The internet is stirring with news regarding electronic cigarettes, or e cigarettes. These are small devices that create a vapor out of a nicotine and propylene glycol liquid. This vapor is inhaled and travels through the user’s system, much like it would with a regular cigarette, only it does this minus the flame, tobacco and cancer causing carcinogens. Currently there has been litigation between the FDA and two electronic cigarette suppliers, one of which is NJOY Electronic Cigarettes, the first American distributor for electric cigarettes in the United States.

In recent news reports, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) contends that e-cigarettes are both a drug and a device, making them subject to U.S. government regulation under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The FDA defines a drug as a substance that is “used for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in man or other animals.” One of the main arguments by the FDA and anti-smoking groups is that electronic cigarettes are not a proven smoking cessation device. The statements made by the FDA could lead the public to think that the electronic cigarette is as, or more, dangerous than the tobacco cigarette.

However, the sellers of the electronic cigarette have neither marketed nor advertised the e-cigarette as a quit smoking device. The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) President Matt Salmon, a former US Congressman from Arizona, noted in a letter to Congress that the ECA “acknowledges the health risks of cigarette smoking and advocates that smokers quit. But we also recognize the struggles that many have in quitting and who are looking for a more convenient and better alternative to tobacco cigarettes. While some of our customers have reported using our devices to help them quit smoking by slowly reducing the nicotine delivery in our products, it is important to note that our member companies do not market their e-cigarettes as smoking cessation products nor make any such claims.”

Electronic cigarette reviews are so positive thus far that one user stated that after the first time using an e-cigarette, they would “probably never need another cigarette again.” But really, it is more about giving smokers an alternative to tobacco cigarettes that may, or may not be healthier. Those who buy electronic cigarettes are certainly well aware of their benefits. There is neither tobacco, tar nor any other cancer causing carcinogen in electronic cigarettes. The cost per pack is, on average, less than that of regular cigarettes. Since e-cigarettes utilize vapor rather than smoke, they can be more freely used in public places that have banned smoking. The impact on the environment is more positive because there are no butts or packing to be disposed of.

With all of the documented positive benefits of using e-cigarettes instead of tobacco cigarettes, it is no wonder that advocates are fighting to make this product more readily available to consumers. Despite all of the negative press, it just makes sense for smokers to have another alternative to tobacco cigarettes.