French Study: E-Cigarettes Not That Healthy After All

So it turns out the hot new thing in "healthy" smoking really isn't that much better for you than regular old tobacco cigarettes, according to a new study from the smoking capital of the world: France. Their National Consumer Institute found that many of the little electronic nicotine vaporizers actually kick out a fairly significant amount of nasty toxic chemicals, just like their plant-based cousins.

About a third of the e-cigs tested contained high levels of formaldehyde and acrolein, almost as much as those found in regular cigarettes. Both of those chemicals are well known carcinogens and lung damagers. According to Thomas Laurenceau from the National Consumer Institute:

"Electronic cigarettes are far from the harmless gadgets that they are presented as... This is not a reason to ban them, but to place them under better control."

This and other new studies showing the potential health risks of e-cigarettes aren't likely to go over well with the companies and stores that sell them. Even some of the smoking industry "giants" are now pushing the products as safe smoking alternatives and/or "quit smoking" tools. Still, the good news is that it appears several brands/models -- 7 out of 10 of the ones tested -- don't contain high levels of bad chemicals.

We say: Since e-smoking is expected to become a $10 billion industry in the next few years, we don't expect this study or any other to really affect it that much. Here in Vegas you can see people smoking these weird little things (not to mention "e-hookahs") all over the place now. It will be interesting to see how anti-smoking establishments change their laws/rules to handle all the e-smoke!

Learn some mo': Study says e-cigarettes may contain carcinogens similar to regular cigarettes



Photo credit: chiropractic

The Marlboro E-Cigarette Is Here

It was only a matter of time. The owner of the world-famous cigarette brand Marlboro has decided to launch its own electronic cigarette product. Altria Group Inc hopes to take advantage of a recent consumer trend -- "smokeless" cigarettes -- in order to try to offset the sales slump of regular cigarettes.

More smoking bans, health worries, and increasing taxes on tobacco products have moved millions of Americans to try e-cigarettes, which provide the nicotine boost of regular tobacco products without the burning smoke. Basically they vaporize liquid nicotine from disposable cartridges and, at least in theory, greatly reduce the health risks (although some doctors disagree) and inconvenience of regular old smoking. Some of the products are promoted as ways to quit smoking gradually, or at least limit the damage it does.

The new e-cigs will be sold under the "MarkTen" brand and priced around $10 each, with new nicotine cartridges sold in packs. Many industry experts expect all the other major tobacco companies to follow Altria's lead and come out with their own electronic cigarettes within the next couple of years.

We say: This is kinda cool but we're still worried about the toxic nano-sized metal particles found in some e-cigarette products.

Learn some mo': Marlboro maker Altria to sell e-cigarettes

Quit Smoking, Double Your Chances of Surviving Cancer!

People diagnosed with lung cancer can double their chances of survival by quitting smoking early on, according to new research from the UK. This is great news because it's the first hard evidence showing that kicking the smoking habit can significantly improve a lung cancer patient's odds of survival. According to health researcher Amanda Parsons of the U.K. Centre for Tobacco Control Studies:

"The message is you should never give up on giving up (smoking)... Even at the stage where you have been diagnosed with early stage lung cancer ... if you give up smoking, your body can still partially recover and your risk is reduced."

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in the world. Hopefully this new research will help to make it a little less deadly for millions of smokers around the world!

Learn some mo': Quitting smoking may double cancer survival