Everything you ever wanted to know about Electronic Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes were invented in 1995 and have only been widely used for a few years. This is one of those things on which you have to make your own decision. However, many people regard the decision to inhale a cool mist with just a few ingredients, none of which are known to be toxic , or alternatively inhale something on fire filled with thousands of ingredients is, what is popularly termed, a no-brainer - which is why ecigarettes are taking the world by storm. Browse around my site, ask questions, leave a comment and help me to help you to become an informed consumer. We are adults, and as such, we can make informed decisions to use nicotine or not. The question is, how should we use nicotine? I say it is a win-win!! There is no second-hand smoke, mostly water vapor comes out of them. Many of the problems related to smoking are because of the risks associated with second-hand smoke! Be informed. Make informed decisions! Happy Vaping!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Another Good Reason to Vape!!!


More than 360 billion cigarettes were smoked in the United States in 2007, creating an estimated total
of 135,000,000 pounds of discarded butts. Cigarette butts make up 38 percent of litter worldwide and
are considered the leading litter problem in the United States.

Courtesy: www.CASAA.org

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Physician Urges Public Not to Use Electronic Cigarettes, Claiming that They Involve Combustion


by Dr. Michael Siegel
In an article about electronic cigarettes at the KTLA (Los Angeles) web site, a physician is quoted as cautioning the public about the use of these products because they involve combustion.
According to the article: "some doctors say not enough is known about the cigarettes to determine if they pose a health risk. 'We don't know if they offer any potential health risk or not,' said Dr. Clark Fuller of Saint John's Health Center. 'What we do know is it involves a combustion and a release of a vapor that is inhaled in the lungs. The chemical makeup of that vapor is unknown.'"

Wrong on both accounts.

First of all, electronic cigarettes do not involve combustion. The juice is heated with an electric element to vaporize the nicotine, but there is no combustion. You do not "light" an electronic cigarette. Since there is no combustion, there is no smoke. Most importantly, there is no tobacco involved.

Second of all, we do know the chemical makeup of electronic cigarette vapor. There are a number of laboratory studies in which the composition of electronic cigarette vapor was analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. I have summarized the major findings of these studies in the review article I co-authored with Zachary Cahn, which was published in the Journal of Public Health Policy.
This story illustrates two important points.

First, there remains a great deal of misinformation, even among health professionals, about electronic cigarettes. These products have now been on the market for more than four years. Much has been written about them, both in the lay press and in scientific journals. Yet so many health professionals are apparently so eager to criticize the product and discourage smokers from using it to quit that they have not taken the time to research the basic facts about electronic cigarettes.

Second, the story illustrates that many health care professionals have a deeply rooted bias against the idea of an alternative nicotine delivery system that resembles a cigarette, even if it may be much safer. Clearly, this physician has very little knowledge upon to which to make a statement to the media that will be carried internationally. He doesn't even know whether electronic cigarettes involve combustion or not, nor does he know, apparently, whether there are any laboratory studies on the composition of electronic cigarette vapor. Nevertheless, he is willing to make (factually incorrect) public statements to the media about the product. This suggests to me that he (and many other health care professionals) have an inherent bias against these products, and that their statements are being guided purely by ideology, and not by science.

This physician has made not one, but two factual errors in his statement to the press. In my opinion, you really should be an expert on an issue, or at least know a moderate amount about it, before you make public statements that could have national implications for the public's health. 

Friday, May 4, 2012

What is Nicotine?


Nicotine (C10H14N2) is a naturally occurring alkaloid. An alkaloid is an organic compound made out of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sometimes oxygen. These chemicals have potent effects on the human body. For example, many people regularly enjoy the stimulating effects of another alkaloid, caffeine, as they drink a cup or two of coffee in the morning.
Nicotine normally makes up about 5 percent of a tobacco plant, by weight. Cigarettes contain 8 to 20 milligrams (mg) of nicotine (depending on the brand), but only approximately 1 mg is actually absorbed by your body when you smoke a cigarette. This is why it is important to pay attention to the concentration of nicotine in your E-juice or cartomizer.
Nicotine moves right into the small blood vessels that line the tissues of the airways. From there, nicotine travels through your bloodstream to the brain, and then is delivered to the rest of your body.­
 Although nicotine takes a lot of different actions throughout your body, what it does in the brain is responsible for both the good feelings you get from smoking, as well as the irritability you feel if you try to quit . Within 10 to 15 seconds of inhaling, most smokers are experiencing nicotine's effects. Nicotine doesn't stick around your body for too long. It has a half-life of about 60 minutes, meaning that six hours after a cigarette, only about 0.031 mg of the 1 mg of nicotine you inhaled remains in your body. That's why people light up so often, to keep their "nicotine level" up!
Nicotine changes how your brain  functions. The  results are somewhat of a paradox: Nicotine can both stimulate and relax a smoker, depending on how much nicotine is consumed. This effect is not uncommon. Although the actions of nicotine and caffeine in the body are quite different, you also see dose-dependent effects. This is true of alcohol as well. When you have your first drink, it may loosen your inhibitions and lower your defense mechanisms, and you're having fun! After several drinks, well, that's why there are DUI limits.
Nicotine initially causes a rapid release of adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormone. The "fight or flight" hormone was very useful to cavemen, early settlers and hunters. It kept them safe in a fear laden world. They had to act fast, fight or flight! That rush of adrenaline helped them think or move quickly by:
  • Increasing the heart rate
  • Raising blood pressure
  • Rapid, shallow breathing
Adrenaline also tells your body to dump some of its available glucose into your blood for rapid energy. Nicotine itself may also block the release of another hormone called insulin. Insulin tells your cells to take up excess glucose from your blood. Having more sugar than usual in the blood provides more fuel. Some people think that nicotine also curbs their appetite so that they eat less. This hyperglycemia could be one explanation why: Their bodies and brain may see the excess sugar and down-regulate the hormones and other signals that are perceived as hunger.
Nicotine also helps the brain release and use certain neurotransmitters like; Dopamine. which is responsible for feelings of well-being, Glutamate, which is associated with learning and memory, and Endorphins, which are related to mental sharpness and pain control. Many athletes push that extra mile seeking that "rush" of Endorphins. As well as Serotonin and Norepinepherine. These effects make nicotine very habit forming if not addictive. 
The hazards of ingesting nicotine by smoking come from the combustion of the tobacco leaves.  Much like inhaling a campfire or smoke from a house fire or anything else on fire.  The tars are produced from combustion.