ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Electronic, or “e,” cigarettes are a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. While these products are often marketed as less dangerous than traditional cigarettes, they may not be as safe as you think.
Vaping involves the use of “e-cigarettes” battery operated devices that look like a real cigarette or pen. While they’re often marketed to help people quit smoking, most e-cigarettes still contain nicotine along with other toxic substances like lead, cadmium and nickel.
Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, told Ivanhoe, “Vaping products range from around zero to 36 milligrams of nicotine per package, per volume.”
The American Lung Association says using the devices may cause irreversible lung damage and lung disease. And e-cigarettes are the most commonly-used tobacco products among kids!
Another danger the devices can cause burns or fires. A man in the U.S. recently made headlines when he died after his vape pen exploded in his face. Experts say: only charge e-cigarettes with their designated charger, and don’t leave them charging overnight. If the batteries get hot, throw them out. Don’t use the device while it’s charging or if the batteries are damaged. But if you really want to play it safe, you might want to ditch the e-cigarette altogether.
While e-cigarettes aren’t considered risk-free, most experts agree that they are less dangerous than cigarettes. Cigarette smoking kills almost half a million people a year in the U.S.
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Jamison Koczan, Videographer and Editor.
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