5 Facts You Need to Know About E-Cigarettes

Approximately nine out of ten smokers say they want to quit smoking. Dr. Michael Blaha, Clinical Research Director at Johns Hopkins Medicine Ciccarone Center for Heart Disease Prevention, in collaboration with Anadolu Health Center, states that quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health, as smoking damages almost every organ in the body, particularly the heart. "About one-third of deaths related to heart disease are caused by smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke," he added.

Dr. Blaha emphasized that many people turn to e-cigarettes as a way to help transition to quitting smoking completely, and provided important information about e-cigarettes.

First Fact: There Are Fewer Chemicals Than in Cigarettes, But It's Still Not Harmless

E-cigarettes heat nicotine (derived from tobacco), flavors, and other chemicals to create the vapor you inhale. Regular cigarettes, made from tobacco, contain 7,000 chemicals, most of which are toxic. While it is not fully known which chemicals are present in e-cigarettes, there is no doubt that they expose the user to fewer harmful chemicals compared to traditional cigarettes.

Second Fact: E-Cigarettes Are Harmful to Your Health

Nicotine is the main ingredient in both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and it is highly addictive. Even if you don’t feel the craving to smoke, nicotine can still cause you to miss smoking and experience withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine is also a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and causes a surge of adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack. There are still many unknowns regarding the chemicals in the vapor and how they affect physical health in the long term.

Third Fact: E-Cigarettes Are Just As Addictive As Traditional Cigarettes

E-cigarettes, like regular cigarettes, contain nicotine, and research shows that nicotine can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Many e-cigarette users end up consuming more nicotine than with a tobacco product because extra-strong cartridges with higher nicotine concentrations can be purchased, or the voltage of the e-cigarette can be increased to draw in more substance.

Fourth Fact: E-Cigarettes Are Not the Best Tool for Quitting Smoking

Although e-cigarettes are marketed as a tool to help quit smoking, they have not yet been approved as such. Recent research indicates that most people who try to quit smoking using e-cigarettes end up continuing to smoke both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Fifth Fact: A New Generation Is Becoming Addicted to Nicotine

E-cigarettes are more common among young people than traditional tobacco products. The U.S. Secretary of Health reported in 2015 that e-cigarette use among high school students increased by 900%, with 40% of young e-cigarette users having never used a regular tobacco product.

Dr. Michael Blaha highlighted three reasons why e-cigarettes are especially appealing to young people. First, many young people believe using e-cigarettes is less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes. Second, the per-use cost of e-cigarettes is lower than that of traditional cigarettes. Third, e-cigarette cartridges often contain flavors like apple pie and watermelon, which are marketed to young users. Both young people and adults find the lack of smoke appealing. Additionally, because e-cigarettes do not produce a smell, it reduces the likelihood of being labeled as a smoker.

E-Cigarette Labels Do Not Match Their Contents

Dr. Esra Sönmez, a Pulmonologist from Anadolu Medical Center in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine, stated that one of the common questions asked in smoking cessation clinics is about the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco addiction treatment. "E-cigarettes are made more attractive to young people by adding fruity, sweet additives. Studies have shown that different e-cigarette brands may contain different substances, and their contents do not always match the label information. E-cigarettes can lead to addiction and impair respiratory system function. Additionally, while data on short-term health risks of e-cigarettes is limited, the long-term health risks remain unknown," she said.