Can Electronic Cigarettes Help Quit Smoking?

There isn’t an definitive answer to the question of whether e-cigs can help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes because there haven’t been any official studies. Browsing the Internet on e-cig information sites, you’ll find plenty of testimonials. You’ll find little counters displaying how much money people have saved and how many traditional cigarettes they’ve avoided with electric cigarettes.

But they’re still smoking, right? Well, not really.

Electric cigarettes contain no tobacco, tar, carcinogens, carbon monoxide or secondhand smoke. When puffed, e-cigs emit a vapor mist that resembles smoke. They do contain nicotine (the whole purpose) and propylene glycol, the substance used in fog machines.

Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids joined together for a press release demanding a New Jersey senator to call on the FDA to remove electric cigarettes from the market.

They argue that no studies have been done on electric cigarettes to determine if they are harmful or if they aid in quitting smoking. The FDA has said that both nicotine and propylene gylcol are safe for general use, though.

Because they don’t have tobacco in them, electric cigarettes would not fall under new anti-tobacco legislation signed by President Barack Obama on June 23.

Electric cigarettes can be used anywhere and are sold legally at kiosks and on web sites around the country, where smokers, nonsmokers and those wanting to quit are taking notice. Smokers who want to quit are finding smoking e-cigs helpful in reducing or eliminating traditional cigarettes all together, and non-smokers are happy that electronic cigarettes don’t smell. Seems to be a win-win, don’t you think?

Again, no official studies have been performed to say that electronic cigarettes can help quit smoking, but they are certainly an alternative to smoking. E-cig smokers, or vapers as they say, can generally choose their level of nicotine, or even opt for non-nicotine cartridges in a myriad of flavors. In most cases, e-cigs are about 50% to 75% cheaper than traditional cigarettes as well.