This is from an e-mail I received today from the University of Kansas Hospital. Gee, I guess there are a lot of things I though I knew that are actually unknown. And I've been doing something wrong for the last 4 years because my vaping devices don't even have "cartridges." 
"It's important for people to understand that e-cigarettes exist in a grey zone as far as regulation goes," said Stephen Thornton, MD, toxicologist and medical director for The University of Kansas Hospital Poison Control Center. "If people are under the impression there is any quality control or safety measures, they're mistaken."
We've gathered what we do know and what we don't to best address these questions.
What are e-cigarettes?
How do they work?
The battery heats the liquid nicotine that's contained in the cartridge. The user then inhales the vapor from the heated liquid. This process is called "vaping."
Are e-cigarettes safe?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not yet test or regulate e-cigarettes. So the makers do not have to follow any quality-control guidelines or safety standards.
Right now, users of e-cigarettes have no way to know exactly what chemicals or materials they're made of. In addition, very little research has been conducted – particularly any long-term studies. What research has been discovered is alarming.
Simply put, there are more things we don't know about e-cigarettes than we do.
"It's important to understand we are not saying it's safe," said Dr. Thornton. "We're saying it's safer. It's all relative risk – like choosing between jumping from a 20-foot building or a 40-foot building. Ideally, you would not do either."
- See more at: The Facts About E-cigarettes | The University of Kansas Hospital | Kansas City, KS
"It's important for people to understand that e-cigarettes exist in a grey zone as far as regulation goes," said Stephen Thornton, MD, toxicologist and medical director for The University of Kansas Hospital Poison Control Center. "If people are under the impression there is any quality control or safety measures, they're mistaken."
We've gathered what we do know and what we don't to best address these questions.
What are e-cigarettes?
- There are many different brands. Those brands change often.
- Most e-cigarettes are not manufactured in the U.S.
- Each brand is a bit different, but most contain:
- A battery
- A heating coil
- A vaporizing chamber
- Cartridges that fit into that chamber
How do they work?
The battery heats the liquid nicotine that's contained in the cartridge. The user then inhales the vapor from the heated liquid. This process is called "vaping."
Are e-cigarettes safe?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not yet test or regulate e-cigarettes. So the makers do not have to follow any quality-control guidelines or safety standards.
Right now, users of e-cigarettes have no way to know exactly what chemicals or materials they're made of. In addition, very little research has been conducted – particularly any long-term studies. What research has been discovered is alarming.
- Some cartridges contain cancer-causing ingredients and other toxic chemicals.
- Most cartridges contain propylene glycol, which can irritate the lungs when inhaled.
- E-cigarettes generate secondhand vapor, which has been shown in studies to contain nicotine, though usually at very low levels.
Simply put, there are more things we don't know about e-cigarettes than we do.
- We don't know what materials are used to construct the tubes and the working parts of e-cigarettes.
- We don't know what chemicals or their concentration in the liquids is used in the cartridges.
- We don't know the immediate side effects or risks of inhaling the liquid.
- We don't know the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
- We don't know what's in the secondhand e-cigarette vapor and whether it's harmful.
"It's important to understand we are not saying it's safe," said Dr. Thornton. "We're saying it's safer. It's all relative risk – like choosing between jumping from a 20-foot building or a 40-foot building. Ideally, you would not do either."
- See more at: The Facts About E-cigarettes | The University of Kansas Hospital | Kansas City, KS
And yes, ideally, people would neither smoke nor vape -- but for the largest majority of smokers, not doing either is simply NOT AN OPTION, it's one of the other. I choose splashing in a puddle rather than jumping off that 40 ft bldg.
