Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or e-cigs), also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), are battery-powered devices that have cartridges or refillable tanks containing a mixture primarily composed of propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin, nicotine, as well as a variety of flavourings. There are a variety of e-cigarette types available commercially, but they all have very similar modes of operation. Either inhalation or the use of a button will activate a pressure-sensitive circuit that heats the atomiser and turns the liquid into an aerosol that is then inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece and exhaled as a fine mist. The exhaled aerosol does not contain smoke, tar, or carbon monoxide, and studies have shown that the byproducts from their aerosols produce very low levels of air toxins. The success and the appeal of e-cigarettes for smokers who wish to quit are that while the products emulate smoking behaviour, they do not expose the user or those around them to the toxic smoke constituents of conventional cigarettes that are deleterious to health. This means that there would be a public health benefit if individual smokers completely switched to e-cigarettes or used them to substantially reduce their cigarette smoking habit. There are some concerns, however, that the use of e-cigarettes could be problematic at the population level. For instance, e-cigarettes could fuel and promote nicotine addiction, especially in children, and their acceptance has the potential to renormalise smoking behaviour. Some people also worry that e-cigarette use could also potentially serve as a gateway to other drugs and harmful substances. Below are some fantastic and very informative videos of Public Health experts giving their commentaries on vaping and e-cigarette use.

Professor Ann McNeill, Kings College London

Here, Professor Ann McNeil highlights the importance of distinguishing between vaping and smoking. Prof. McNeil says, “Cigarettes are so uniquely dangerous that we need to be encouraging smokers to stop smoking as soon as possible, and if they can’t do that with our help then e-cigarettes are a very important way of doing so… I think the benefits of e-cigarettes are enormous…they could be one of the most significant changes in public health this century. The difference in harm between e-cigarettes and cigarettes is enormous”. She goes on to say that if we can encourage any smokers who are struggling to quit to switch completely to e-cigarettes, they will not only reduce the “health harms” from smoking, but they will also reduce harm to those around them, such as children, and will help reduce the number of smoking role models that are in society.

Professor John Britton, University of Nottingham

This video shows Professor John Britton discussing the effects of “second hand vaping”. He explains that, “Smoking is the main cause of respiratory death and disability… Tobacco smoke contains nicotine and it also contains about four thousand other chemicals, many of which are toxic, many of which cause cancer…. We don’t know exactly what is in most electronic cigarette vapours, but what we do know is that the levels of these potential toxins are extremely low relative to tobacco smoke and very unlikely to cause harm to bystanders”.

Deborah Arnott, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

Here, Deborah Arnott from Action on Smoking and Health, discusses the concerns that have been raised regarding e-cigarettes being a gateway into smoking.

Professor Robert West, University College London

Professor Robert West, here explains that e-cigarettes are currently the most popular aid to smoking cessation. He says, “Looking at the constituents of the vapour that people are inhaling, we would expect them to be something in the region of 20 to 100, or possibly more, times safer than smoking a cigarette”. He importantly goes on to explain, “That’s not to say that they would be completely safe, but they are certainly much much safer than a cigarette, and for the bystanders there are no significant health risks”.

So… There is no doubt that using an electronic cigarette is far better for your health than inhaling the thousands of chemicals from burning tobacco in standard cigarettes. However, e-cigarette users should be aware that not all eliquids are created equal. There is a huge variation in quality across brands – because there are currently no regulations in place regarding electronic cigarettes, anyone can manufacture eliquid (often in their bath tubs at home or the garden shed), or import low quality eliquids from countries, such as China. EL-Science was established to raise the quality of eliquid in the UK, as well as on a global scale. Eliquid manufactured by EL-Science’s qualified chemists has gone through full process control in our state-of-the-art Production Laboratory and has been fully analysed in our Analytical Laboratory, to ensure that the nicotine content is correct and at safe levels, and that chemicals, such as diacetyl, acetylpropionyl and acetoin, which are potentially hazardous to your respiratory health, are not present. For more information on the differences between smoking and vaping click here to view a slide show by our Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Jaydene Halliday.