E-cigarettes: things we should know about a growing trend
There's smoke, but no fire in e-cigarettes. Oh, and they don't stink. But does that really make them a healthy alternative? Take a closer look with our gallery.
A new hip, trend
Health awareness days come and go, as do fashions...but are e-cigarettes a worthy fad? With awareness growing, the debate around e-cigarettes is also heating up. How much of an alternative are e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes? And how should they be treated by the law?
How they work
E-cigarettes consist of a vaporizer and a container with a flavored nicotine solution. When the smoker draws on the e-cigarette, the liquid vaporizes and the vapor can be inhaled. The device is battery-powered, and the battery has to be recharged regularly, for example via a USB-connector on a computer.
The spice of life
The most popular solutions are tobacco and tobacco-menthol flavored. Then there are fruity flavors, such as strawberry and apple. You can choose between different nicotine strengths, but there are also solutions which do not contain any nicotine at all - or any flavor.
It doesn't stop at cigarettes
There are electronic cigars and pipes and a mini-version of a cigarette. A one-way cigarette for the occasional smoker costs about ten euros.
No tobacco
Smoking is defined as "breathing in smoke from burning substances, [or] burning parts of plants." The main difference with e-cigarettes is nothing burns. That's why e-cigarettes are said to be less harmful than tobacco smoking. But as the liquids contain nicotine, they can still cause a strong addiction.
Legislation debate
There's a big debate over whether e-cigarettes should fall under smoking legislation - in Germany and other European countries. If they were treated the same way as normal cigarettes, e-cigarettes would have to be banned from restaurants and pubs. But for now they are - technically - allowed.
Mysterious ingredients
E-cigarette liquids contain many chemicals. One, for example, is propylene glycol, a colorless, almost odorless organic compound. It is used in smoke machines, as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, as a food additive, and in toothpaste.
Health risks unknown
So is it better to continue smoking tobacco cigarettes or switch to e-cigarettes? Some experts say e-cigarettes are less harmful. But your best option is to stop smoking altogether. More and more studies are finding health risks associated with e-cigarettes. But there are no long-term studies yet. So who knows what we'll find down the track.