17 Untrue E-Cigarette Myths - BUSTED (Complete w/ Origins)
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By Tony Nguyen June 24, 2015 Leave a comment Go to comments
Ever since the explosion of the e-cig market, the industry has been bombarded with harmful myths, misleading studies, and even outright lies. All in an attempt to kill a revolutionizing movement that has the potential to save millions of lives.
Well today I am going to bust 17 untrue myths about electronic cigarettes to give you the truth that you deserve!
1E-cigs Produce up to 15 Times More Cancer Causing Formaldehyde than Tobacco Cigarettes
Where it came from:
A news article released by NBC News under the Cancer heading titled, "Before You Vape: High levels of Formaldehyde Hidden in E-Cigs," immediately went viral as soon as it was released. With close to 100,000 Facebook shares, it hit the panic button amongst readers with a huge bang. This same article has also been reposted on many other popular news blogs among the likes of WebMD.com, HuffingtonPost.com, and NYTimes.com.
These news articles obtained their data from the New England Journal of Medicine, stating that e-cig vapor exposes the user to formaldehyde up to 15 times stronger than that of tobacco cigarettes. For some of you who may not know, Formaldehyde is a chemical that has been known to cause nasal cancer in mice, which is why it is classified as a possible carcinogen (substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue) for humans.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
To put things into perspective, tobacco cigarettes has over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 known cancer-causing compounds and 400 other toxins; formaldehyde being just one of them. This study has created uproar within the vaping community due to the misleading and unrealistic tests they had used to retrieve their data. The study tested e-cigs at 3.3 volts and at 5.0 volts. At 3.3 volts they detected 0 levels of formaldehyde.
However, the misleading component is when they tested the device at 5.0 volts at a puff of 3-4 seconds. At this point, it would create a nasty and unbearable taste called, the dry puff phenomenon. Any users of e-cigs are very familiar with this and this usually occurs when the device is heated up to a point where it becomes burnt. Under no realistic scenario would an individual being be vaping like this.
The news sites only used this particular piece of the data to unjustly taint e-cigs to spread fear and doubt across the Internet and other news sources. Of course, any logical person who actually looks at the data can see how illogical this is. This obscenity is almost like saying steaks contains 15 times more formaldehyde than beans because it was cooked until it is completely burnt, even though no one would ever eat it in that condition.
2Vape Companies Market Fruit Flavored E-Juices to Attract Children to Increase Revenue
Where it came from:
Should this myth be assumed and the government takes action, the myriad of e-cig flavors would be slashed to just two - tobacco and flavorless. This drastic and unnecessary move could potentially wipe out 75% of all e-cig users, forcing them to return to cigarettes and ultimately subject them to potentially disastrous health consequences. The e-cig industry has been running at light speed since 2007, but this myth has the ability to chop off the knees of the e-cig industry and leave it crawling.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Contrary to this insidious myth, e-cig companies introduced a wide range of flavors, not to entice children, but instead, to help smokers kick their unhealthy habit.
Helping cigarette smokers move away from the taste of traditional tobacco to more enjoyable flavors such as mint, chocolate, vanilla or fruit-based flavors reduces the temptation of relapse back into 'real' cigarette smoking. Once an e-cig user becomes accustomed to their new flavor of choice, the taste of cigarettes becomes less and less appealing and eventually will hold no lure at all. This will increase smoking cessation success.
Underneath this ridiculous myth lies the incorrect assumption that adults don't enjoy a wide arrange of flavors. The huge array of vodka flavors on the market such as peach, cherry, bubblegum and even apple pie are testament to adults' liking of fun flavors. With no public outcry against the myriad of exciting liquor flavors, it makes no sense that e-cigs have attracted such outrage. Adults find these flavors enjoyable too.
The myth that kids trying e-cigs because of the lure of child-friendly flavors, being a “gateway” per se, to smoking real cigarettes is unfounded. The National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 90% of American teenagers who have tried e-cigs were already smokers to begin with. This proves that it's more likely that kids switch from cigarettes to e-cigs, rather than the other way round; evidently showing that e-cigs are not the slippery slope to smoking they're made out to be. In fact, e-cigs could potentially be the answer for teens struggling with a nasty cigarette habit.
3A 17 Year Old Texas Boy Contracted Lung Cancer from Using E-cigarettes
Where it came from:
Near the beginning of 2015, a new insidious rumor spreading harmful and false myths about e-cigs made its rounds on the web. A dubious website reported that a 17 year old Texan named Frank Delio had died from lung cancer caused by e-cigs. As the first ounce of 'proof' that e-cigs could be fatal, it garnered quite a lot of attention and was shared all over the Internet and social media.
Here’s why it’s not true:
FACT 1: The picture that accompanied the news story of a young man bandaged up in a hospital bed was later found to be a protestor from Syria, not an e-cig smoker from Texas. It had apparently been copied from the BBC's news website which ran a story in 2011 about a man who had been attacked by the police with a nail bomb.
FACT 2: There is no record of a Frank Delio dying in the whole state of Texas on that date.
FACT 3: There is no record of a Frank Delio ever existing!
FACT 4: All reports were printed on suspicious, untrustworthy websites. There were no reports in the mainstream media regarding this supposed news.
FACT 5: E-cigs would not have been attributed as the cause of death by doctors. One would assume that a 17 year old boy could not have been smoking e-cigs or any kind of cigarettes for a period long enough to contract any kind of cancer from them.
So, with this story firmly debunked, we can take a look at the real facts and figures. In the United States, 443,000 people a year die prematurely from smoking and inhaling second hand smoke, while none have died from e-cigs. That's right, zero.
If websites and newspapers recorded every person who died early from cigarette smoking, we'd have over a thousand stories to read through every day. More than a thousand lives gone each day is a sobering thought. One report of an e-cig death that turned out to be a fake is nothing compared to that.
4E-cigs are Totally Safe
Where it came from:
This myth is a little different from the rest because it originates from e-cig supporters, rather than their detractors, but it is still just as dangerous. Some people, in their enthusiasm for e-cigs, have gone as far as saying that e-cigs are totally safe and have no adverse health benefits. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Saying that e-cigs are safe is absolutely wrong, misleading and definitely a major cause of damage to the vaping industry. The reason for this is that it creates unrealistic expectations. No, the e-cig is not full of clean crisp fresh air and neither does it claim to be.
An honest guideline about what e-cigs contain and how they can affect the human body is the best approach. Without that, every discovery an outsider makes becomes an exposé and the FDA has a clear line of fire to attack the vape community's claims of its benefits.
The true argument isn't about whether e-cigs are safe or not. The real question is whether e-cigs are safer than traditional cigarettes. As much as the news want to scare people away with new studies touting their theories against vape, the actual issue is being ignored, and that is if e-cigs are safer than cigarettes.
The e-cig did not come to the market as a health product. In actuality, it was introduced as a quit-smoking aid. In the same way that nicotine patches, or gum would not be used as a health product or considered risk-free, e-cigs fulfill a particular purpose as a less-harmful alternative to cigarette smoking.
It's just like reduced fat food products. Everyone knows that ice cream is fattening and full of sugar. A reduced fat version of ice cream is better for you than the full fat version, and may be a great choice for dieters. That does not, however, make it lettuce.
A spokeswoman from the UK's Department of Health puts it perfectly stating, "E-cigarettes are not risk free, but they carry a lower risk to health than smoking tobacco and may help people who want to stop smoking."
5E-cigs aren't Effective at Helping People Quit Smoking
Where it came from:
A study in 2015 found that e-cigs do not help people quit smoking.
Numerous studies have proven otherwise and really should have smashed this myth into oblivion, but there are still many who trot it out as a case against vaping.
Here’s why it’s not true:
University College London found that a fifth of their 6,000 sample of smokers had quit with the help of e-cigs. This cessation rate was 60% higher than those who used other methods to try and quit. Willpower came up short, as well as nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches and gums.
One expert said the study is flawed and shouldn't be taken seriously.
"It's an example of bogus or junk science," said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.
"That's because the study does not examine the rate of successful smoking cessation among e-cigarette users who want to quit smoking or cut down substantially on the amount that they smoke, and who are using e-cigarettes in an attempt to accomplish this," Siegel said. "Instead, the study examines the percentage of quitting among all smokers who have ever tried e-cigarettes for any reason."
The American Heart Association's policy statement reads, "If a patient has failed initial treatment, has been intolerant to or refuses to use conventional smoking cessation medication, and wishes to use e-cigarettes to aid quitting, it is reasonable to support the attempt."
The Tobacco Research Center at the University of Oklahoma found that among 919 smokers who had quit or tried to quit in 2013-14, more than 33% used a vaping product; this means that e-cigs are the most popular quitting method in Oklahoma. A similar survey by the State of Minnesota found that e-cigs were the most popular cessation method there too, with smokers more than twice as likely to reach for an e-cig than patches or gum.
The MRHA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), a UK body responsible to assessing quality, efficacy and safety of medicines in that territory, held a public consultation in 2010 regarding e-cigs and how they could be regulated. Following this, the NHS announced that in 2015, e-cigs will be classed as medicines, and doctors will be able to prescribe them directly to patients as cessation aids.
6E-cigs Emit Levels of Toxic Metals Such as Nickel and Chromium Four Times Higher than Regular Cigarettes
Where it came from:
September of 2014 met the birth of a study that found nickel and chromium levels were four times higher in e-cigs than in regular cigarettes. Researchers from the National Institute of Cancer Research in Milan, Italy, said that, "overall, electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes," but the media, eager for a story, selectively latched on to their information on zinc and chromium.
The research spread like wildfire, showing up in medical and science websites, magazines, and newspapers.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
They’re using this to down play the positive effects of e-cigs by using an exponentially smaller opponent to make e-cigs sound more dangerous than it actually is. They also failed to mention that the insignificant traces of metals in e-cigs are far less harmful than the 7000+ toxic chemicals and 40+ carcinogenic substances found in tobacco cigarettes.
The levels of metals found in e-cigs are well below the maximum daily limit for medical inhalation as set by US health authorities. In fact, it’s actually 15 to 250 times less than what is allowed, according to Dr. Michael Siegel of Boston University.
Professor Riccardo Polosa said that vapers need to be more concerned with the quality of air they breathe in polluted cities than from their e-cigs, in terms of damage to their health.
An engineer who assembles e-cigs gives a great technical explanation. He states, "The heating coils in the atomizers are generally made from an alloy called 'nichrome', an alloy of nickel and chromium, This means there is some very small potential for the formation of chromium (III) compounds, and for the emission of metallic chromium, both at trace level, within the vapor from an e-cigarette."
He further states, "Neither of these are considered to be hazardous to health, particularly at trace level. Chromium III compounds are actually essential in the human body to allow us to metabolize food, and metallic chromium is often present in the cutlery we use to eat. The reference to chromium as a toxic element is an alarmist over simplification. The salt we sprinkle on our chips contains sodium and chlorine; both deadly chemicals, but not in the form we consume them."
7E-cig Vapor Contains Highly Dangerous Antifreeze
Where it came from:
The US Food and Drug Administration tested 18 e-cig cartridges in 2009. Their discovery of one cartridge containing tiny amounts of diethylene glycol had sent the press into frenzy. Headlines raved about the toxicity of this chemical that is found in industrial antifreeze, and how e-cigs could be deadly and should be banned immediately.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Yes, it was true that this ONE particular cartridge contained diethylene glycol. However, this finding started the false rumor and damaging myth that ALL cartridges contain the harmful substance. They don't.
The FDA, in numerous repeat studies, has never again found evidence of diethylene glycol in any e-cigs or their cartridges. This means that the 2009 e-cig cartridge tested was an anomaly, a 'deviation from what is standard'. No other study has found the presence of this chemical in any e-cig products.
Those who are still concerned about the presence of diethylene glycol in the one e-cig cartridge might take comfort in the report's details. The levels of diethylene glycol found in the solitary cartridge? Nearly untraceable at 1%, nowhere near enough to be considered dangerous.
Another misunderstanding fuelled the fire of this misguided myth. A common ingredient in the liquid used in ecigs is propylene glycol, which is sometimes used as an ingredient in antifreeze.
What alarmists fail to realize is that propylene glycol is added to antifreeze to make it less dangerous if you accidentally swallow some! Propylene glycol is recognized by the FDA as totally safe for human consumption, found in toothpaste, asthma inhalers, and food additives. Because it has a lower freezing temperature than water, it is used to keep things from freezing, but there's absolutely no danger in humans consuming it.
8There Haven't Been Any Serious Studies About E-cigs Yet
Where it came from:
The Mayo Clinic published an article which stated, "No studies have been done to examine the safety of e-cigarettes. As a result, there is no evidence that doctors can use to assess the impact this product may have on a person's body. Also, no convincing evidence shows that e-cigarettes are useful in helping people to eventually stop smoking."
Here’s why it’s not true:
It looks like didn't finish their research. There are numerous studies on the safety of e-cigs. Over 30 of them are compiled and can be found at OnVaping.com/the-ultimate-list-of-studies-on-e-cigarettes-and-their-safety. While there are misguided reports, this leads the public to think the vape industry has little evidence for e-cigs' benefits over tobacco; nothing could be further from the truth. Study after study from top University scientists and respected councils and research bodies have found e-cigs steadfastly coming up as the healthier choice over and over again.
The relative truth hidden within the misinformation of this myth is that there are no studies about the long-term health benefits. The only reason for this is that e-cigs haven't been around long enough for such studies to be done. Having said this, the huge amount of extensive studies into the contents of e-cigs and their effect on us indicate that, since being much safer than regular cigarettes in the short term, they are more almost certainly healthier in the long term, too.
Drs Polosa and Farsalinos note that, "Even for medications, no regulatory agency is asking for long-term safety data before being approved for use." Why should e-cigs be singled out for unfair treatment?
Perhaps the writers of the Mayo Clinic and other detractors of e-cigs should have listened to London's Royal College of Physicians, who said, "The RCP believes that e-cigarettes could lead to significant falls in the prevalence of smoking in the UK [and] prevent many deaths and episodes of serious illness."
Or take a tip from the American Council on Science and Health, who said that e-cigs were “safer products” than their tobacco alternatives.
9E-cigs are Not yet Regulated So We Don't Know What the Hell is in These Things
Where it came from:
The US Food and Drug Administration have proposed a new rule that will allow them to regulate the use and sale of e-cigs in the US, but as it stands, e-cigs are a self-regulated industry. Many people wrongly equate self-regulated with unregulated, and start to believe the myth that the e-cig industry is haphazard and doesn't know what it's doing. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Issues such as effective labeling and packaging have been discussed within the vaping community and new measures have been implemented in these areas. All done without any kind of government intervention.
The huge range of scientific studies undertaken on this topic means we know exactly what's in e-cigs and exactly how strong the effects of these ingredients are - virtually negligible. But for those who don't know, most e-cigs break down like this:
The base of the e-liquid is vegetable glycerin. Most manufacturers use a certified organic version, and the purpose of it is to produce vapor. Then a little propylene glycol is added. The purpose of the propylene glycol is to carry the ingredients that make the flavor, which are usually added next and always up to food-grade standard. Nicotine is added, too. The amount in the mix depends on the product. Most e-cig providers have various strengths, including a zero nicotine option. That's it. That's all you'll find in an e-cig liquid.
This myth is so harmful because it disempowers consumers. It persuades consumers that there's no scientific knowledge about vaping, which is an outright lie. This will prevent people investigating further into the facts about e-cigs and coming to their own logical conclusion based on what they find out. Instead, they'll think there's nothing out there for them to learn! Information is a crucial asset to assist us in making the right decision in a world where we are faced with a plethora of uncertainties and misinformation . There are plenty of facts, figures and statistics about e-cigs for everyone to make their own knowledgeable selection.
10Vape Has 10x the Carcinogens of Regular Deadly Cigarettes
Where it came from:
This myth started out in the Inquisitr in 2014. A Japanese study commissioned by Japan's Health Ministry found formaldehyde in the vapor of a few different brands of e-cigs. In fact, it was claimed that a lot of formaldehyde was found in one brand of e-cigs - 10 times the amount found in a regular cigarette. The study stated that when the wire, which is what turns the liquid into vapor form, gets overheated, more formaldehyde is produced.
The mainstream media reported sensationally, making blanket statements about all carcinogens (when only one was tested in the study) and all e-cigs (when only one brand was found to produce this result), rendering this myth highly exaggerated and misleading.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Ten products were tested. Only one e-cig product was found to have levels at 10 times higher than cigarettes and this was an unpublished result that was given from a scientist to a pro-vaping group via private contact.
This study was in fact a replica of an earlier study by the same group of researchers. When the results of both studies were compared, regular cigarettes were found to have six times more formaldehyde than the highest e-cig content measurement. That immediately calls their methodology into question. What could explain this vast difference?
This study, with its sporadic results and questionable methods, should not have been taken seriously by anyone with an interest in knowing the actual facts about vaping. Its results and methodologies are not consistent between studies and this requires further investigation before anyone jumps to any wild conclusions.
Another study in 2015 by Portland State University also reported the presence of formaldehyde in e-cigs, but the study's detractors say that the machines used to vape to conduct the experiment, did not mimic the actual behaviors of vape users realistically enough for the results to be valid.
Bill Godshall, the Executive Director of Smokefree Pennsylvania said of the study, "By setting their machine to repeatedly take three-to-four second puffs at 5.0 volts, the researchers overheated the vaporizer. Vapers call this 'dry puff phenomenon', and don't do it due to the very harsh and awful taste. By making a false hypothesis and by multiplying that false hypothesis over and over, the researchers got it all wrong. There is no scientific evidence that e-cigs increase risks for cancer or any other disease."
11Nicotine is Dangerous Because It Causes Cancer
Where it came from:
This myth didn't originate with e-cigs, it originated with regular cigarettes. Anti-smoking activists have on occasion failed to differentiate between nicotine and the other ingredients of tobacco when informing the public of the dangers of cigarette smoking.
Here’s why it’s not true:
While nicotine is hardly a health product, being a highly addictive stimulant, there is no evidence to say it is a carcinogen. It is not the nicotine in cigarettes that causes cancer, it is the tar and chemicals in the smoke that contain carcinogens and can make you sick. None of these are present in e-cigs except in negligible, harmless amounts.
A study by Brown University reported that prolonged exposure to nicotine may cause atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks. However, a Duke University professor of psychiatry, who said that the nicotine exposure in the study was 10 times higher than that of an average smoker, attacked this research. The scientific director of the CASAA stated, "The conclusion that the nicotine without smoke causes such disease is clearly wrong."
Nicotine is a natural stimulant found in tobacco. Tobacco is part of the Nightshade or Solanaceae family, which also includes eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes. The effects of nicotine are just like that of caffeine, raising the heart rate and blood pressure, but causes very few other negative effects.
It's been found that coffee drinking causes very little health problems. The same is thought to be true of nicotine, though in the past it has proven difficult to investigate nicotine users as they are most commonly current or former tobacco users as well.
You might be surprised that nicotine has scientifically proven benefits as well as drawbacks. For some people, the effects being similar to caffeine, meaning it helps them focus and become more productive, and overcoming any attention deficits they may suffer from. Nicotine can also provide relief from stress, panic or anxiety. This might be the reason why such a high proportion of psychiatric patients smoke.
Smokers have lower rates of Parkinson's Disease than the general population. This is thought to be because of nicotine. Sufferers of this disease also report reduced symptoms with the use of nicotine. Stanford University also found that nicotine helps the body to grow new blood vessels, proving that nicotine might not be so bad after all.
12Second Hand Vaping is as Dangerous as Second Hand Smoking
Where it came from:
When a study published by Oxford University said that second hand vapor was found to be “a source of secondhand exposure to nicotine,” e-cig detractors touted this little piece of information as another reason to get e-cigs restricted. While spreading this misinformed myth, they lobbied for e-cigs to be banned in public places.
Here’s why it’s not true:
There's a great danger in making conclusions when you only have half the story, or in this case, half the sentence. The sentence above, in the Oxford University report mentioned, goes on to say "but not [exposure] to combustion toxicants."
So while e-cigs are a source of secondhand nicotine, regular cigarettes are a source of secondhand nicotine and a whole host of toxic chemicals on top of that. The secondhand vapors of e-cigs contain none of these harmful toxins.
Not only that, the huge variance in the amount of nicotine passed on through the second hand smokes makes them incomparable. The same Oxford University study found that normal tobacco cigarettes contain ten times more nicotine than e-cigs do. This means that the second hand inhalation of this highly addictive stimulant is slashed by 90% when a cigarette user switches to e-cigs. This statistic was backed up further by a study in the Nicotine & Tobacco Research journal.
The Journal Environmental Research took this question even further by measuring the saliva and urine samples of passive smokers and passive vapers who had a smoker at home, and a control group with no passive smoking or vaping, to compare the differences.
They measured their saliva for cotinine, which is a metabolite of nicotine and a biomarker for its exposure.
Those exposed to e-cigs had an average cotinine level of two and a half times than that of those exposed only to clean air. But get this - those exposed to nicotine had double the amount of salivary cotinine of the passive vapers.
But it still gets worse for tobacco smokers and passive tobacco smokers. The amount of airborne nicotine was almost nonexistent in the homes of the no smoke or vape group. It was double that in the e-cig users' homes. But in the cigarette smokers homes, it was a whopping ten times more than the no smoke or vape group. That means that cigarettes release nearly six times as much nicotine into the air as e-cigs. That's a significant difference.
But even a little bit of nicotine is harmful, right? Not if you understand the research of the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. After extensive testing, they concluded that the exposure of bystanders to e-cigs 'pose no apparent concern' whatsoever.
13The FDA Found Nitrosamines - Another Carcinogen - to Add to the List of Deadly Chemicals in E-cigs
Where it came from:
An FDA study in 2009 reported the presence of nitrosamines, a chemical compound that in large doses can be carcinogenic, in the liquid used in e-cigs. The uproar that followed called for e-cigs to be banned, some detractors even saying that e-cigs were as bad as regular cigarettes, or worse.
Just a cursory glance at the scientific findings blows this hysterical claim right out of the water and busts the myth that nitrosamines in e-cigs are deadly.
Here’s why it’s not true:
FACT 1: The nitrosamines in e-cigs were at levels 14,000 times lower than the levels in Marlboro cigarettes.
FACT 2: The nitrosamines were not found in the vapor, just the ingredients, meaning that they might not even be taken into the body.
FACT 3: We regularly consume nitrosamines and nitrates through food and drink. Vegetables contain nitrate, which is converted to nitrite by the bacteria in the mouth. When it gets to our stomachs, it interacts with gastric juices and amine containing foods such as cheese and chocolate to create nitrosamines.
FACT 4: None of the 56 other carcinogens in tobacco were found in e-cigs.
FACT 5: The nitrosamines found were well below recommended consumption guidelines. US health authorities allow 60 parts per billion, while the UK allows 30 parts per billion. Cigarettes contain up to 11,000 parts per billion, way over the recommended health guidelines, while e-cigs contain just 8 parts per billion, well within the safe consumption limit. That's the same levels of medically approved nicotine patches, which have proven not to be cancerous.
14E-cigs aren't that Much Safer than Cigarettes Since they Both Contain Similar Toxins
Where it came from:
The myth that e-cigs are just as toxic as cigarettes has been circulatings for a while and is trotted out by many uneducated and misinformed people as a reason to ban them.
You don't have to look far to find that this argument is no more than fantasy. One look at the scientific evidence on e-cigs and their contents will disabuse anyone of this false notion.
Here’s why it’s not true:
A 2013 study, conducted by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute that was reported in the journal Tobacco Control compared e-cigs with conventional cigarettes. This research showed that the levels of potential carcinogens in e-cigs were at least 9 times lower than, and at most, 450 times lower than the carcinogens found in regular tobacco cigarettes. This could mean that e-cigs are 900% to 45000% healthier than tobacco options.
An article in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology reported a study which found that the levels of problematic substances detected in e-cig vapors are at extremely similar levels to those detected in ambient air. A study by ASHRAE found levels of toxic metals were 1800 times higher in regular cigs than e-cigs.
Further solidifying this point, scientists from a major tobacco company had published a report in the International Journal of Research and Public Health about this. They found e-cigs, whether or not they contained nicotine and/or flavor, had non-detectable levels of toxins and mutagens, which is 6,000 times less than regular cigarettes. This would in turn make e-cigs the healthier choice by 600000%!
Whether 900%, 45000%, 180000% or 600000% healthier than regular cigarettes, there is an abundance of evidence to say that e-cigs are, by far, the wisest choice for health conscious smokers.
15Vape Pen Batteries Explosion Killed 53 Year Old
Where it came from:
When The Borneo Post reported in 2014 that an e-cig smoker had been killed by his own vape pen when it exploded, anti e-cig campaigners rejoiced – it gave them yet another reason e-cigs should be banned.
Here’s why it’s not true:
The site made a hasty correction once they were set straight by an e-cig smoker who'd identified the device pictured, not as an e-cig, but as a modified flare pen.
The 53 year old van driver named Lau died at the scene in Bintulu Tamu once the explosion from the device struck him in the chest. Originally it was thought that the battery of the e-cig had exploded, but this myth was dismissed by Borneo Post's source Jonathan TK, who informed the paper that it was impossible for a fatal explosion to result from an e-cig.
He went on to explain that the battery in an e-cig is no more powerful than the one in a smartphone, ranging between 2000 and 3000 mAh. Though smartphones have exploded when they were plugged in for charging, that was due to the extra power input from the mains. In this instance, there was no extra power input to make an explosion possible. Even if an e-cig did explode, there is no way it contains enough power to be fatal.
From the photos provided, the Borneo Post's source recognized the device as a modified flare pen, which is usually used for outdoor pursuits such as camping, boating or backpacking as a signal for help, or to communicate with those nearby. Easily bought in camping shops, they can be extremely dangerous if not handled correctly.
So while the incident is tragic, it was almost certainly not caused by an e-cig or e-cig battery.
16E-cigs are a Gateway to Entice Kids & Young Teens to Start Smoking
Where it came from:
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a series of press releases about the use of e-cigs by teens. Their director Tom Friedman stated, "Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes."
His opinion, which was totally unfounded statistically, spread through the web rapidly, giving this myth not only widespread popularity, but also an illusion of credibility. The statement can still be found on the CDC's website and has influenced this subject's coverage by numerous newspapers and online news sites such as the New York Times, the UK's The Guardian and the Washington Post, among others.
Here’s why it’s not true:
The initial report that the original press releases were based on, the National Youth Tobacco Survey, found significantly increased rates of e-cig smoking in 2014, but also the lowest rate of cigarette smoking in its entire survey history.
While the CDC hyped the first set of figures, they totally ignored the second. The President of the American Vaping Association, Gregory Conley stated, "While no vaping or smoking by teens is obviously the ideal, we do not live in a perfect world. There remains no evidence that e-cigarettes are acting as gateway products for youth. In fact, this study and others suggest that the availability of vapor products has acted as a deterrent for many teenagers and potentially kept them away from traditional cigarettes."
Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, added, "...rather than serving as a gateway toward cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes may actually be acting as a diversion away from cigarettes."
This myth could potentially lead to the ban and/or restriction of e-cigs. Statistically, this is likely to cause teen cigarette smoking rates to skyrocket, causing them to revert back to their previous vices, if the option of e-cigs is taken off the market and not available
17Nicotine Poisoning is a Serious Threat within E-liquids
Where it came from:
In 2014, the BMA Occupational Medicine Committee released a report that called for the sale of e-cigs to be banned until further studies investigated their effects on our health. One of their main arguments was that children had been poisoned by ingesting the liquids from e-cigs. Therefore, this began the myth that e-liquids were poisonous and potentially even more dangerous than the contents of regular tobacco.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Not wanting to let this false myth spread, Riccardo Polosa and Konstantinos Farsalinos, world-renowned cardiologists, issued a rebuttal to set the record straight. They pointed out that the leading cause of poisoning in children is from household and personal care products. There have been no deaths from exposure to e-cig liquids. That's right, zero.
[Update 07/29/2015: Since this post, there was one extremely unfortunate case of a 1 year-old died of nicotine/e-liquid poisoning. Don't start running around yelling doomsday just yet. E-liquids still doesn't even hold a single hair to the danger of your daily household cleaners.]
We know that plenty of items in the home can cause poisoning if swallowed. If it's important to call out for products to be banned based on accidental poisoning from ingestion, why aren't we campaigning for cleaning products and medications to be banned, too? No one's calling for a worldwide ban on bleach or motor oil or penicillin just in case someone accidentally ingests them in poisonous doses. We'd have to ban gas and diesel, every cleaning product in existence, shampoo, and beauty products. In fact, every single product or substance we use that has the potential to be drunk or eaten in error will need to be banned. Society as we know it would be brought to a standstill!
That being said, the vaping industry takes any incidents extremely seriously and has introduced childproof caps to prevent any of these rare accidents. Just like other substances not made for ingestion, but useful around the home, such as asthma inhaler liquid, makeup or cleaning fluids, it is imperative they're kept in a safe place out of the reach of children.
Drs Polosa and Farsalinos also fired back at the misguided assertion of the BMA that e-liquids have not been adequately tested, stating that scientific evidence "clearly indicates e-cigarettes are considerably less harmful than tobacco cigarettes."
SO WHAT NOW?
With these 17 myths out of the way, you can rest assured there will be hundreds more coming from all wolves in sheep skins out there.
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By Tony Nguyen June 24, 2015 Leave a comment Go to comments
Ever since the explosion of the e-cig market, the industry has been bombarded with harmful myths, misleading studies, and even outright lies. All in an attempt to kill a revolutionizing movement that has the potential to save millions of lives.
Well today I am going to bust 17 untrue myths about electronic cigarettes to give you the truth that you deserve!
1E-cigs Produce up to 15 Times More Cancer Causing Formaldehyde than Tobacco Cigarettes
Where it came from:
A news article released by NBC News under the Cancer heading titled, "Before You Vape: High levels of Formaldehyde Hidden in E-Cigs," immediately went viral as soon as it was released. With close to 100,000 Facebook shares, it hit the panic button amongst readers with a huge bang. This same article has also been reposted on many other popular news blogs among the likes of WebMD.com, HuffingtonPost.com, and NYTimes.com.
These news articles obtained their data from the New England Journal of Medicine, stating that e-cig vapor exposes the user to formaldehyde up to 15 times stronger than that of tobacco cigarettes. For some of you who may not know, Formaldehyde is a chemical that has been known to cause nasal cancer in mice, which is why it is classified as a possible carcinogen (substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue) for humans.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
To put things into perspective, tobacco cigarettes has over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 known cancer-causing compounds and 400 other toxins; formaldehyde being just one of them. This study has created uproar within the vaping community due to the misleading and unrealistic tests they had used to retrieve their data. The study tested e-cigs at 3.3 volts and at 5.0 volts. At 3.3 volts they detected 0 levels of formaldehyde.
However, the misleading component is when they tested the device at 5.0 volts at a puff of 3-4 seconds. At this point, it would create a nasty and unbearable taste called, the dry puff phenomenon. Any users of e-cigs are very familiar with this and this usually occurs when the device is heated up to a point where it becomes burnt. Under no realistic scenario would an individual being be vaping like this.
The news sites only used this particular piece of the data to unjustly taint e-cigs to spread fear and doubt across the Internet and other news sources. Of course, any logical person who actually looks at the data can see how illogical this is. This obscenity is almost like saying steaks contains 15 times more formaldehyde than beans because it was cooked until it is completely burnt, even though no one would ever eat it in that condition.
2Vape Companies Market Fruit Flavored E-Juices to Attract Children to Increase Revenue
Where it came from:
Should this myth be assumed and the government takes action, the myriad of e-cig flavors would be slashed to just two - tobacco and flavorless. This drastic and unnecessary move could potentially wipe out 75% of all e-cig users, forcing them to return to cigarettes and ultimately subject them to potentially disastrous health consequences. The e-cig industry has been running at light speed since 2007, but this myth has the ability to chop off the knees of the e-cig industry and leave it crawling.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Contrary to this insidious myth, e-cig companies introduced a wide range of flavors, not to entice children, but instead, to help smokers kick their unhealthy habit.
Helping cigarette smokers move away from the taste of traditional tobacco to more enjoyable flavors such as mint, chocolate, vanilla or fruit-based flavors reduces the temptation of relapse back into 'real' cigarette smoking. Once an e-cig user becomes accustomed to their new flavor of choice, the taste of cigarettes becomes less and less appealing and eventually will hold no lure at all. This will increase smoking cessation success.
Underneath this ridiculous myth lies the incorrect assumption that adults don't enjoy a wide arrange of flavors. The huge array of vodka flavors on the market such as peach, cherry, bubblegum and even apple pie are testament to adults' liking of fun flavors. With no public outcry against the myriad of exciting liquor flavors, it makes no sense that e-cigs have attracted such outrage. Adults find these flavors enjoyable too.
The myth that kids trying e-cigs because of the lure of child-friendly flavors, being a “gateway” per se, to smoking real cigarettes is unfounded. The National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 90% of American teenagers who have tried e-cigs were already smokers to begin with. This proves that it's more likely that kids switch from cigarettes to e-cigs, rather than the other way round; evidently showing that e-cigs are not the slippery slope to smoking they're made out to be. In fact, e-cigs could potentially be the answer for teens struggling with a nasty cigarette habit.
3A 17 Year Old Texas Boy Contracted Lung Cancer from Using E-cigarettes
Where it came from:
Near the beginning of 2015, a new insidious rumor spreading harmful and false myths about e-cigs made its rounds on the web. A dubious website reported that a 17 year old Texan named Frank Delio had died from lung cancer caused by e-cigs. As the first ounce of 'proof' that e-cigs could be fatal, it garnered quite a lot of attention and was shared all over the Internet and social media.
Here’s why it’s not true:
FACT 1: The picture that accompanied the news story of a young man bandaged up in a hospital bed was later found to be a protestor from Syria, not an e-cig smoker from Texas. It had apparently been copied from the BBC's news website which ran a story in 2011 about a man who had been attacked by the police with a nail bomb.
FACT 2: There is no record of a Frank Delio dying in the whole state of Texas on that date.
FACT 3: There is no record of a Frank Delio ever existing!
FACT 4: All reports were printed on suspicious, untrustworthy websites. There were no reports in the mainstream media regarding this supposed news.
FACT 5: E-cigs would not have been attributed as the cause of death by doctors. One would assume that a 17 year old boy could not have been smoking e-cigs or any kind of cigarettes for a period long enough to contract any kind of cancer from them.
So, with this story firmly debunked, we can take a look at the real facts and figures. In the United States, 443,000 people a year die prematurely from smoking and inhaling second hand smoke, while none have died from e-cigs. That's right, zero.
If websites and newspapers recorded every person who died early from cigarette smoking, we'd have over a thousand stories to read through every day. More than a thousand lives gone each day is a sobering thought. One report of an e-cig death that turned out to be a fake is nothing compared to that.
4E-cigs are Totally Safe
Where it came from:
This myth is a little different from the rest because it originates from e-cig supporters, rather than their detractors, but it is still just as dangerous. Some people, in their enthusiasm for e-cigs, have gone as far as saying that e-cigs are totally safe and have no adverse health benefits. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Saying that e-cigs are safe is absolutely wrong, misleading and definitely a major cause of damage to the vaping industry. The reason for this is that it creates unrealistic expectations. No, the e-cig is not full of clean crisp fresh air and neither does it claim to be.
An honest guideline about what e-cigs contain and how they can affect the human body is the best approach. Without that, every discovery an outsider makes becomes an exposé and the FDA has a clear line of fire to attack the vape community's claims of its benefits.
The true argument isn't about whether e-cigs are safe or not. The real question is whether e-cigs are safer than traditional cigarettes. As much as the news want to scare people away with new studies touting their theories against vape, the actual issue is being ignored, and that is if e-cigs are safer than cigarettes.
The e-cig did not come to the market as a health product. In actuality, it was introduced as a quit-smoking aid. In the same way that nicotine patches, or gum would not be used as a health product or considered risk-free, e-cigs fulfill a particular purpose as a less-harmful alternative to cigarette smoking.
It's just like reduced fat food products. Everyone knows that ice cream is fattening and full of sugar. A reduced fat version of ice cream is better for you than the full fat version, and may be a great choice for dieters. That does not, however, make it lettuce.
A spokeswoman from the UK's Department of Health puts it perfectly stating, "E-cigarettes are not risk free, but they carry a lower risk to health than smoking tobacco and may help people who want to stop smoking."
5E-cigs aren't Effective at Helping People Quit Smoking
Where it came from:
A study in 2015 found that e-cigs do not help people quit smoking.
Numerous studies have proven otherwise and really should have smashed this myth into oblivion, but there are still many who trot it out as a case against vaping.
Here’s why it’s not true:
University College London found that a fifth of their 6,000 sample of smokers had quit with the help of e-cigs. This cessation rate was 60% higher than those who used other methods to try and quit. Willpower came up short, as well as nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches and gums.
One expert said the study is flawed and shouldn't be taken seriously.
"It's an example of bogus or junk science," said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.
"That's because the study does not examine the rate of successful smoking cessation among e-cigarette users who want to quit smoking or cut down substantially on the amount that they smoke, and who are using e-cigarettes in an attempt to accomplish this," Siegel said. "Instead, the study examines the percentage of quitting among all smokers who have ever tried e-cigarettes for any reason."
The American Heart Association's policy statement reads, "If a patient has failed initial treatment, has been intolerant to or refuses to use conventional smoking cessation medication, and wishes to use e-cigarettes to aid quitting, it is reasonable to support the attempt."
The Tobacco Research Center at the University of Oklahoma found that among 919 smokers who had quit or tried to quit in 2013-14, more than 33% used a vaping product; this means that e-cigs are the most popular quitting method in Oklahoma. A similar survey by the State of Minnesota found that e-cigs were the most popular cessation method there too, with smokers more than twice as likely to reach for an e-cig than patches or gum.
The MRHA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), a UK body responsible to assessing quality, efficacy and safety of medicines in that territory, held a public consultation in 2010 regarding e-cigs and how they could be regulated. Following this, the NHS announced that in 2015, e-cigs will be classed as medicines, and doctors will be able to prescribe them directly to patients as cessation aids.
6E-cigs Emit Levels of Toxic Metals Such as Nickel and Chromium Four Times Higher than Regular Cigarettes
Where it came from:
September of 2014 met the birth of a study that found nickel and chromium levels were four times higher in e-cigs than in regular cigarettes. Researchers from the National Institute of Cancer Research in Milan, Italy, said that, "overall, electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes," but the media, eager for a story, selectively latched on to their information on zinc and chromium.
The research spread like wildfire, showing up in medical and science websites, magazines, and newspapers.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
They’re using this to down play the positive effects of e-cigs by using an exponentially smaller opponent to make e-cigs sound more dangerous than it actually is. They also failed to mention that the insignificant traces of metals in e-cigs are far less harmful than the 7000+ toxic chemicals and 40+ carcinogenic substances found in tobacco cigarettes.
The levels of metals found in e-cigs are well below the maximum daily limit for medical inhalation as set by US health authorities. In fact, it’s actually 15 to 250 times less than what is allowed, according to Dr. Michael Siegel of Boston University.
Professor Riccardo Polosa said that vapers need to be more concerned with the quality of air they breathe in polluted cities than from their e-cigs, in terms of damage to their health.
An engineer who assembles e-cigs gives a great technical explanation. He states, "The heating coils in the atomizers are generally made from an alloy called 'nichrome', an alloy of nickel and chromium, This means there is some very small potential for the formation of chromium (III) compounds, and for the emission of metallic chromium, both at trace level, within the vapor from an e-cigarette."
He further states, "Neither of these are considered to be hazardous to health, particularly at trace level. Chromium III compounds are actually essential in the human body to allow us to metabolize food, and metallic chromium is often present in the cutlery we use to eat. The reference to chromium as a toxic element is an alarmist over simplification. The salt we sprinkle on our chips contains sodium and chlorine; both deadly chemicals, but not in the form we consume them."
7E-cig Vapor Contains Highly Dangerous Antifreeze
Where it came from:
The US Food and Drug Administration tested 18 e-cig cartridges in 2009. Their discovery of one cartridge containing tiny amounts of diethylene glycol had sent the press into frenzy. Headlines raved about the toxicity of this chemical that is found in industrial antifreeze, and how e-cigs could be deadly and should be banned immediately.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Yes, it was true that this ONE particular cartridge contained diethylene glycol. However, this finding started the false rumor and damaging myth that ALL cartridges contain the harmful substance. They don't.
The FDA, in numerous repeat studies, has never again found evidence of diethylene glycol in any e-cigs or their cartridges. This means that the 2009 e-cig cartridge tested was an anomaly, a 'deviation from what is standard'. No other study has found the presence of this chemical in any e-cig products.
Those who are still concerned about the presence of diethylene glycol in the one e-cig cartridge might take comfort in the report's details. The levels of diethylene glycol found in the solitary cartridge? Nearly untraceable at 1%, nowhere near enough to be considered dangerous.
Another misunderstanding fuelled the fire of this misguided myth. A common ingredient in the liquid used in ecigs is propylene glycol, which is sometimes used as an ingredient in antifreeze.
What alarmists fail to realize is that propylene glycol is added to antifreeze to make it less dangerous if you accidentally swallow some! Propylene glycol is recognized by the FDA as totally safe for human consumption, found in toothpaste, asthma inhalers, and food additives. Because it has a lower freezing temperature than water, it is used to keep things from freezing, but there's absolutely no danger in humans consuming it.
8There Haven't Been Any Serious Studies About E-cigs Yet
Where it came from:
The Mayo Clinic published an article which stated, "No studies have been done to examine the safety of e-cigarettes. As a result, there is no evidence that doctors can use to assess the impact this product may have on a person's body. Also, no convincing evidence shows that e-cigarettes are useful in helping people to eventually stop smoking."
Here’s why it’s not true:
It looks like didn't finish their research. There are numerous studies on the safety of e-cigs. Over 30 of them are compiled and can be found at OnVaping.com/the-ultimate-list-of-studies-on-e-cigarettes-and-their-safety. While there are misguided reports, this leads the public to think the vape industry has little evidence for e-cigs' benefits over tobacco; nothing could be further from the truth. Study after study from top University scientists and respected councils and research bodies have found e-cigs steadfastly coming up as the healthier choice over and over again.
The relative truth hidden within the misinformation of this myth is that there are no studies about the long-term health benefits. The only reason for this is that e-cigs haven't been around long enough for such studies to be done. Having said this, the huge amount of extensive studies into the contents of e-cigs and their effect on us indicate that, since being much safer than regular cigarettes in the short term, they are more almost certainly healthier in the long term, too.
Drs Polosa and Farsalinos note that, "Even for medications, no regulatory agency is asking for long-term safety data before being approved for use." Why should e-cigs be singled out for unfair treatment?
Perhaps the writers of the Mayo Clinic and other detractors of e-cigs should have listened to London's Royal College of Physicians, who said, "The RCP believes that e-cigarettes could lead to significant falls in the prevalence of smoking in the UK [and] prevent many deaths and episodes of serious illness."
Or take a tip from the American Council on Science and Health, who said that e-cigs were “safer products” than their tobacco alternatives.
9E-cigs are Not yet Regulated So We Don't Know What the Hell is in These Things
Where it came from:
The US Food and Drug Administration have proposed a new rule that will allow them to regulate the use and sale of e-cigs in the US, but as it stands, e-cigs are a self-regulated industry. Many people wrongly equate self-regulated with unregulated, and start to believe the myth that the e-cig industry is haphazard and doesn't know what it's doing. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Here’s why it’s not true:
Issues such as effective labeling and packaging have been discussed within the vaping community and new measures have been implemented in these areas. All done without any kind of government intervention.
The huge range of scientific studies undertaken on this topic means we know exactly what's in e-cigs and exactly how strong the effects of these ingredients are - virtually negligible. But for those who don't know, most e-cigs break down like this:
The base of the e-liquid is vegetable glycerin. Most manufacturers use a certified organic version, and the purpose of it is to produce vapor. Then a little propylene glycol is added. The purpose of the propylene glycol is to carry the ingredients that make the flavor, which are usually added next and always up to food-grade standard. Nicotine is added, too. The amount in the mix depends on the product. Most e-cig providers have various strengths, including a zero nicotine option. That's it. That's all you'll find in an e-cig liquid.
This myth is so harmful because it disempowers consumers. It persuades consumers that there's no scientific knowledge about vaping, which is an outright lie. This will prevent people investigating further into the facts about e-cigs and coming to their own logical conclusion based on what they find out. Instead, they'll think there's nothing out there for them to learn! Information is a crucial asset to assist us in making the right decision in a world where we are faced with a plethora of uncertainties and misinformation . There are plenty of facts, figures and statistics about e-cigs for everyone to make their own knowledgeable selection.
10Vape Has 10x the Carcinogens of Regular Deadly Cigarettes
Where it came from:
This myth started out in the Inquisitr in 2014. A Japanese study commissioned by Japan's Health Ministry found formaldehyde in the vapor of a few different brands of e-cigs. In fact, it was claimed that a lot of formaldehyde was found in one brand of e-cigs - 10 times the amount found in a regular cigarette. The study stated that when the wire, which is what turns the liquid into vapor form, gets overheated, more formaldehyde is produced.
The mainstream media reported sensationally, making blanket statements about all carcinogens (when only one was tested in the study) and all e-cigs (when only one brand was found to produce this result), rendering this myth highly exaggerated and misleading.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Ten products were tested. Only one e-cig product was found to have levels at 10 times higher than cigarettes and this was an unpublished result that was given from a scientist to a pro-vaping group via private contact.
This study was in fact a replica of an earlier study by the same group of researchers. When the results of both studies were compared, regular cigarettes were found to have six times more formaldehyde than the highest e-cig content measurement. That immediately calls their methodology into question. What could explain this vast difference?
This study, with its sporadic results and questionable methods, should not have been taken seriously by anyone with an interest in knowing the actual facts about vaping. Its results and methodologies are not consistent between studies and this requires further investigation before anyone jumps to any wild conclusions.
Another study in 2015 by Portland State University also reported the presence of formaldehyde in e-cigs, but the study's detractors say that the machines used to vape to conduct the experiment, did not mimic the actual behaviors of vape users realistically enough for the results to be valid.
Bill Godshall, the Executive Director of Smokefree Pennsylvania said of the study, "By setting their machine to repeatedly take three-to-four second puffs at 5.0 volts, the researchers overheated the vaporizer. Vapers call this 'dry puff phenomenon', and don't do it due to the very harsh and awful taste. By making a false hypothesis and by multiplying that false hypothesis over and over, the researchers got it all wrong. There is no scientific evidence that e-cigs increase risks for cancer or any other disease."
11Nicotine is Dangerous Because It Causes Cancer
Where it came from:
This myth didn't originate with e-cigs, it originated with regular cigarettes. Anti-smoking activists have on occasion failed to differentiate between nicotine and the other ingredients of tobacco when informing the public of the dangers of cigarette smoking.
Here’s why it’s not true:
While nicotine is hardly a health product, being a highly addictive stimulant, there is no evidence to say it is a carcinogen. It is not the nicotine in cigarettes that causes cancer, it is the tar and chemicals in the smoke that contain carcinogens and can make you sick. None of these are present in e-cigs except in negligible, harmless amounts.
A study by Brown University reported that prolonged exposure to nicotine may cause atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks. However, a Duke University professor of psychiatry, who said that the nicotine exposure in the study was 10 times higher than that of an average smoker, attacked this research. The scientific director of the CASAA stated, "The conclusion that the nicotine without smoke causes such disease is clearly wrong."
Nicotine is a natural stimulant found in tobacco. Tobacco is part of the Nightshade or Solanaceae family, which also includes eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes. The effects of nicotine are just like that of caffeine, raising the heart rate and blood pressure, but causes very few other negative effects.
It's been found that coffee drinking causes very little health problems. The same is thought to be true of nicotine, though in the past it has proven difficult to investigate nicotine users as they are most commonly current or former tobacco users as well.
You might be surprised that nicotine has scientifically proven benefits as well as drawbacks. For some people, the effects being similar to caffeine, meaning it helps them focus and become more productive, and overcoming any attention deficits they may suffer from. Nicotine can also provide relief from stress, panic or anxiety. This might be the reason why such a high proportion of psychiatric patients smoke.
Smokers have lower rates of Parkinson's Disease than the general population. This is thought to be because of nicotine. Sufferers of this disease also report reduced symptoms with the use of nicotine. Stanford University also found that nicotine helps the body to grow new blood vessels, proving that nicotine might not be so bad after all.
12Second Hand Vaping is as Dangerous as Second Hand Smoking
Where it came from:
When a study published by Oxford University said that second hand vapor was found to be “a source of secondhand exposure to nicotine,” e-cig detractors touted this little piece of information as another reason to get e-cigs restricted. While spreading this misinformed myth, they lobbied for e-cigs to be banned in public places.
Here’s why it’s not true:
There's a great danger in making conclusions when you only have half the story, or in this case, half the sentence. The sentence above, in the Oxford University report mentioned, goes on to say "but not [exposure] to combustion toxicants."
So while e-cigs are a source of secondhand nicotine, regular cigarettes are a source of secondhand nicotine and a whole host of toxic chemicals on top of that. The secondhand vapors of e-cigs contain none of these harmful toxins.
Not only that, the huge variance in the amount of nicotine passed on through the second hand smokes makes them incomparable. The same Oxford University study found that normal tobacco cigarettes contain ten times more nicotine than e-cigs do. This means that the second hand inhalation of this highly addictive stimulant is slashed by 90% when a cigarette user switches to e-cigs. This statistic was backed up further by a study in the Nicotine & Tobacco Research journal.
The Journal Environmental Research took this question even further by measuring the saliva and urine samples of passive smokers and passive vapers who had a smoker at home, and a control group with no passive smoking or vaping, to compare the differences.
They measured their saliva for cotinine, which is a metabolite of nicotine and a biomarker for its exposure.
Those exposed to e-cigs had an average cotinine level of two and a half times than that of those exposed only to clean air. But get this - those exposed to nicotine had double the amount of salivary cotinine of the passive vapers.
But it still gets worse for tobacco smokers and passive tobacco smokers. The amount of airborne nicotine was almost nonexistent in the homes of the no smoke or vape group. It was double that in the e-cig users' homes. But in the cigarette smokers homes, it was a whopping ten times more than the no smoke or vape group. That means that cigarettes release nearly six times as much nicotine into the air as e-cigs. That's a significant difference.
But even a little bit of nicotine is harmful, right? Not if you understand the research of the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. After extensive testing, they concluded that the exposure of bystanders to e-cigs 'pose no apparent concern' whatsoever.
13The FDA Found Nitrosamines - Another Carcinogen - to Add to the List of Deadly Chemicals in E-cigs
Where it came from:
An FDA study in 2009 reported the presence of nitrosamines, a chemical compound that in large doses can be carcinogenic, in the liquid used in e-cigs. The uproar that followed called for e-cigs to be banned, some detractors even saying that e-cigs were as bad as regular cigarettes, or worse.
Just a cursory glance at the scientific findings blows this hysterical claim right out of the water and busts the myth that nitrosamines in e-cigs are deadly.
Here’s why it’s not true:
FACT 1: The nitrosamines in e-cigs were at levels 14,000 times lower than the levels in Marlboro cigarettes.
FACT 2: The nitrosamines were not found in the vapor, just the ingredients, meaning that they might not even be taken into the body.
FACT 3: We regularly consume nitrosamines and nitrates through food and drink. Vegetables contain nitrate, which is converted to nitrite by the bacteria in the mouth. When it gets to our stomachs, it interacts with gastric juices and amine containing foods such as cheese and chocolate to create nitrosamines.
FACT 4: None of the 56 other carcinogens in tobacco were found in e-cigs.
FACT 5: The nitrosamines found were well below recommended consumption guidelines. US health authorities allow 60 parts per billion, while the UK allows 30 parts per billion. Cigarettes contain up to 11,000 parts per billion, way over the recommended health guidelines, while e-cigs contain just 8 parts per billion, well within the safe consumption limit. That's the same levels of medically approved nicotine patches, which have proven not to be cancerous.
14E-cigs aren't that Much Safer than Cigarettes Since they Both Contain Similar Toxins
Where it came from:
The myth that e-cigs are just as toxic as cigarettes has been circulatings for a while and is trotted out by many uneducated and misinformed people as a reason to ban them.
You don't have to look far to find that this argument is no more than fantasy. One look at the scientific evidence on e-cigs and their contents will disabuse anyone of this false notion.
Here’s why it’s not true:
A 2013 study, conducted by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute that was reported in the journal Tobacco Control compared e-cigs with conventional cigarettes. This research showed that the levels of potential carcinogens in e-cigs were at least 9 times lower than, and at most, 450 times lower than the carcinogens found in regular tobacco cigarettes. This could mean that e-cigs are 900% to 45000% healthier than tobacco options.
An article in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology reported a study which found that the levels of problematic substances detected in e-cig vapors are at extremely similar levels to those detected in ambient air. A study by ASHRAE found levels of toxic metals were 1800 times higher in regular cigs than e-cigs.
Further solidifying this point, scientists from a major tobacco company had published a report in the International Journal of Research and Public Health about this. They found e-cigs, whether or not they contained nicotine and/or flavor, had non-detectable levels of toxins and mutagens, which is 6,000 times less than regular cigarettes. This would in turn make e-cigs the healthier choice by 600000%!
Whether 900%, 45000%, 180000% or 600000% healthier than regular cigarettes, there is an abundance of evidence to say that e-cigs are, by far, the wisest choice for health conscious smokers.
15Vape Pen Batteries Explosion Killed 53 Year Old
Where it came from:
When The Borneo Post reported in 2014 that an e-cig smoker had been killed by his own vape pen when it exploded, anti e-cig campaigners rejoiced – it gave them yet another reason e-cigs should be banned.
Here’s why it’s not true:
The site made a hasty correction once they were set straight by an e-cig smoker who'd identified the device pictured, not as an e-cig, but as a modified flare pen.
The 53 year old van driver named Lau died at the scene in Bintulu Tamu once the explosion from the device struck him in the chest. Originally it was thought that the battery of the e-cig had exploded, but this myth was dismissed by Borneo Post's source Jonathan TK, who informed the paper that it was impossible for a fatal explosion to result from an e-cig.
He went on to explain that the battery in an e-cig is no more powerful than the one in a smartphone, ranging between 2000 and 3000 mAh. Though smartphones have exploded when they were plugged in for charging, that was due to the extra power input from the mains. In this instance, there was no extra power input to make an explosion possible. Even if an e-cig did explode, there is no way it contains enough power to be fatal.
From the photos provided, the Borneo Post's source recognized the device as a modified flare pen, which is usually used for outdoor pursuits such as camping, boating or backpacking as a signal for help, or to communicate with those nearby. Easily bought in camping shops, they can be extremely dangerous if not handled correctly.
So while the incident is tragic, it was almost certainly not caused by an e-cig or e-cig battery.
16E-cigs are a Gateway to Entice Kids & Young Teens to Start Smoking
Where it came from:
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a series of press releases about the use of e-cigs by teens. Their director Tom Friedman stated, "Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes."
His opinion, which was totally unfounded statistically, spread through the web rapidly, giving this myth not only widespread popularity, but also an illusion of credibility. The statement can still be found on the CDC's website and has influenced this subject's coverage by numerous newspapers and online news sites such as the New York Times, the UK's The Guardian and the Washington Post, among others.
Here’s why it’s not true:
The initial report that the original press releases were based on, the National Youth Tobacco Survey, found significantly increased rates of e-cig smoking in 2014, but also the lowest rate of cigarette smoking in its entire survey history.
While the CDC hyped the first set of figures, they totally ignored the second. The President of the American Vaping Association, Gregory Conley stated, "While no vaping or smoking by teens is obviously the ideal, we do not live in a perfect world. There remains no evidence that e-cigarettes are acting as gateway products for youth. In fact, this study and others suggest that the availability of vapor products has acted as a deterrent for many teenagers and potentially kept them away from traditional cigarettes."
Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, added, "...rather than serving as a gateway toward cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes may actually be acting as a diversion away from cigarettes."
This myth could potentially lead to the ban and/or restriction of e-cigs. Statistically, this is likely to cause teen cigarette smoking rates to skyrocket, causing them to revert back to their previous vices, if the option of e-cigs is taken off the market and not available
17Nicotine Poisoning is a Serious Threat within E-liquids
Where it came from:
In 2014, the BMA Occupational Medicine Committee released a report that called for the sale of e-cigs to be banned until further studies investigated their effects on our health. One of their main arguments was that children had been poisoned by ingesting the liquids from e-cigs. Therefore, this began the myth that e-liquids were poisonous and potentially even more dangerous than the contents of regular tobacco.
Here’s why it’s misleading:
Not wanting to let this false myth spread, Riccardo Polosa and Konstantinos Farsalinos, world-renowned cardiologists, issued a rebuttal to set the record straight. They pointed out that the leading cause of poisoning in children is from household and personal care products. There have been no deaths from exposure to e-cig liquids. That's right, zero.
[Update 07/29/2015: Since this post, there was one extremely unfortunate case of a 1 year-old died of nicotine/e-liquid poisoning. Don't start running around yelling doomsday just yet. E-liquids still doesn't even hold a single hair to the danger of your daily household cleaners.]
We know that plenty of items in the home can cause poisoning if swallowed. If it's important to call out for products to be banned based on accidental poisoning from ingestion, why aren't we campaigning for cleaning products and medications to be banned, too? No one's calling for a worldwide ban on bleach or motor oil or penicillin just in case someone accidentally ingests them in poisonous doses. We'd have to ban gas and diesel, every cleaning product in existence, shampoo, and beauty products. In fact, every single product or substance we use that has the potential to be drunk or eaten in error will need to be banned. Society as we know it would be brought to a standstill!
That being said, the vaping industry takes any incidents extremely seriously and has introduced childproof caps to prevent any of these rare accidents. Just like other substances not made for ingestion, but useful around the home, such as asthma inhaler liquid, makeup or cleaning fluids, it is imperative they're kept in a safe place out of the reach of children.
Drs Polosa and Farsalinos also fired back at the misguided assertion of the BMA that e-liquids have not been adequately tested, stating that scientific evidence "clearly indicates e-cigarettes are considerably less harmful than tobacco cigarettes."
SO WHAT NOW?
With these 17 myths out of the way, you can rest assured there will be hundreds more coming from all wolves in sheep skins out there.
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