What to Know About E-Cigarettes

You don't smoke, you "vape," with a minimal amount of nicotine (6 to 20 micrograms) compared to traditional cigarettes. And in this way, smoking addiction is reduced and we should move towards the "zero cigarette" quota. The usefulness of electronic cigarette It's all in this formula, on which the answer to the fundamental question depends: Is it true or false that e-cigs are the solution to the health waste caused by smoking?

Index of topics

Origins

The electronic cigarette was invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon LikSince then, it has been on the market, first in Asia, and then, in 2006, in Europe. Now that e-cigs have become widely consumed, more than ever, they remain at the center of two major questions. Are we sure they aren't harmful? Does they really help people quit smoking? Two important questions, to which we are able to provide precise answers, for the over 1 million men and women who use them, and also the almost 12 million Italians still smoke traditional cigarettes, and maybe, in some cases, they want to quit.

The object of desire for all those who wish to quit smoking, in fact, is the electronic cigarette, also known as e-cig, a pen-shaped device designed to reduce dependence on manufactured tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. The long-term goal for those who approach the world of e-cigarettes is to quit smoking, also replacing on a psychological level the traditional cigarette. Unlike many other medical or pharmaceutical devices for quitting smoking, such as chewing gum nicotine-based or patches, the electronic cigarette is designed to resemble the cigarette in facial expressions and sensory perceptions combustion, coming to the aid of habitual smokers even in moments of conviviality, in which, as we know, it is much more difficult to resist the urge to smoke

Who uses it in Italy

According to a study conducted by experts at the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council (CNR) in Pisa, the pool of e-cigarette users in Italy has grown enormous. Fifty-five percent of young people between the ages of 13 and 15 have tried them; at least 40 percent of students have smoked them in their lifetime; and 37 percent of young Italians have tried them in 2024. These are alarming numbers, further exaggerated by frenetic social media activity by influencers pushing their peers to use e-cigarettes.

Indeed, the internet is full of forums and websites dedicated to vaping, as well as online stores where you can purchase the necessary equipment to start using e-cigs. Even the legislation on electronic cigarettes has been updated to keep pace with the times, protecting the health of vapers, with specific guidelines on liquids and components, as well as the health of non-smokers. Those who were drawn to the world of vaping, in part because they were attracted by the possibility of smoking in public places and circumventing the smoking ban, should think again: the ban on vaping is at the discretion of the managers of establishments and office managers, and in places like hospitals, schools or in the presence of children it is strictly forbidden to use the electronic cigarette.

pros and cons

However, the hot topic is health. Are e-cigarettes good or bad? And do they really help those who want to quit or cut down on smoking? Before delving into the topic, let's clarify what they are made of, how they work, and what we inhale when we vape. The principle is simple: e-cigs allow us to smoke. without burning paper and tobacco, the main causes of inhalation of carcinogenic substancesThis happens because the e-cig battery heats the coil, which in turn heats the liquid that produces vapor. The vapor is what makes the difference, because may contain nicotine or be composed only of glycerol and flavoringsThe Ministry of Health has clearly defined how these liquids should be produced so as not to be harmful or at least to have the least possible impact on the health of vapers.

The first studies on the harmfulness of e-cigs focused on the evaluation of the emitted vapor, while today we are focusing on the so-called particulate, the substances dissolved in the liquid to be vaped. In addition to liquid nicotine, a poisonous substance, dissolved substances are found in it metals such as silver and nickel. But also titanium or chromium, as stated in a study published in the journal Environmental Science.

The dangerous substances they contain

E-cigarette electronic devices contain 132 hazardous substances, of which 107 are classified as carcinogenic, 32 as mutagenic (capable of altering the genetic makeup of cells), 20 toxic to reproduction, and 60 capable of altering hormonal balance. These include toxic metals, such as chromium, nickel, and titanium. Diacetyl can cause serious lung problems. Volatile organic compounds can damage the liver and kidneys. Carbon monoxide is harmful to the heart. Nitrosamines can damage DNA. Acrolein and benzene are extremely dangerous to the lungs and circulatory system.

Risks of electronic cigarettes

So, even if exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons combustion products, as well as substances with a high degree of toxicity and carcinogenic potential, is absent, making the electronic cigarette much less dangerous than the traditional cigarette, this does not mean that the e-cig is risk-free. On the contrary. Certainly the e-cig is not carcinogenic to the levels of the traditional cigarette, but also theAIRC warns vapers: in addition to particulate matter, some substances that are part of the liquid's ingredients remain dangerous, such as propylene glycolGlycol has long been used, for example, in smoke bombs used in the film industry and at pop concerts, and is generally considered safe, although some studies indicate that prolonged inhalation may give rise to airway irritation, cough and in very rare cases asthma and rhinitis.

A study by the American Physiological Society indicates that approximately 7000 e-liquid additives should be monitored for lung toxicity.

The expert opinion

It can be concluded that electronic cigarettes are less harmful to the body than traditional cigarettes, but they are not completely harmless: there is now a broad consensus on the fact that compared to the traditional consumption of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes ensure a significant reduction in harm for the smoker and for those living nearby, and the Cancer Research UK confirmed that abandoning traditional cigarettes in favor of electronic cigarettes leads to a significant reduction in carcinogenic substances in the body after just six months. Another authoritative voice in favor of electronic cigarettes was that of Umberto Veronesi, who opposed the WHO's rejection of e-cigs, along with other authoritative opinions. He even went so far as to state that, if we could remove tobacco from cigarettes, as happens in those electronic, lung cancer would disappear.

But much time has passed since Veronesi's plea in favor of e-cigarettes, and meanwhile, research examining the full implications of this alternative to traditional cigarettes has continued, the timeframe for examining its effects has lengthened, and the results are almost always unfavorable to the change. The latest study on e-cigarettes comes from the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Valencia, Spain, led by Professor Maria Jesus Sanz. The conclusions are quite heavy on the risks of "vaping"It increases the risk of systemic inflammation and leads to respiratory and cardiovascular complications. Equally harsh is the judgment, issued in April 2021, by the European Commission's Scientific Committee called upon to assess emerging risks to public health in EU countries. Here we are talking about "irritant damage to the respiratory tract at a moderate but increasing level"; Of "harmful effects on the cardiovascular system” and, more seriously, of “moderate carcinogenicity risks for the respiratory tract exposed to long-term substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde".

LDoes the e-cigarette make you quit smoking?

As for the substantial help that the e-cigarette can provide in quitting smoking, we must look at the facts and figures, without being fooled by the rather murky double game played by both sides: those who consider the e-cig an elixir and those who instead try to demolish it a priori, perhaps for commercial interests.

What do the facts and figures say? E-cigarettes are certainly currently the most effective method for quitting smoking: they work better than, for example, the patch and acupuncture. But the problem lies elsewhere. In Italy, we have 11,7 million traditional cigarette smokers, of whom 65 percent try to quit, almost always with disappointing results. E-cigarette smokers, on the other hand, number 1.3 million men and women, of whom 67,8 percent also smoke traditional cigarettes. Therefore, the danger is that, with e-cigs, instead of quitting smoking, one simply becomes a relapsed alcoholic. a double smoker, or also called a dual smokerIn both electronic and traditional versions. On the other hand, according to official data from the Italian National Institute of Health, among e-cigarette smokers, 25,7 percent report having significantly reduced the number of traditional cigarettes they smoke. And only 14,4 percent say they have completely stopped inhaling those damned cigarettes, which kill 70 people in Italy every year.

Heated tobacco devices

The uncertainties surrounding e-cigarettes, and the certainty that they are not harmless, also concern heated tobacco products (HTPs), which officially entered the market as alternatives to traditional cigarettes in 2015. These models include IQOS, Glo, and Ploom. Similar in flavor to cigarettes, they contain tobacco sticks soaked in glycerin that are heated without reaching combustion point (at 250-350 degrees Celsius, compared to the traditional 800 degrees Celsius).

E-cigarettes are not harmless