A first-generation e-cigarette that resembles a tobacco cigarette. The battery portion of the e-cigarette can be disconnected and recharged using the USB power charger.
Various types of e-cigarettes, including a disposable e-cigarette, a rechargeable e-cigarette, a medium-size tank device, large-size tank devices, an e-cigar, and an e-pipe.
An electronic cigarette[notes 1][1] is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking.It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank.Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor.[dua] As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping".[tiga] The atomizer is a heating element that atomizes a liquid solution called e-liquid.[4] E-cigarettes are activated by taking a puff or pressing a button.[3][lima] Some look like traditional cigarettes,[tiga][6] and most versions are reusable.[7]
E-cigarettes create an aerosol, often called vapor, made of particulate matter.The vapor typically contains propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, flavors, and traces of nitrosamines,[8] other toxicants, carcinogens,[9] heavy metals, and metal nanoparticles.[10] Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.[notes dua]
The health effects of vaping are not clear[11] but vaping is likely less harmful than smoking tobacco.[9][12] E-cigarette vapor contains fewer toxins, in lower amounts, than cigarette smoke.E-cigarette vapor also contains harmful chemicals not found in tobacco smoke.[13] The World Health Organization's position is that it is hard to say if vaping is safer than smoking and it is best to not use nicotine at all.[14]
Nicotine is harmful and highly addictive.[15][16] E-cigarettes can lead to tobacco smoking,[17] and can be more addictive than tobacco.[18] For people trying to quit smoking with medical help, e-cigarettes have a higher quit rate than normal nicotine replacement therapy.[19] For most use, e-cigarettes do not raise quit rates.[20][21]Construction
Exploded view of an e-cigarette with transparent clearomizer and changeable dual-coil head. This model allows for a wide range of settings.
An electronic cigarette consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container for the e-liquid such as a cartridge or tank.
E-cigarettes have evolved over time, and the different designs are classified in generations.First-generation e-cigarettes, which tend to look like traditional cigarettes, are called "cigalikes".[22][23] Second-generation devices are larger and look less like traditional cigarettes.[24] Third-generation devices include mechanical mods and variable voltage devices.[22] The fourth-generation includes sub-ohm tanks (meaning that they have electrical resistance of less than 1 ohm) and temperature control devices.[25]There are also pod mod devices that use protonated nicotine, rather than free-base nicotine found in earlier generations,[26] providing higher nicotine yields through the production of aerosolized protonated nicotine.[27][28]
The mixture used in vapor products such as e-cigarettes is called e-liquid.[29]E-liquid formulations vary widely.[23][30] A typical e-liquid comprises propylene glycol and glycerin (95%), and flavorings, nicotine, and other additives (5%).[31][32] The flavorings may be natural, artificial,[30] or organic.[33] Over 80 chemicals such as formaldehyde and metallic nanoparticles have been found in the e-liquid.[34] There are many e-liquid manufacturers,[35] and more than 15,000 flavors.[36]
In the US, under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, e-liquids must comply with manufacturing standards.[37] Industry standards are published by the American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards Association (AEMSA).[38]EU standards are in the EU Tobacco Products Directive.[39]UsePopularity
Estimated trends in the dunia number of vapers
Since their entrance to the market around 2003, e-cigarette use has risen rapidly.[12][40][41] In 2011 there were about 7 million adult e-cigarette users globally, rising to 68 million in 2020 compared with 1.1 billion cigarette smokers.[42] There was s further rise to 82 million in 2021.The rise was thought to be due to targeted marketing, their lower cost compared to cigarettes, and that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco.[43]
E-cigarette use is highest in China, the US, and Europe, with China having the most e-cigarette users.[5][44]Motivation
There are varied reasons for e-cigarette use.[5] Most users are trying to quit smoking,[46] but a large proportion of use is recreational[5][6] or as a way to get around smoke-free laws.[47][46] Many people vape because they believe vaping is safer than smoking.[48][49]The choice of flavors and lower price compared to cigarettes are both important factors.[51]
Other motivations include reducing tobacco odors and stains, and some e-cigarettes appeal to technophiles who want to customize their devices.[52]Gateway theory
In the context of drugs, the gateway hypothesis is that using less harmful drugs can lead to more harmful ones.[53] There is good evidence that vaping is a "gateway" to smoking[54][17][54][56] as well as an "exit ramp" from smoking.[57][58]Mentally ill people, who as a class are more susceptible to nicotine addiction, are at particularly high risk of this.[59][60]Young people
Worldwide, increasing numbers of young people are vaping.[61][62] With access to e-cigarettes, young people's tobacco use has dropped by about 75%.[63][64][65][66]
Most young e-cigarette users have never smoked,[67] but there is a substantial minority who both vape and smoke.[10] Young people who would not smoke are vaping.[68][47] Young people who smoke tobacco or marijuana, or who drink alcohol, are much more likely to vape.[69][70] Among young people who have tried vaping, most used a flavored product the first time.[69][71]
Vaping correlates with smoking among young people, even in those who would otherwise be unlikely to smoke.[72] Experimenting with vaping encourages young people to continue smoking.[73] A 2015 study found minors had little resistance to buying e-cigarettes online.[74] Teenagers may not admit to using e-cigarettes, but use, for instance, a hookah pen.[75] As a result, self-reporting may be lower in surveys.[75]Health effects
The health risks of e-cigarettes are not known for certain, but the risk of serious adverse events is thought to be low,[76][77] and e-cigarettes are likely safer than combusted tobacco products.[notes 3][73][79] With professional help, they can help people quit smoking.[80]
Less serious adverse effects include abdominal pain, headache, blurry vision,[81] throat and mouth irritation, vomiting, nausea, and coughing.[10] Nicotine is addictive and harmful to fetuses, children and young people.[82] In 2019 and 2020, an outbreak of severe vaping lung illness in the US was strongly linked to vitamin E acetate by the CDC.[notes 4][85] E-cigarettes produce similar levels of particulates to tobacco cigarettes.[86] There is "only limited evidence showing adverse respiratory and cardiovascular effects in humans", with the authors of a 2020 review calling for more long-term studies on the subject.[86] E-cigarettes increase the risk of asthma by 40% and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 50% compared to not using nicotine at all.[87]Pregnancy
The Royal College of Midwives states, "While vaping devices such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) do contain some toxins, they are at far lower levels than found in tobacco smoke. If a pregnant woman who has been smoking chooses to use an e-cig and it helps her to quit smoking and stay smokefree, she should be supported to do so." Based on the available evidence on e-cigarette safety, there was also "no reason to believe that use of an e-cig has any adverse effect on breastfeeding." The statement went on to say, "vaping should continue, if it is helpful to quitting smoking and staying smokefree". The UK National Health Service says: "If using an e-cigarette helps you to stop smoking, it is much safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke." Many women who vape continue to do so during pregnancy because of the perceived paling aman of e-cigarettes compared to tobacco.[88]United States
In one of the few studies identified, a 2015 informasi lapangan of 316 pregnant women in a Maryland clinic found that the majority had heard of e-cigarettes, 13% had used them, and 0.6% were current daily users.[69] These findings are of concern because the dose of nicotine delivered by e-cigarettes can be as high or higher than that delivered by traditional cigarettes.[69]
