What are the ingredients of e-cigarettes?

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E-cigarettes are becoming a new trend among young people today because many of its positive uses are attractively advertised by manufacturers in the market such as not causing harm to users' health, can help to quit smoking. cigarette. However, whether e-cigarettes are really as safe as advertised is still an unsolved mystery.

1. What is an e-cigarette?

Herbert A. Gilbert from the US was the first to come up with the idea of ​​e-cigarettes in 1963. However, in 2003, a Chinese traditional medicine pharmacist named Hon Lik (Han Luc) discovered it. developed an electronic cigarette with a modern appearance that is widely used today. Hon has revealed that his development of e-cigarettes stemmed from his own smoking habits and from the death of his father from lung cancer. At the same time, Hon's company started to introduce e-cigarettes in the Chinese market and after a few years it spread to other countries around the world. Currently, e-cigarettes are also widely used and it seems to have become a new trend among young people in Vietnam.
E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco ingredients as usual, but in fact it is a simulation device containing essential oils inside. If a regular cigarette will use fire to ignite, for an e-cigarette will use electricity to ignite the liquid inside it. The liquid, after being ignited, turns into a vapor that tastes and feels just like smoking real cigarettes. Due to the fact that it does not produce smoke when smoked, manufacturers of e-cigarettes have advertised in the market with outstanding capabilities such as removing harmful substances and unpleasant odors contained in cigarettes. However, in fact, whether this type of tobacco is really safe for users' health is still a lot of controversy.

2. Structure of electronic cigarettes

The structure of an electronic cigarette usually has 3 main parts, including:
The tank top: also known as RDA or RTA. This tank top is the place to burn the essential oil from liquid to vapor. The body part: includes the main parts such as the battery and the battery control button. The body of the electronic cigarette is designed with many different models, depending on the preferences and purposes of the user. E-liquid canister: The e-cigarette canister is also known by many different names such as E-Liquid or E-Juice. It is usually liquid and, when heated, turns to smoke.

3. How do e-cigarettes work?

The e-cigarette contains a small lithium battery built into a customizable module (also known as a mod), which will power a set of nozzles. This ingredient will heat the essential oil - usually nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, with added flavoring and coloring.
Essential oil after heating will turn into vapor, the smoker can inhale this vapor and exhale like a real cigarette. Sellers often refer to this liquid as "juices" or "e-cigarette e-liquid" because it comes in a variety of fruit flavors, the nicotine concentration of which ranges from 0-26 mg.

4. Composition of e-cigarettes

Currently, e-cigarettes are widely circulated in many countries around the world, Vietnam is no exception, even it has become a popular trend among young people today because they believe that electronic cigarettes can help them quit smoking and less harmful to health than regular cigarettes. However, few people know for sure what ingredients are inside e-cigarettes and whether it is really as safe as advertised. All are still unknowns. To clarify this issue, scientists have studied the special ingredients in e-cigarettes. These ingredients include:
Nicotine: The addictive ingredient in e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes. Nicotine can stimulate the central nervous system, increasing blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. It is undeniable that the nicotine in e-cigarettes is harmful to the health of users. However, the amount of nicotine in a regular cigarette will be much larger than the amount of nicotine in an e-cigarette. On the other hand, e-cigarette users can control the amount of nicotine by choosing e-liquid with low nicotine concentration and the genuine selling address also helps to minimize the harmful substances to health and helps the body. You can be more secure.
Water: In many e-cigarette e-liquids that contain water, they will be heated by a metal coil, then turn into smaller water droplets mixed in the smoke for the smoker to inhale.
Propylene Glycol: Is a colorless, odorless and tasteless alcohol. It is often used as an antifreeze, which helps reduce the freezing temperature of water. It is also considered a safe substance to be used in food, drug and cosmetic preparations or in factories that create artificial smoke or fog on stage. Although it is considered safe, it can actually irritate the lungs and eyes, harming people with chronic lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma.
Glycerin: It is a colorless, odorless chemical with a slightly sweet taste. Like Propylene Glycol, the FDA considers it a safe chemical for human consumption, which can be used in pharmaceuticals and foods. However, although Propylene Glycol and Glycerin are both considered safe, we still don't know, says Maciej Goniewicz, MD, a pharmacologist who specializes in tobacco and e-cigarette research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. sure what happens if the user smokes large amounts of these chemicals over a long period of time.
Fragrance: There are hundreds of different e-cigarette scents on the market today, including those labeled with names that sound very "natural" like apple, cherry, orange or "sweet" like chocolate, cake, ... even similar to the smell of real cigarettes. According to Dr. Goniewicz, many of these flavoring chemicals are also used in food processing, but the question is when we eat them, we can still be safe for health, but what? What happens if we inhale them? In addition, manufacturers do not disclose the detailed composition of these fragrances on the grounds that they are "trade secrets". However, according to Harvard researchers, about 75% of the 51 e-liquids contain a substance called diacetyl, one of the main contributors to obstructive pulmonary disease. chronic congestion.

When heating and evaporating Formaldehyde, Acrolein, Acetaldehyde: in the process of heating essential oils will produce some harmful chemicals, which are converted into vapors and mixed into the smoke when the user inhales. Some of these chemicals can cause irritation and inflammation of blood vessels, says Professor Benowitz at the University of California School of Medicine. Cigarettes often also have the presence of these harmful substances. Some of the main chemicals commonly found when burning e-cigarette e-liquid include:
Formaldehyde: a possible cancer-causing chemical Acetaldehyde: a possible carcinogen Acrolein: formed during the process Heat glycerin. This chemical contributes to lung damage and cardiovascular problems in smokers. The concentration of all three substances increases in direct proportion to the temperature of the essential oil when heated. In addition, Professor Benowitz also said that smokers are often tempted by the temperature because they want more nicotine to get "high". So they often increase the voltage of the battery and increase the temperature to burn more.
Small particles and metals: E-cigarettes also contain small dust particles and the density of these dust particles is similar to that of traditional cigarettes. These dust particles can cause damage to blood vessels, inflammation or neurological effects. However, not enough research has been done to specifically determine how safe these particles are in e-cigarettes. Some toxic metals such as nickel, tin, mercury and lead can also be present in e-cigarette smoke.

5. Are e-cigarettes really safe?

Whether traditional cigarettes or e-cigarettes are related to the activity of regular smoking. Based on what we know now, it's likely that e-cigarettes will be much less dangerous than regular cigarettes.
Regular smoking of any kind is not good for your overall health. According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes release about 7,000 chemicals when burned, many of which are very toxic — at least 69 of those chemicals cause cancer.
Experts emphasize that e-cigarettes are not a product for people who do not have the habit of smoking. Those who have never smoked should not try it. Either way, e-cigarettes contain nicotine and are addictive. On the other hand, it is also not an effective method to help you quit smoking.
Reference source: Webmd.com
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