For those that don’t know, electronic cigarettes, or E-Cigarettes, are small rechargeable electronic devices that light up and “smoke” like a real cigarette. But instead of dragging on burning tobacco leaves, you are sucking on a replaceable cartridge of vaporized liquid tobacco with other chemicals, propylene glycol for instance which is a type of anti-freeze. You then inhale this vapor to get the effect of tobacco without the smoke.
The concept of this may seem like a healthier cigarette, after all there is zero tar and when properly used there should be about the same amount of nicotine delivered to the system. But the danger comes with the nicotine itself. Nicotine in its natural form, tobacco leaves, cannot really harm you if it comes in contact with your skin. If the cigarette breaks you simply grab the dried leaves with your bare hands and toss them in the garbage.
This is not the case with the nicotine liquid found in the cartridge of an E-cigarette. This liquid, if ingested, is poisonous. If a small child or pet chewed the cartridge it could easily harm and may even kill them. Just the vapor from this concentrated nicotine liquid used to manufacture these cartridges can make you sick and the liquid can actually kill a full-sized adult if you get it on the skin.
Two e-cigs advocate sites, www.e-cigarette-forum.com and www.vapersforum.com give detailed instruction on the precautions required to reload these cartridges, including using rubber gloves and locking up the concentrate and mixing tools. Advocates of electronic cigarettes are warning of potential legislation if someone dies as a result of being exposed to this liquid. Their fears are valid, especially since the FDA already has its sights set on these devices. Want to know more? I’ll explore the history of e-cigs in my next post.
