anwhile, the second ad called “What Could Go Wrong” sends a strong message that e-cigarettes are backed up by the big tobacco industry.
The hazards of e-cigarette use have not been completely identified, but the Department of Public Health says that the chemicals inhaled through vaping can cause lung cancer as well.
In a news report, it is said that the number of calls to poison control centers due to liquid nicotine poisoning found in e-cigarettes has gone up in recent years.
In previous years, recorded calls due to liquid nicotine poisoning were just one call per month. In contrast, in February of this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported calls have gone up to 215.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed to regulate electronic cigarettes which includes packaging, putting a childproof cap and warning labels. According to Dr. Tim McAfee, CDC’s office on Smoking and Health director, the general public doesn’t know that liquid nicotine is toxic and may post a risk not only to adults but to children aged 5 and even younger who out of curiosity attempt to puff the e-cigarette. Nicotine is toxic to the brain and may trigger seizure, vomiting and accelerated heart rate.
Although there isn’t yet a single death case reported related to liquid nicotine poisoning, this is not far from happening as e-cigarettes contain high concentration of nicotine enough to kill a child, says McAfee.
In another news release, Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC director said, that e-cigarette is highly attractive to children because of its packaging. The e-cigarettes come in candy and fruit flavors sure enough to entice any kid, oftentimes mistaking it for its purpose.
It has been said that e-cigarette is an effective tool that can aid a cigarette addict to cut down or stop smoking. To the right hands it can be useful but if it gets in the hands of minors, there lies a big problem.
With all the negative effects being attached to hookah smoking lately, a new trend has started to emerge in the form of hookah pens. The question is: are they safe?
First let’s get to know more about it. What’s a hookah pen and how does it work?
Dr. Donald Bucklin, Regional Medical Director for U.S. HealthWorks, described a hookah pen in his op-ed article on Rocklin and Roseville Today as “an e-cigarette for the avant-garde.” That’s probably because it sports a stylish and colorful design that are quickly attracting the attention of club goers, regular smokers, and even some celebrities.
Hookah pens are available in different flavors, such as Grape, Vanilla, Coffee, Strawberry, Blueberry, Peach, Apple, and more. They are advertised as tobacco-, tar-, and nicotine-free.
Making up a hookah pen are the battery, the filling, and the evaporator. When you take a puff, the battery heats up the evaporator to vaporize a liquid that you inhale. At the end of a hookah pen is an LED light which illuminates every time you inhale.
In addition to being trendy, hookah pens are widely favored because they are portable that you can practically carry one anywhere you go. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to one very important question: do they make a safer alternative to hookah smoking?
As Dr. Bucklin pointed out: “The use of a hookah pen is not dangerous in and of itself.” However, they do not come without some consequences.
The biggest danger of hookah pens is they can encourage people to smoke more of it and may even lead to a certain level of addiction. People who use hookah pen may also experience throat ache or muscle aches given the product’s Propylene Glycol content.
It’s also noteworthy to understand that a hookah pen is only good for 500 up to 700 puffs, which means, if you are a heavy hookah smoker you may end up spending ten dollars a week or double that amount.
The long-term effect of smoking hookah pens, if there’s any, is not fully known. Some say that even though the product is being advertised as nicotine-free, it still contains very small amount of nicotine, the basic ingredient found in cigarettes. Now whether a hookah 