Electronic or traditional cigarette: is the cure worse than the disease?

"Pneumonia of unknown origin" is the diagnosis that, in the United States, already frames 500 patients and six dead It has therefore become a cause for concern. They believe that the cause is the use of electronic cigarettes and pose a new challenge for public health because there is still no complete evidence on the effects that these products cause on the body.

In Argentina, although are forbidden by the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technologies (ANMAT) since 2011, they can be easily obtained. From the Argentine Association of Respiratory Medicine (AAMR) has asked that the authorities be more "energetic" in the current ban on the sale and advertising of electronic cigarettes. "We are concerned about the normalization of consumption," says Guillermo Espinosa, President of the Argentine Association of Smoking (ASAT) and adds that it is still unclear whether it is very good and safe to stop smoking, for lack of sufficient evidence.

The UK National Service has launched several campaigns to stop smoking with the help of the electronic cigarette without nicotine, they are 95% less dangerous than traditional tobacco.

"Argentina needs a sensitive and responsible regulation of the electronic cigarette that allows people who already smoke to access this less harmful alternative, help them, like me, to change a harmful habit, "asks Adam Dubove, a former smoker. I've been out of breath for two years. It changed my life, one week my breathing capacity improved and I stopped coughing. Not to mention the smell of clothes. "While he admits that these devices may pose health risks, he insists that, when compared to the traditional cigarette, the it's a better alternative.

The news concerning the users concerned and related to vaping comes from people having consumed liquids containing THC and adulterated liquids.

"What scares us is that more and more boys and young people – who had never smoked before – are starting to try them, attracted by marketing, the false idea of ​​safety and the quantity of flavors ". Espinosa is another theme: "These devices are more likely to use cannabis, not only in its traditionally burned form, but also by vaping, as electronic devices offer opportunities for experimentation and personalization of consumption. "

Nail vaping capsule with nicotine oil, it provides about 200 puffs equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. On stressful days, a person with the habit of vaping can finish a capsule in three hours. When they discover how powerful they are, many are trying to leave them … return to the traditional cigarette. They think it's one of the reasons why the tobacco industry is funding studies likely to favor e-cigarettes.

"The information that concerns the users concerned and which is related to vaping comes from people liquids eaten with THC and adulterated fluids"said Adam Dubove. In Argentina, unable to buy, there is a black market, so you can not know the origin of what is achieved. As long as the ban will be maintained, we will be exposed to such problems due to poor regulation, "he warns.The recommendation is to refrain from buying substances in the street or on the Internet.

In New York, they suspect an additive containing vitamin E, normally used as a capsule or cream for the skin, may be the cause of diseases when it is sprayed at high temperatures and inhaled. However, US federal health authorities were more cautious and expected clear conclusions from laboratory badyzes.

How it works

Its basic principle is that, thanks to a high-temperature spraying mechanism, it converts a liquid (whose oils can vary) into steam. The liquid is in a small plastic capsule inside the device and needs batteries to warm up. By not producing smoke, people who use the electronic cigarette do not smoke anymore, but "vapea".