Electronic Cigarettes: The Answer to Cancer Causing Tobacco Cigarettes

1. Electronic Cigarettes: The Answer to Cancer Causing Tobacco Cigarettes Nathin Flemins English 1302 Summer 2014

2. Introduction • Do you smoke cigarettes? Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars a month? Do you want to extend your life and reduce the risk of getting cancer? If so, you might want to continue reading. Most oxygen-breathing, warm-blooded human beings know how detrimental tobacco cigarettes are to our health. However, while there are some people that would not touch a cigarette, there are still an abundance of people who smoke cigarettes on a daily basis. These are the people who need to listen up, for there is something out there that is just like a cigarette. It is called the electronic cigarette-and it just might save your life. Although electronic cigarettes are still relatively new in the market and there is no long-term research available, when comparing their chemical composition, their side effects, and their cost, electronic cigarettes are without a doubt healthier alternatives to tobacco cigarettes.

3. Chemical Compositions • Tobacco cigarettes are notorious for containing a vast variety of chemicals; when counted, this number reaches upwards of seven thousand different chemicals. While this is common knowledge, not many people know how many chemicals are in electronic cigarettes. The number might be shocking: four. That is right, electronic cigarettes only contain four basic chemicals: vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine, and flavoring (Modi 3). The chemicals in electronic cigarettes are far less dangerous than the chemicals in tobacco cigarettes. For example, the vegetable glycerin, once in the body, metabolizes into a sugar (Modi 3). The propylene glycol is actually is beneficial to the body; it is antibacterial and has been used since the 1950s as a breathing aid (Burstyn 4). However, some will argue that propylene glycol is toxic, referring to the chemical composition of antifreeze, where industrial propylene glycol is a main ingredient; although, when it comes to the propylene glycol found in electronic cigarettes, it is pharmaceutical grade and considered safe by the FDA (Cahn and Siegel 18). The chemicals in tobacco cigarettes are exceedingly worse: arsenic - found it rat poison, formaldehyde – also known as embalming fluid, and lead – known to cause cancer (Taras 43). Both electronic and tobacco cigarettes contain nicotine, a potentially deadly chemical if ingested in large amounts. The flavoring in electronic cigarettes is negligible when looking at the chemical composition. This is because in most electronic cigarettes, the flavoring is a compound that uses natural, plant-based extracts (Schivo et al. 47). These oils, along with the vegetable glycerin are what create the smoke, or vapor, of electronic cigarettes; whereas the smoke of tobacco cigarettes is created by the physical burning of the paper and tobacco leaves. When comparing the two, both electronic and tobacco cigarettes contain chemicals; however, it’s up to the user to decide whether they want four safe, beneficial chemicals, or if they want more than seven thousand deadly, potentially cancer causing chemicals (Modi 3). The decision should be easy.

4. Side Effects • While tobacco cigarettes give users numerous negative side effects, electronic-cigarettes really do not have any negative side effects associated with them. Premature aging, breathing problems, cancer, heart problems, seizures, and death: just some of the side effects linked to tobacco cigarettes. And that is just the tip of the iceberg; when it comes to health problems, tobacco cigarettes are the leading cause of disease in the United States (Cahn and Sigel 27). Electronic cigarettes, on the other hand, have more of a positive collection of side effects. Frequently, when people decide to ditch tobacco cigarettes in favor of electronic cigarettes, their experience is satisfying and pleasant. Common side-effects people face include regaining sense of smell, regaining sense of taste, breathing ability restored, and overall feeling better. However, electronic cigarettes do come with their own distinct side effects that some may experience, from swelling, to dehydration, dry throat, and even headaches (Hua et al 4). But, there might be a solution to these; different people react differently to each of the chemicals in electronic cigarettes, to fix any side effects, the solution is simple: alter the amount of each chemical in the nicotine solution. Once an ideal formula is achieved, most, if not all side effects should vanish. Another good thing about electronic cigarettes is, these potential side effects only affect the user, unlike with tobacco cigarettes, which are known to have just as dangerous second hand smoke. Electronic cigarettes do not produce any harmful second hand smoke; the vapor exhaled is just that, water vapor. So when someone smokes an electronic cigarette in a group of people, he or she is not putting all of those people’s health at risk by exposing them to the many, many chemicals found in tobacco cigarette smoke (Schivo et al. 49). Yet another good thing about electronic cigarettes is the fact that the vapor exhaled by the user does not create a lingering smell; unlike tobacco cigarettes leave clothes, cars, and homes with a terrible, irremovable, unmaskable odor. In fact, with the propylene glycol found in electronic cigarettes, they are in reality helping cleanse the air of many airborne bacteria and germs since the propylene glycol is anti bacterial. When tobacco cigarettes are compared against electronic cigarettes, it is a no-brainer which is the better option; you can either feel terrible 24/7 and risk having severe health problems, or you can feel perfectly fine and be able to complete everyday tasks without skipping a beat.

5. Cost • Smoking is expensive. All cigarette smokers will agree: buying just one carton of cigarettes will put a big dent in the weekly budget. With all the taxes, fees, and additional charges placed on cigarettes these days, this addictive habit has some working additional hours on the job, or even finding an additional job, just so they can keep buying a couple packs a day. Electronic cigarettes, on the other hand, are relatively cheap. So someone who smokes a pack a day would spend about $675 a year on electronic cigarettes compared to upwards of $1,825 a year for tobacco cigarettes (Modi 7). The original startup cost of electronic cigarettes, however, can be costly. Electronic cigarette devices and accessories can be upwards of a few hundred dollars each, but there are budget-friendly devices for those who do not find it necessary to have the absolute best (Cahn and Siegel 20). In this tough economy, people are pinching pennies and trying to save as much money as they can just so they can get by, and being addicted tobacco cigarettes does not make saving money very easy. By switching to electronic cigarettes, less money is spent per week, and as the old saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned.

6. Counterargument • Some may say electronic cigarettes just as dangerous as tobacco cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes have been surrounded by controversy since they were first introduced into the market. This is because people just do not know everything about them, they hear about one person having a bad experience with them and from there on out they are entirely anti-electronic cigarette. The solution to this false, yet frequent accusation is to educate the public about electronic cigarettes, teach those who do not have a clue about electronic cigarettes what exactly they are, break them down and tell people what they consist of. However, no matter how much the public is educated on electronic cigarettes, there will still be people who remain anti-electronic cigarette. These are the people who acknowledge the fact that electronic cigarettes are still relatively new in the market and how little research is available on the long-term effect of using these devices. To get these people to change their minds might be a little challenging, as they are right, nobody is one-hundred percent sure of just exactly what electronic cigarettes do to our health in the long run. But the point that just may change their minds is the fact that, can you really get much worse than tobacco cigarettes? Tobacco cigarettes are known to be extremely harmful to our health and contain over seven thousand chemicals, so in comparison to electronic cigarettes and their whopping four chemicals,is it not worth the “risk” to switch from tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes?

7. Conclusion • When comparing tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, it should not be a difficult decision what is the better option. After all, electronic cigarettes contain fewer chemicals, have fewer negative, deadly side effects, and are a fraction of the cost. The numbers of people making the switch are growing exponentially every day; electronic cigarettes are the next big thing, not just because they can help save your life. If you’re cigarette smoker and are tired of being dragged down by tobacco cigarettes and want to turn your life around and extend the time you are on this earth, electronic cigarettes might just be for you. After all, who doesn’t want to extend their life another ten or so years?

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