Oregon recently expanded the ban on smoking indoors to all indoor work sites, including bars. There are many people unhappy with the new law and not all the unhappy people are smokers. For example, the law states you must smoke more than 10 feet from the door to any business. No only is this almost an unenforceable requirement, it creates a new problem for businesses next door to bars. With all the smokers outside on the sidewalk, more cigarette smoke enters the adjacent businesses that did before the new law took effect. Additionally, the odd habit that many smokers have of just tossing their spent cigarettes on the ground when smoking outside creates a trash problem for nearby businesses. In a past effort to cut down on public smoking, many towns have bans on outdoor public ashtrays, contributing to the litter problem. It does get complicated in a hurry, but the basic issue remains the same, non-smokers do not want to see or smell the cigarettes of smokers. What is a smoker to do?
Well the answer more frequently is to use e-cigarettes. The e-cigarette is a device that looks like a regular cigarette, complete with a fake filter and glowing, orange, led light on the other end. There is no second hand smoke, smell or waste as the e-cigarette delivers what smokers crave without any burning, or even any tobacco. It works by producing a heated mist of nicotine and other chemicals when the “smoker” sucks on the “filter” end of the device. Many smokers say that because these $150.00 devices even satisfies the need to be doing something with the hands; they are a much more acceptable alternative than patches or nicotine gum.
I have not been around any of these devices so I can’t vouch for the claims of smoke and smell free puffing. One blog I read stated that when they exhaled, there was a vapor leaving their lungs that could be seen in the air. I guess if they do not contaminate the indoor air space where they are being used; there is not a lot to complain about. I am skeptical though. If the chemicals provided in the cigarette are inhaled and then exhaled into a room’s air, then non-smokers are still being exposed to second hand health risks. In addition the manufacturers of these devices are making many different candy flavored nicotine delivery systems, leading many to believe that children are being targeted.
What do you think? Have you seen or used these devices? Are they safe for non-smokers? I know Australia bans them, but I don’t know why. I also know that I am often bothered by smoking at work. Even though the smoking takes place outside, we non-smokers are often enveloped by a cloud of second hand smoke. In addition people at work smoke in the commonly used trucks and cars and in the outdoor portable bathrooms. I guess the e-cigarettes would solve these two problems for us.
 |
Pick from dropdown:
.-= Anna´s last blog ..Spring Transformations Experiments – A Red Bean Seed To A Green...
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
hey Will,
I should be smart and keep my mouth shut on this one, but…
I hate smoke. I’m glad I live in California where it isn’t allowed in restaurants. It’s an eye-opener when (seldom) I get to travel. I don’t think cigarettes should be made illegal, I just don’t want the smoke anywhere near me.
My solution is the fish-tank bubble helmet. It would be a clear globe that fits over the smoker’s head and keeps all the smoke in for his continued pleasure… yeh, I should have kept my mouth shut. ~ Steve
Steves last blog post..It Snows in the Winter
Will:
I have never seen one of those devices. They sound practical, but I could care less about helping smokers to maintain their disgusting habit. Stop smoking! It’s killing us! They are all selfish, insensitive, egomaniacs who would trade your good health for another butt in a flat second. They actually think that smoking is their God-given right. “It’s my body,” they say. BS. Just because it’s your body doesn’t mean that you can risk the life and heath of your neighbors. Wise up smokers.
I smoked for many years. That’s right, I’m a born again smoker who kicked the habit, and now I’m on the soapbox to preach salvation. It’s true. I read the literature. I understood the problem. So I stopped smoking. I feel a hundred percent better, and I’m still here! A feat, no doubt, because I quit. And my presence doesn’t increase your health care premiums one tiny cent.
I support any law that curtails or bans smoking. There is no substitute for good health.
Happy trails.
Swubirds last blog post..FROM SASSA WITH LOVE
A fish tank bubble helmet, Steve? hmm.
Swubird – I certainly understand your tone towards smokers. Most smokers just don’t understand how offensive and choking the smell is to non-smokers. I don’t think that most smokers are insensitive or selfish, they just really don’t understand. And wouldn’t a widespread adoption of these devices make it easier for us non-smokers to avoid cigarette smoke?
Maybe a smoker who has tried these can chime in here. What I really wonder is: Do they give the smoker a close enough experience to burning tobacco to ever catch on? Smokers are not just addicted to the drugs and chemicals in tobacco cigarettes, there are a host of other things that go along with the smoke that keep smokers addicted.
One of the things these e-cigarettes would help is the litter problem. I have never understood why so many smokers just toss their butts on the ground. Take a look at this site for some eye opening facts about that!
Will:
Sorry. I just don’t want to allow anything that encourages smokers to smoke. They have to accept the fact that their personal good health is not only good for them, it’s also good for society at large.
Smoking is just like any fatal sickness. The only difference is that it doesn’t affect the victim right away. It takes years. So the victim goes about his or her business thinking that everything is all right. Not so. Death is most certain.
I don’t want smokers to quit smoking because I hate people. To the contrary, I like people. But when people are addicted to a power drug, like nicotine, our responsibility is to help them, not encourage them. We must recognize that nicotine is a powerful, mind altering killer that must be stopped. So let’s quite inventing gadgets and making lame excuses. Either we want to wipe out addiction, or we don’t. I, for one, want to wipe it out.
Happy trails.
Swubirds last blog post..FROM SASSA WITH LOVE
I haven’t seen or used these before, and i think they are not harmful to non smokers as the substances that cause cancer aren’t produced, nicotine increases the smoker’s heart rate and pressure but it’s TAR that’s responsible for causing cancer (tar is produced from burning of the cigarette paper)……i think they are a good idea
Mezos last blog post..How Can I Lose Weight ? (The easy way)
Your intentions are probably good, Swubird. But… I think many of the current smokers do not want to quit. I know a couple that sure don’t. In many places the percentage of smokers is down under 10 or 15%. And many smokers these days do their best to avoid exposing non-smokers to their smoke. If their is a device that makes avoiding this exposure easier, maybe it is a good thing? On the other hand if e-cigarettes avoid the smell and stigma for the smoker, then perhaps more people will sue these nicotine delivery devices? In that case, us non-smokers would be less exposed, but more people overall would be addicted. Yikes! I am getting a headache thinking about this now.
I have read that a very high percentage of people who still smoke do so because the nicotine dampens their appetite. If people could do that without producing a cloud of smoke and smelling like an ashtray, probably more people would get themselves addicted to nicotine. I wonder how many people use other nicotine delivery systems now? I think the gum is over the counter? Maybe the percentage of smokers is down, but the overall percentage of people using nicotine is not when you consider patches, gum, etc.
I don’t think that anyone who doesn’t already smoke would enjoy an E-cigarette. They come in many ‘flavors’ that do not taste like their names. However, they are the only nicotine product that helped me quit smoking after 10 years of trying. You can get them in different levels of nicotine, including none. They cannot be advertised as a smoking cessation device yet, but in my opinion, it is the best thing on the market.
Congratulations Christa on your success in stopping. Thanks for your insights on how well they work for that purpose. Are you saying that they taste bad to smokers. Or, that they just taste bad enough that they will not be an enticement to non-smokers who might be tempted to try them?
I started using an e-cigarette about 2 weeks ago. I have cut down from 1 1/2 packs per day to about 5 cigarettes per day. The e-cig gives you the smoking sensation without the smell and second hand smoke. I can smoke my e-cig in the car, and no one even realizes I’m smoking it. It produces a vapor that dissipates into the air as soon as it is blown out, and there is no smell at all. It is the best alternative to smoking I have ever seen. I am very pleased with mine, and hope to be off regular cigarettes soon!
Hey Kim – That sounds good, I think. Are you down to using the e-cigarettes 5 times a day? Or are you using the e-cigarettes and also smoking 5 regular cigarettes a day?
I smoke the e cigs. i smoke 2 packs a day of regular cigs and am trying to quit with the e cigs help. I just got mine yesterday but i can smoke at work (right now infact) next to a non smoker no more than 4 ft. from my face and he can’t notice anything but what looks like light smoke coming out of me for an instant. i’m happy, i’m quitting, he’s happy, their grrrreat! and as far as “soap boxing” to the rest of us who do smoke, we made that choice, just like eating 20 ding dongs and watching sex and the city while crying because no man will touch you…You can’t just get all high and mighty cause your a non smoker. i know lots of people who drink but don’t smoke. it’s trading vices, the difference is I can’t get in a car and kill someone cause i’m smokin a cigarette…
To those truly judgemental folks who have posted, the e-cig does NOT encourage people to smoke, not is it a smoking device! It is just like the nicotine patch or gum, it’s just inhaled as a vapor. No smell, no carcinogens, no smoking! I’ve enjoyed mine for 2 days now, and have NOT HAD A REAL CIGARETTE IN THOSE 2 DAYS!! You keep saying you want us not to smoke, and we try, but the addiction is incredibly tough to beat. This is the first time in 20 years I have had real hope of quitting, and it’s thanks to the electronic cigarette. Please research what the product is and does before you make shallow, uninformed judgements on its “dangers”. I am so thankful it exists.
The e – cig sounds like a good deal for smokers and non smokers alike. Of course with pressure from the anti smoking groups the FDA,CDC, EPA WHO,ALA, ACS and untold others will find that nicotine is the “real” evil all along.Since they can’t use second hand, third hand or fourth hand smoke, 3rd graders will get MOM and Dad to buy one for them. I heard the Gov’t spent $467,989.36 to research 4th hand smoke. It is actually very dangerous and is explosive in large quantities, it is smoker farts! Research shows that if a smoker is in a crowded elevator and passes gas, two people will die within the next 119 years from the lasting effects. Flashbacks are not uncommon and can last for years. Yeah this sounds off the wall, but I would not be surprised if there is a study occuring using Gov’t funds to investigate this. E cigs must be fun or the nannies would not be interested in eliminating your fun. When you have your buds over for burgers, that grill is producing carcinogens in the meat. You are endangering the lives of your pals. All of us live with risks, the nannies want to eliminate all risks in life, and by doing so they remove enjoyment as well. I don’t smoke , don’t drink, and only eat tofu. Remember: You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote em out!
I smoked. I enjoy it. I was sooo very happy when they came out with these. When using the e cig it’s called vaping and because of the e cig, I haven’t had an actual cigarette in a month. I feel better!!!
Now I hear the EPA wants to ban them because of the influence it might have on the non smoker. I don’t use nicotine. That’s right, I’m getting absolutely NO DRUGS from inhaling the vapor, but they want me to stop using what puts out what a humidifier is capable of putting out and go back to tobacco because of what it MIGHT do.
Stupid.
I think one country bans the cartridges or e liquid with nicotine. That would be a better option but still not right.
I have smoked for 35 years, and started using the “e-cig” a couple of months ago…not as a stop smoking aid, but as an attempt to find a healthier alternative to something I enjoy doing. They DO work, and satisfy the urge to smoke. They are virtually odorless, and the “smoke” dissapates in SECONDS, instead of lingering like real cigarette smoke. While I wouldn’t use mine in close proximity to a non-smoker out of courtesy, I doubt there is much risk of “second hand smoke” exposure, since there IS no smoke. I would venture to guess that a passing city bus exposes one to more toxic fumes than this device ever could. I would also like to caution people who write articles, such as the one above, to actually bother to investigate before commenting. For example, I have seen $150-200 quoted over and over as the price they sell for, when in reality they can be purchased for $30-50, including the battery recharger and a few nicotine cartriges. Let’s all try to maintain a little CIVILITY in the smoking/anti-smoking debate, as I,for one,am getting a little tired of being spoken to and about disrespectably by vehement anti-smokers who all have plenty of vices themselves, some of them harmful to themselves and potentially, to others.
What’s in the vapor you exhale?, I’ve heard its pure water vapor.
But common sense, It has to have traces of nicotine or from other substances.
Please comment on this matter.
Thanks
Hi Alfredo – I agree with you, common sense says there has to be trace amounts of the chemicals in your exhaled breath. I am sure it is much less than regular cigarettes. And as far as second hand smoke, these will reduce that. If someone is getting a nicotine fix near me, I would much rather have them use one of these that a smoking butt. The other thing is that because many smokers don’t seem to see their finished cigarettes as trash, they just throw them on the ground. As we have not yet been able to breed pigeons that eat the butts, the e-cigs will help clean up our streets. There are indeed some benefits to e-cigs, but the health of the nicotine addict does not seem to be one of them. Also these things will make it much easier for teens to get addicted to nicotine without the adults in their lives knowing. With regular cigarettes, because of the terrible smell on clothes, breath, etc., it is impossible to not know someone smokes. Anyway there is a lot more info at this link if you are interested.
your legal to chew tobacco inside of public places. people have to watch them spit over and over. eww.. why wouldnt e cigs be legal in public places? they dont even have an odor. have kids wanting to smoke pure vapor instead of straight black tar. i have tried one at a mall. way cool.
I´ve tried my first electronic cigarette about a week ago and it´s a great advantage against traditional cigarettes. Sure, it´s much better to avoid any kind of consuming tobacco or nicotine, but for those of you don´t able to quit smoking, this is the by far better way to consume nicotine!
You non-smokers sit there and thump your little FDA newsletters and it makes me sick. Maybe if you treated us with some more respect we would do the same. Moving on, I’ve only been a smoker for about 6 yrs now. About a month ago, I went to the mall and tried this E-cigarette. All I’m going to say is that after hanging with the sales clerk there and smoking it, I no longer felt the need to step out for a cigarette. I am thinking about making the commitment to actually buy these and use them to help me quit smoking.
Ecigarettes. Nicotine. Nicotine in it’s purest form is toxic. True, but ecigareetes do not have nicotine in it’s purest form. Nicotine is only 2% of the contents of a ecigarette cartridge. The nicotine inhaled is absorbed at 89% by the vaper. That means less than two percent of the vapor is nicotine. The vapor dissipates almost immediately. Nicotine has been found to help curb Alzheimers disease, and Parkinson’s disease. It is a know fact that smokes have a lower rate of both of those diseases. Propylene glycol is anothere ingredient in ecigarettes. It is the largest of the ingredients. Apart from the numerous healthful products we use, it is also used as a germicide spray by hospitals to control airborne diseases. I would say it is a much safer aternative to the tobacco cigarette .The other ingredients are flavoring, and water. No contest!
Good post Bob and like all things in life there are the positive and negatives aspects. Tobacco is going to become a thing of the past. Twenty years time the number of people that are diagnosed with cancer because of smoking will be very small. The e-cigarette will replace them all.
Al though we know that ecigarettes are a healthy alternative to tobacco, the people we vote for are not the type of people who are prone to research. They prefer the spoken word . The only way to get politicians on our side is to influence their advisers. So far I have three shipments of e-cigarettes, on order for my own research . I want to be sure of all aspects of vaping before passing the info on to members of my family. So far supply in Canada stinks. One shipment was held up in Customs for twenty days and returned. One shipment has an untraceable tracking number and the supplier is reluctant to start an investigation after fifteen days. The Third sent 1 power adapter instead of my whole order which cost in the nineties, and I had to pay tax on the cost of the whole shipment. The tax was the price of the power adapter. No word from that company for two weeks. Their telephone has been out of order for that amount of time too. I may have to try a British source next.
It is a shame because I truly believe that e-cigarettes could make a big dent in health care costs.
Loved this blog post and the comments! This is the first blog we’ve visited to comment on about e-cigs after having just posted an article on our own blog about these super elecronic cigarette devices. The candy flavourings could be a little worrying regards children, we agree. We’ve been smoking the e cigarettes for nearly two weeks now, the first two days we alternated between our usual smokes and the e cigs, and then after that, have been quite happy smoking just the e cigs.
Terry and Tony´s last blog ..11 days smoking e cigarettes lung buddy in East London
Why would children vape e-cigs for the flavors? There is candy every where. As for teens taking up vaping, It would be better than taking up smoking. If ecigarettes prevent teenagers from smoking, so much the better. It mght also get them off of marihuana. As for the nicotine scare, how many people have missed work because of overindulgence in nicotine? So it is an addictive substance. So is candy. alcohol, caffein, scarey movies, internet gambling, stupid videos, video games, and sports. I understand that jogging is also addictive. The point is if in this life we find something that makes it more pleasureable, we can enjoy them without feeling guilty about them. There are people who make a religion out of finding the bad side of everything. They cannot imagine, that there is a good side to all the different addictions in the world. It doesn’t seem to matter to them if the addiction does not harm anyone else. They must interfere. These people like the ones who work for Ash and like organizations are run by these negative thinking meddlers, under the guise of helping people who don’t want their attention..
Bob you touch on one thing that should probably be more obviously discussed in this thread. For the vast majority of non-smokers the smoke and smell from smokers is what is objected to. Sure there are some self-righteous folk who think that smoking should not be allowed ever, anywhere. But most non-smokers would just be happy to get away from the stench and smoke. E-cigarettes should help with that.
BobT has made some great points about addiction to anything – what we meant when we said we thought the candy flavourings of the e cigarettes could be a little worrying was based on personal experience with my 11 and 12 year old children – they were curious about our new smokes and were asking questions and upon us telling them they have different flavours their reaction was “oh wow, cool!” We would hate them to try e-cigs out with friends and then move onto other more serious drugs just because of “oh wow, cool!” The two of us are not setting good examples to the children by smoking in the first place, and we hope to give up smoking completely, down the line when we feel more ready to – a bit tough right now when we also have a sweet tooth and enjoy those flavours…
Terry and Tony´s last blog ..11 days smoking e cigarettes lung buddy in East London
{ 3 trackbacks }