is also harmless.
What is yet to be ascertained is if some potentially toxic substances could be inadvertently added to electronic cigarettes during their manufacturing process. Until such time as the manufacturing of these devices is regulated, there can be no conclusive statement.
As it mimics smoking, it could potentially keep smokers off the cancer stick
The FDA hasn’t approved electronic cigarettes as a stop-smoking device. There have been a number of investigations on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in keeping smokers off tobacco cigarettes. Most of these have established electric cigarettes as being viable alternatives that help smoker limit and eventually quit the habit. However, concrete evidence is lacking. The patch and gum have been quite unsuccessful in their intended functions, while electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco have offered better results. Of the two again, the e-cigarette – which mimics the act of smoking so well – has addressed smokers’ needs more effectively, and it is not difficult to understand why. So, for smokers who are genuinely trying to cut down on their usage, the need for an electronic cigarette is worth emphasizing.
While safety is the biggest reason to justify the need for electronic cigarettes, it is true that this device can address two other important issues. As an e-cig does not produce tobacco smoke, it does not pollute the environment; vaping can be considered an eco-friendly activity.
Carelessly handled cigarette butts and lit cigarettes have been known to cause fire accidents. Electronic cigarettes do not pose the risk of fire outbreaks as they are wholly battery-operated, and do not involve any burning.