Editorial by Jacqueline McCrief

Everyone knows that cigarettes kill. The warning is right on the box! We are bombarded by messages on television and the Internet, and it’s socially frowned upon to be a smoker. That is, unless you are a smoker.

I was browsing online a few weeks ago when I noticed an ad about cigarettes that don’t cause cancer. We’ve all seen the pictures of blackened lungs intended to persuade people to kick the habit. So I ignored the ads.

But then, a coworker and avid smoker bounces up to me, a recent quitter, and starts gushing about his new electronic cigarette. Say no more, I’m already intrigued.

These new e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, but do not burn or stink. Vapor mixed with nicotine is produced inside a cartridge in the cigarette and inhaled. No tobacco, no tar, no arsenic. You can even get different flavors like menthol or chocolate, all for about $50 for the starter kit. Genius, right?

Not completely.

According to the FDA, these cigarettes contain carcinogens and an ingredient called diethylene glycol, which is used in antifreeze. Scientists are still conducting tests to determine the full effects of these “cigarettes.”

E-cigarettes are a definite step forward. Nicotine is essentially an addictive stimulant, just like caffeine. If there is a way to eliminate the worst components, why not? No smoke means these could also be used inside restaurants.  According to the American Lung Association, 392,000 people die each year from a tobacco-caused disease. These deaths could be prevented by this new technology.  It’s kind of the same idea as non-alcoholic beers like O’Doul’s. You still get the taste, without getting drunk.

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