E-Cigarettes: the way of the future with risks from the past

Claire Feasey
Staff Writer

Twenty-three percent of high school students use tobacco products. Fact.

One in five adults and teenagers smoke. Fact.

The most dangerous part of the cigarette is the smoke. Fact.

E-Cigarettes are safer than tobacco. Debatable.

E-Cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn nicotine into a vapor that the user inhales. It eliminates the threat of smoke and tobacco, while still providing the nicotine high. An Apex High School student, who asked to remain anonymous, stated, “My parents let me get one. They figured it was better than letting me smoke regular menthol cigarettes.”

The problems with E-Cigarettes start with the fact that nicotine is addictive. Withdrawal can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and so much more. Nicotine can cause an array of symptoms, such as general pain, change in taste, dizziness, stomach discomfort, and even death. It also promotes tumor growth. According to Medscape, nicotine addiction is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.

Before E-Cigs, people would smoke cigarettes, which contain tobacco as well as nicotine. The nicotine wasn't as strong in cigarettes as it is in E-Cigarettes. Sixty milligrams of nicotine can easily kill a person, while the refill bottles for E-Cigs are known to hold over 72 mg. E-Cigs come with enough nicotine to kill a small child. It’s not unreasonable to worry about children getting their hands on a bottle of nicotine, because now, there are fruit and candy flavors that appeal to the younger generation. If one cartridge can kill a child, then it can’t be good for you.  This new technology is also known to contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

E-Cigarettes don’t only appeal to recovering smokers and nicotine addicts. The Center for Disease Control says that between 2011–2012, E-Cigarette use in grades 6-12 increased from 3.3% to 6.8%. Among high school students, use increased from 4.7% to 10%. Twenty-three percent of high schoolers smoke in general, so why wouldn't they invest in the shiny new fad of the cigarette world? These devices are one of the reasons smoking is, once again, on the rise. 

Although E-Cigs seem healthier than tobacco products, people believe that they’re becoming a gateway drug to the real deal. Wake County Public Schools have banned the use of E-Cigarettes, meaning either way, you can’t use them on campus. The fact of the matter is that E-Cigarettes are just as bad as regular cigarettes, possibly even worse.