Regulating Electronic Cigarettes: Is it Possible?
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In 2003, a Hong Kong-based Chinese pharmacist invented the world’s first electronic cigarettes, which a year later, was introduced in the market. Since this invention is relatively new, there are various claims regarding their safety and perceived benefits. There are also doubts whether the benefits of using this device are true or not. Various organizations have voiced out their support or opposition of the use of these e-cigarettes. If you are planning to use this device, you certainly want to know which of these claims are true or not.

The US Food and Drug Administration want to regulate the manufacturing and use of electronic cigarettes. Since this is a new invention, the FDA believed that it is not regulated enough. There may also be potential risks. There are still no conclusive studies on the potential harmful effects of inhaling nicotine vapor. The FDA also believes that since there are no strong regulations regarding the manufacturing of these devices, the quality and safety standards may not be properly observed by manufacturers. For instances, in one of their studies, there are traces of nicotine found in some cartridge that are marked not to contain any nicotine.

However, it is legal to use these devices in the US. In fact, the American Association of Public Health Physicians gave their support to the use of e-cigarettes. The risk of people being subjected to secondhand tobacco smoke decreases significantly with the use of these devices. The smoke that comes out of it is harmless and does not contain any of the known carcinogenic chemicals found in conventional cigarettes.

Perhaps the best advocates of electronic cigarettes are the former smokers themselves that have used this device. They will tell you how this device helped them quit smoking real cigarettes and that the use of e-cigarettes is a terrific alternative, without the dangers of tobacco smoking.