UNAM
Revista Digital Universitaria
Revista Digital Universitaria ISSN: 1607 - 6079 | Publicación mensual | 1 de abril de 2016 vol.17, No.4

ABSTRACT

The e-Cigarrette. Myths and Facts



Guadalupe Ponciano Rodríguez, César Pliego Rosas


There are many myths around the e-cigarettes, and most of them have contributed to spread its use in the last few years. As an example, many websites emphasize that these cigarettes are safe and a better option than tobacco cigarettes since they are socially acceptable; others sell them as a practical tool to stop smoking. On the other hand, each day there are new scientific evidences reporting a high toxicity for the vapor they exhale and, therefore, a hazard for the consumer’s health. There is also clinical evidence that indicates that their use may cause addiction because of the indiscriminate use of nicotine and also reports of explosions that cause serious damage to the consumers’ face and hands. With such a controversy there is disorientation in the general population about the risks or benefits of e-cigarettes. In this article, we present information about myths and facts of e-cigarettes, which will allow the reader to have a scientific and critical knowledge of these products. We mention how they work, what type of toxic substances they contain, and its questionable impact as tools to stop smoking and, finally, what is happening in Mexico with these devices.



Keywords: e-cigs, e-cigarrettes, e-liquid, nicotine, toxics, carcinogens, vapour, propilen glicol.