More than hot air? Questionable if e-cigarettes are a good idea

From Walla Walla Union-Bulletin:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Electronic cigarettes — embraced by users as a healthier alternative to smoking or a good way to quit — are picking up steam. There’s little research on how safe they might be or whether they’re an effective strategy for kicking the habit, but more people are giving e-cigarettes a try every day. About one in five adult cigarette smokers in the U.S. had tried electronic cigarettes in 2011, nearly twice as many as in 2010. Sales reached nearly $500 million in 2012 and are expected to double to $1 billion this year. As the market grows, even tobacco companies are jumping on board. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. launched its Vuse electronic cigarette this summer in Colorado. Altria Group Inc., parent company of the nation’s largest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, will soon debut its product, MarkTen, in Indiana. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are a smoke-free alternative to the traditional paper cigarette. The most basic version, one that could be mistaken for an actual cigarette, is comprised of a liquid cartridge attached to a white cylinder containing a battery. The battery heats the liquid into a vapor that the user inhales. Instead of smoking, it’s come to be called “vaping.” The liquid is a mixture of propylene glycol (a common chemical used in many in food products), vegetable glycerin, flavoring and nicotine. The composition can vary greatly by manufacturer. Typical electronic cigarettes range from around $10 for a standard e-cigarette that requires replacement liquid cartridges to as much as $70 for a polished wooden model that can be refilled. Although prices vary, pre-filled liquid cartridges, each lasting about as long as a pack of cigarettes, usually cost a few dollars, and bottles of flavored e-liquid range from a few dollars to more than $10 depending on size. Read the rest of the story here.