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posted by mrcoolbp on Tuesday March 25 2014, @08:01PM   Printer-friendly
from the quitting-is-for-quitters dept.

GungnirSniper writes:

A small study done by The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at The University of California, San Francisco, "suggests that e-cigarettes don't actually help people to quit smoking." However, of the 949 smokers in the study, only 88 used e-cigarettes, causing the study's researchers to "admit that their findings should be viewed with some caution."


NPR has a recently story about "vaping" (using e-cigarettes) indoors and in the workplace.


  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:41AM

    by sjames (2882) on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:41AM (#21411) Journal

    Which hazard is that?

    If you are arguing that none of the many thousand untested novel substances used in everything from perfumes and air fresheners to cleaning products and furniture finishes should be permitted without testing, that might make sense. Otherwise, it really doesn't.

    We know the ecig vapor when exhaled contains a trace of nicotine (in an amount less than you'll find in a baked potato), some glycerin (GRAS, already used in food) propylene glycol (Also GRAS and used in food), and water (fairly obvious).

    There is much better evidence that the BPA used in the office water cooler is harmful.

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  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:45PM

    by Tork (3914) on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:45PM (#21769)


    This is still being investigated.

    Slashdolt Logic: "24 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
    • (Score: 2) by sjames on Wednesday March 26 2014, @11:14PM

      by sjames (2882) on Wednesday March 26 2014, @11:14PM (#21801) Journal

      Not really. It's mostly people who are apparently ticked off that someone might not have to suffer to avoid the bad effects of smoking doing the 'tests' over and over until they get the result they want.

      As for why there are people who object so strenuously to e-cigs (even when used in one's own home), I don't know.

      Here's a good comparison of various sources of nicotine (in non-smokers) See table 1. Quick summary, a good Italian meal can have days worth of second hand nicotine in it.

      The part of cigarette smoke that causes the second-hand problems is the tars and particulates, both absent from e-cigs. It appears that those are the parts of cigarette smoking that cause the problems for the smoker as well. There is a possibility that the nitrosamines and other tobacco alkaloids may be a problem as well, but those are also absent from e-liquid (at least to the degree that they are absent from the FDA approved nicotine inhalers).

      As for the propylene glycol, it is an approved food additive and in the UK they're considering introducing it as a mist in hospitals to cut down on hospital acquired infections.

      Given that, there's really not much reason for concern. Especially compared to the entirely untested novel chemicals found in a typical office environment.