Electronic cigarette – an electronic device, which by its principle of action, resembles to medical inhaler. The electronic cigarettes were invented by Hong Kong-based company Ruyan Group Ltd. (formerly Golden Dragon Group Ltd.) and patented in 2003. Today, the company released the 8th generation of electronic cigarettes. Due to the great popularity of this device, appeared a lot of other companies, who began to manufacture electronic cigarettes.
Today, e-cigarettes may have different forms, from usual, like tobacco cigarettes, to those in form of pipes and mechanic elements. The main parts of any e-cigarette are: atomizer and battery.
In some models are used ultrasonic nebulizers. Inside atomizer is inserted Nichrome spiral, which when is red-hot, turns smoking liquid into a thick vapor, resembling the tobacco smoke.
The composition of smoking liquids for electronic cigarettes consists of: food flavorings, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol and purified nicotine.
Today, are conducted many campaigns to limit or ban the sale of electronic cigarettes. It is believed, that these activities were developed by tobacco companies, which suffer a huge losses due to the fact that more and more smokers switched to electronic cigarettes. They put forward various arguments, starting with the fact that the effects of e-cigarettes has not been studied, and ending with the fact that e-liquids may contain dangerous substances. Today the physician’s reviews about electronic cigarettes are too ambiguous.
The main concern of skeptics is propylene glycol in e-liquid content. Despite the fact that propylene glycol is used more than 50 years in food industry, didn’t cause any complications and diseases in humans, in electronic cigarette it suddenly became something frightening and terrifying. People around the world are drinking beer and soft drinks, eat cereals and pasta, biscuits and chocolate, which contain propylene glycol and don’t even know about this.
Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) describes propylene glycol (PG) as a chemical colorless and odorless liquid, which is used as a dietary supplement, in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical, as an inert solvent. Propylene glycol is recognized safe for use in foods and medicines. Stable under normal temperatures, while inhaled in rare cases may cause mild irritation of the respiratory tract.
Disease Registry (ATSDR): – Propylene glycol is recognized safe as an additive in foods and medicines.
As for the other element – glycerol, it is widely used in cosmetics, food and medicine. From glycerol are manufactured soaps, skin lotions, it is used as a sugar substitute in cooking, etc.