WICHITA, Kansas – They’re the latest craze in nicotine addiction: electronic cigarettes promise satisfaction of smoking without the bad side effects. But do they work? And are they a health risk or benefit for smokers?
Like many smokers, it was in high school when Ben Gabel took his first puff.
“The social atmosphere, smoking makes you look cool, I guess,” he said.
And before he knew it, he couldn’t stop.
“I've quit six or seven times,” he said. “My longest run was four-and-a-half months. Um, I keep finding my way back.”
For nine years, Ben has spent countless dollars and hours trying to find a solution to an addiction he didn’t even enjoy. So when he stumbled upon an invention that gave him the nicotine without the bad side effects, he jumped on it.
Electronic cigarettes’ rapid rise in popularity is evident by the hundreds of new brands being manufactures every day by entrepreneurs like Wichitan Dave Dorsey.
“After interviewing some of those smoke shops, I said, 'Hey, if I had a better mousetrap would you be interested?' and they said, 'Yes,' so voila, here it is,” said Dorsey, who developed EVO E-Cigarettes.
Addicted for more than three decades, Dorsey has been “real” cigarette-free for seven months. In fact, he believes in E-cigs so much he developed his own brand called “EVO.”
“Long life of the battery is very important and of course the taste and the satisfaction that you get from smoking it,” he said.
Originally developed by a pharmacist in China in 2003, E-cigarettes made their way to the U.S. market in 2006.
They’re a re-usable product, comprised of a rechargeable lithium battery, an atomizer that acts as a heating element and a cartridge where the liquid nicotine is stored. When the smoker inhales, the atomizer heats the liquid and creates a water vapor.
Unlike smoke, it’s nearly odorless and without the thousands of carcinogens that come with the tar and tobacco of real cigarettes. But for some, that doesn’t make them safe.
“The only thing it's skipping is the tar and smoke,” said Debbie Fox, respiratory specialist at Wesley Medical Center.
Fox is concerned that e-cigarette manufacturers are making claims that aren’t true. She points to a compound in the liquid solution called propolyne glycol, which can be harmful in large doses. Proponents argue ‘PG’ is already found in inhalers and makeup and is recognized by the FDA as ‘safe.’
But Fox says that’s where any regulation by the FDA ends.
“They aren't regulated,” Fox said. “They haven't been FDA tested or approved.”
And therefore, for her, the unknowns are scarier than anything.
“Does it just precipitate out and not really get inhaled by others is unknown?” points out Fox. “So, there are a lot of questions.”
But it’s not solely about health benefits for e-cigarette users. It’s also a way to get around the state’s ban on indoor smoking.
“Whether it's winter time and you don't want to go outside and freeze or maybe you're staying in a hotel room that doesn't allow smoking,” said Dorsey.
And the state says that’s okay.
In a statement from the Health Department, officials said, “Electronic cigarettes are not covered by the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act because the act defines smoking as burning tobacco. E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco.”
However, they also share concerns that they aren’t regulated and worry they may attract young people. But if smokers, like Ben, continue to see results, there’s a good chance the e-cigarettes craze has only just begun.
“With my battle with smoking, I think this is something I'm definitely going to be attached to,” he said.
E-cigarettes are also a relief to smokers’ wallets. A cartridge is about the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes and costs about $2. “Starter kits,” which usually include two batteries, cost anywhere from $30 to $80. It all equals out to about a third of the price of real cigarettes.
