Question: My doctor has recommended that I try e-cigarettes to help me quit smoking. But I’ve ready they may also be dangerous. What do you think?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
E-cigarettes are basically delivering nicotine to you in a different fashion from smoking cigarettes. At first blush, they seem safer than smoking the tars and carcinogens known to be contained in tobacco cigarettes.
But we actually have very few studies on e-cigarettes. But while you are inhaling nicotine via the e-cigarette, you may also be breathing in other compounds, in addition to nicotine, that by themselves or in combination may have their own health risks. Also, because the nicotine dose is variable, the potential for nicotine toxicity may be greater for e-cigarette users.
In any event, nicotine addiction is one of the major reasons that smokers have trouble stopping smoking, and e-cigarettes are yet another way to deliver nicotine to those that crave it. Compared with cigarette smoking, e-cigarettes seem much safer. In addition, bystander exposure is reduced with e-cigarettes.
Even so, it’s a good idea not to smoke — or vape — around children, regardless of what type of cigarette you wish to inhale.
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