The electronic cigarette is an advanced form of cigarette that contains nicotine damped with water vapors. The electronic cigarette contains water vapors and low-level nicotine, which makes it possible for the smoker to smoke indoors. It is just like any ordinary cigarette, but with less nicotine concentration that makes it less harmful than ordinary cigarettes.
“There’s a little red light on the end here that lights up so it looks like a cigarette,” said a smoker. The smoker further said, “It gives you the feel of a cigarette, but, again there’s no second hand smoke. The only thing that you’re inhaling is water vapor.”
The electronic cigarettes were especially designed for those smokers who want to minimize the nicotine intake. These cigarettes consist of red light at the end of the tip, instead of nicotine ash and flame.
The electronic cigarette is getting increasingly popular all over the U.S. The demand for e-cigarettes is on the rise. An e-cigarette salesman said, “You can smoke indoors with them, that’s the biggest thing. We get a lot of phone calls (about e-cigarettes), I’ve sold quite a few over a period of two years. People like them.”
Electronic cigarettes have minimzed the threat of second hand smoking. Second hand smoking is one of the main reasons why smoking is banned indoors.
“Second hand smoke is a known carcinogen,” said Cynthia Brown, with the Bullitt County Health Department. “The EPA has classified it as such, so we’re trying to protect the public from this known hazard.” Therefore, the promotion of electronic cigarette grew when it was observed that e-cigarettes pose no threat of second hand smoking.
But recently the Bullitt County Board of Health voted to ban smoking in public places, a ban that includes e-cigarettes, too. The e-cigarette users were amazed by the decision. Mr. Brown, in his reply to the ban, observed, “The bottom line on e-cigarettes is we don’t know how dangerous they are. We don’t know how much nicotine is being taken in by the person. We don’t know how much nicotine is being exhaled by the person.”