I recently stumbled upon this article by the FDA. I will address their concerns and give my personal take on them. The link to the article is FDA Warns of Health Risks Posed by E-Cigarettes
The FDA made three arguments:
1.)"e-cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death"
My response: First of all, scientists have found that nicotine is not harmful to your health, just addictive. Nicotine is addictive much in the same way as caffeine. Many people find these two to effect the body in a pleasant way. Neither chemical is generally dangerous to your health in moderation, but both are addictive. What's wrong with wanting a cup or two of coffee in the morning when you need a little pick-me-up? Analogously, what's wrong with having your dose of nicotine when you need to relax the mind after a stressful situation? I don't see anything wrong with being addicted to a non-harmful substance if it offers happiness or pleasure. Second, many e-cig users hate the taste of cigarettes and don't use them after they are committed "vapers". Being drunk makes you want to smoke more, but alcohol is legal, even though it is responsible for a large percentage of DEATHS each year. Amount of deaths e-cigs have caused: ZERO
2.)"the products may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans"
and
3.)"because clinical studies about the safety and efficacy of these products for their intended use have not been submitted to FDA, consumers currently have no way of knowing 1) whether e-cigarettes are safe for their intended use, or 2) about what types or concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals or what dose of nicotine they are inhaling when they use these products"
My response: Many e-liquid companies print a list of ingredients used in their liquids right on the bottle. So before you inhale anything, a responsible consumer will read this list and determine whether or not they want to ingest such a substance. The ingredients used in most e-liquids are Nicotine (the amount of nicotine per mL is listed on bottle) Propylene Glycol and/or Vegetable Glycerin (basically sugar compounds found to kill many common viruses/diseases associated with the lungs), Distilled Water, Natural and Artificial Flavors, and Citric Acid (as a preservative). The bottles also state that nicotine is an addictive and potentially harmful chemical in case of overdose, instructing the consumer to do their research.
I've noticed that people try to shut down things that they are ignorant about. Unfortunately, e-cigs are no exception.
Happy Vaping Everyone!
--Kevin