News flash... Cigarette smoking is bad for you! Maybe not such a news flash. Smoking has been linked to a variety of diseases and forms of cancer. Smoking is the direct cause, or is a significant factor, in 80 % of patients with lung cancer. It is the cause of emphysema. Even the tobacco companies admit that smoking may not be in the best interest of your health.
Nicotine is a component of tobacco smoke. It is the chemical that induces everything from pleasure to addiction. Smoking cessation products primarily center around nicotine. Give a product to replace nicotine, gum or a patch, and then slowly decrease the dose. The patient's need for nicotine lowers and they soon will be smoke free. But the recidivism rate for nicotine addiction remains extremely high. It is had to quit. Wouldn't it be great if we had a product that made smoking safer and at the same time helped people kick their addiction? Now there is, the e-cigarette.
E-cigarettes are small electronic devices that look like cigarettes. They are held like cigarettes and must be puffed and inhaled like a cigarette. They deliver a metered dose of nicotine without all of the other contaminants. The dose can be decreased to assist is smoking cessation. For those that can't seem to quit, or do not want to quit, c-cigarettes provide alternative to standard tobacco products. E-cigarettes do have side effects. According to the Medical Letter the most common adverse effects seen after using e-cigarettes are: dry mouth, sore throat and a non-productive cough. Of course the jury is still out on the long term safety of these new products.
E-cigarettes are they a hero or a villain? Time will tell.
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