We all know that smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick and most smokers have at some stage wished that a new invention would come along to get rid of their cigarette cravings.
Now electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have emerged onto the marketplace and more than 2 million smokers in the UK have turned to them as a way to quit smoking tobacco.
As their use has tripled over the past two years, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has become increasingly concerned over safety issues reported about these products, particularly fire risks and the potential for children to be poisoned.
Whilst e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, new legislation is being proposed which will ban the sale of these products to under-18s in this country and similar plans have also been announced in the USA.
E-cigarettes use a small battery and atomiser to turn nicotine liquid into an inhalable mist that is an alternative to tobacco smoke. The water vapour is almost odourless and designed to be harmless to both the user and anyone else in the room. They are often sold in flavours such as strawberry and in bright coloured packaging, both of which can be appealing to children.
There have been reports that very young children are copying their parents’ behaviour by putting e-cigarettes into their mouths when unsupervised. This has led to a number of children being poisoned by ingesting the liquids contained in the e-cigarette. Many parents are failing to realise that e-cigarettes should not be left unattended when children are around even though they are not “alight” like traditional cigarettes.
Another area of concern is the risk of e-cigarettes overheating and catching fire, especially when they are plugged into a mains supply or a USB port and left to charge. Last year, 68-year-old Evelyn Raywood was killed when a fire tore through her care home in Hasland, Derbyshire. Fire investigators ruled that a heated battery pack used overnight to charge her e-cigarette overheated and sparked a fire which sadly caused her death.
It’s important to remember that e-cigarettes are relatively new to the marketplace and there are no specific regulations governing their safety. The cigarettes themselves do not currently need a CE Mark (a sign that shows consumers that a product should be safe). As such, consumers should exercise caution when considering whether to buy or use these products.
The law also currently allows e-cigarettes to be smoked in public places. Following claims that e-cigarettes help to
normalise smoking, along with concerns that their use in public undermines the existing tobacco smoking ban, there have been proposals for a ban on their use in public places in Wales.
Here at RoSPA, we completely understand how difficult it can be to kick a habit like smoking cigarettes, but our message is clear – if you want to use e-cigarettes as a substitute for smoking tobacco then please be aware of some of the reported hazards associated with them.
Always buy them from a reputable retailer, avoid charging overnight if possible and keep them well out of the reach of children at all times.
I hope that this blog has been of use to you, and good luck if you are trying to kick the habit!
Philip LeShirley, RoSPA product safety adviser.