Essay Example on Rise of E-Cigarettes: A Safer Alternative to Traditional Smoking

The popularity of electronic cigarettes, commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, has grown over the last few years. CDC recorded a significant increase in the number of new e-cigarettes users among the youth. Statistically, their numbers rose from 79,000 to over 263,000 between 2011 and 2013 (Bunnell et al., 2015). As a better alternative to traditional cigarettes, the popularity of e-cigarettes keeps rising. Recent studies on the ingredients of the e-cigarettes indicate that it would be better if users boycott the products entirely (Jensen, Luo, Pankow, Strongin, & Peyton, 2015). Given these revelations, the paper sets to discuss the harmful effects of smoking e-cigarettes, especially among teenagers and young adults. A discussion of the effects of passive smoking along with government control of e-cigarettes in different countries is featured.

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Electronic cigarettes enable users to inhale aerosols obtained after heating a liquid contained in them. The heated liquid contains nicotine, flavors, and other additives. Previous studies indicated that traditional smoking had more damaging effects as compared to the use of e-cigarettes. This was because e-cigarettes did not burn tobacco, a process producing about 7000 harmful chemicals (American Cancer Society, 2018). About 70 out of the 7000 chemicals cause cancer and given that e-cigarettes bypass the burning of tobacco, they were considered safe. However, recent studies indicate that the use of e-cigarettes is not safe to teenagers and the youth because of the inherent dangers of nicotine among other ingredients. The high levels of nicotine hurt critical to brain development among the youth. Human brain development begins at the fetus stage and is continuous through childhood to about the age of 25 when a person becomes a young adult.

Some other potentially harmful ingredients contained in the e-cigarettes include heavy metals such as tin, lead, and nickel, volatile organic compounds, ultrafine particles that are potentially harmful to the lungs, and flavorants such as diacetyl (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.). According to the research by Jensen et al. (2015), formaldehyde-containing hemiacetals form during the "vaping" process of the e-cigarette. This has been established through nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and adds to the previously discussed danger of harming critical brain development for teenagers and young adult users. As compared with gaseous formaldehyde, agents are releasing formaldehyde deposit with more efficiency in the respiratory tract, meaning that the cancer slope factor is much higher as well (Jensen et al., 2015).

E-cigarette vapor exposes bystanders to harmful contaminants including particulates, nicotine, and hydrocarbons. The variations in the contents of the products, designs, and emissions expose passive smokers to few risks, while others may be exposed to greater risks. Schober et al. (2014) investigated the passive effects smokers of e-cigarettes usually encounter. While the participants smoked e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, for two hours, the researchers measured the e-cigarette pollutant potential in the ventilated room. The study results revealed a change in the quality of the air in the room. As the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) concentration increased by a 20% factor, in the indoor air, the particulate numbers also increased. The researchers concluded that passive exposure to e-cigarette pollutants was potentially damaging to the health of affected individuals since ultrafine and fine particles may get inhaled.

Kennedy, Awopegba, De Leon, & Cohen, (2017), studied the implemented regulatory framework of 68 countries around the globe relating to e-cigarettes. The 68 countries developed national regulatory frameworks for the e-cigarettes using a variety of methods including laws, decisions, circulars, alerts, orders, decrees, notifications, rulings, statements, and ordinances. Out of the 68 countries studied, 22 of them used existing regulations, 25 of them formulated new policies, seven countries amended existing laws, while 14 of them used a combined system of regulation. About 55 countries studied did not have existing regulations for the e-cigarettes (Kennedy et al., 2017). Some common domains of regulation include distribution, manufacturing, importation, sale, minimum age of purchase, among others. Given the inherent health effects of e-cigarettes to the users and bystanders, several countries have banned their sale including Uruguay, Seychelles, Singapore, and Brazil.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the paper has discussed the harmful effects of smoking e-cigarettes. The focus of the paper has been on teenagers and young adults since they are the most vulnerable to peer pressure. It has emerged that e-cigarette use is dangerous to the youth because of its harmful effect on critical brain development. Recent studies have indicated that it would be better if young people stopped using e-cigarettes altogether. Given that the aerosols contain hidden formaldehyde, users expose themselves to cancer risk factors. A study on the effects of passive e-cigarette smoking revealed that bystanders are at risk given fine and ultrafine particles may be deposited into their lungs. E-cigarettes are a public health concern, which calls for their regulation. Various countries around the world have regulated the use and sale of e-cigarettes through enacting new laws, amending existing legislation, giving orders, statements, among many other methods. Countries such as Uruguay, Brazil, Seychelles, and Singapore have completely banned the sale of e-cigarettes.

References

American Cancer Society. (2018, November 21). Health Risks of E-cigarettes. Retrieved April 17, 2019, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/health-risks-of-e-cigarettes.html

Bunnell, R. E., Agaku, I. T., Arrazola, R. A., Apelberg, B. J., Caraballo, R. S., Corey, C. G., ... & King, B. A. (2015). Intentions to smoke cigarettes among never-smoking US middle and high school electronic cigarette users: National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2011-2013. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(2), 228-235.doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu166

Jensen, R. P., Luo, W., Pankow, J. F., Strongin, R. M., & Peyton, D. H. (2015). Hidden formaldehyde in e-cigarette aerosols. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(4), 392-394.doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1413069

Kennedy, R. D., Awopegba, A., De Leon, E., & Cohen, J. E. (2017). Global approaches to regulating electronic cigarettes. Tobacco control, 26(4), 440-445.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053179

Schober, W., Szendrei, K., Matzen, W., Osiander-Fuchs, H., Heitmann, D., Schettgen, T., ... & Fromme, H. (2014). Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) impairs indoor air quality and increases FeNO levels of e-cigarette consumers. International journal of hygiene and environmental health, 217(6), 628-637.doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2013.11.003

U.S Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Know the Risks: E-cigarettes & Young People | U.S. Surgeon General's Report. Retrieved April 17, 2019, from https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/