A craze that has taken streets by storm, electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, can be seen just about anywhere these days. From supermarkets to malls, people can be seen with these gadgets popping out of their mouths, paired with vapors that slowly float and fill the air around.
E-Cigarettes have been widely touted as a strategic weapon in the fight to quit smoking; and while for many it has proven successful, the negatives behind these electronic smoking sticks far diminishes the benefits, as the industry stands right now.
Currently, there are very few federally-based restrictions on e-Cigarettes. This means anyone of any age can go into a store that sells them and buy one. They are not regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, which means there are no restrictions or guidelines on what can be placed in them and inhaled.
One of the biggest issues seen today is the use of drugs in these inhalers, masked by scents that you can add to your smoking concoction. The result: teens doing drugs without getting caught.
Use of these gadgets is completely unregulated, and while several manufacturers provide e-cigarette reviews, they can still be used incorrectly and can be harmful.
Supporters of e-Cigarettes maintain that if used correctly, as they were intended to be used, they provide a tool that helps so many quit the habit of smoking traditional cigarettes.
Some third party advocates of e-Cigarettes, such as ECigaretteReviews.net, provide insightful and helpful guidance on products, their benefits, their negatives, electronic cigarette reviews, and what is happening in general in the industry.
These sources go into full detail describing e-cigarettes, what they are composed of, and how they work. For those sincerely looking to quit a bad habit, these sources can provide a means to an end, in a safe but efficient way. What troubles many is the misuse that is currently taking place before our eyes every day.
Because there are no restrictions or regulations, but for some states that have quickly adopted them, e-cigarette stores are able to sell them to minors, which allows kids to fill these machines with just about anything they can get their hands on. This can prove fatal.
Using drugs is sometimes hard enough to detect. However, if you can now mask its use with scents, you are further removed from helping prevent someone from falling deep into the depths of addiction.
On the topic of addiction, e-cigarettes are so new, there are few studies that show whether or not use of these electronic gadgets, or more correctly, the inhaling the vapors, can be addictive. This would probably depend on the mix of ingredients you choose to fill the e-cig with, which means the potential for danger is there.
I cannot say that I am completely against e-Cigarettes altogether, because if using them can truly help people quit smoking, then I think it is a beneficial tool to keep legal. However, restrictions and guidelines should be in place to help ensure that they are not available to the wrong hands. Just as cigarettes cannot be sold to minors, so too should be the case with e-Cigarettes.
