To Smoke Or Not To Smoke: The Electronic Cigarette

I grew up in the eighties and remember mom and dad smoking in the house, in the car, just about everywhere. I remember thinking I was cool just like mom and dad as I blew out the smoke from my candy cigarette. I have flipped through child hood photos to see myself as an infant in my mother's lap as she holds her cigarette between her delicate fingers. The sad fact is that I lost both my grandfather and my mother to lung cancer. Both of them were life long smokers. I did what every kids does after learning that tobacco is bad for you in health class, I went home and gave my your killing yourself speech to my parents, which only aggitated them. After my mother was diagnosed with cancer I watched her slowly drop weight from her already naturally thin frame. I saw her wince in pain and lose enjoyment of life. I remember telling her about the electronic cigarette and how it has no tobacco, tar, carbon monoxide or any of the 4,000 harmful chemicals in tobacco cigarettes. My hope was to have her replace tobacco cigarettes with this device that claims to be such a healthier choice. She considered this for about five seconds and I never heard anything else about it. It makes me curious to know rather or not the electronic cigarette is truly the better alternative and if it truly can help to save someone from my mother's fate. The FDA (whom I personally do not trust)sees the e-cigarette as a drug and drug administering device. It is not however regulated to the same standard as OTC tobacco or nicotine products. It is illegal to sell nicotine to minors in the U.S. I really can't put two and two together how a product, food, drug, etc can be released for purchase without fully being tested and the effects if any understood. My fear is that years down the road we will find that the e-cigarette is not as safe as we thought. I also fear that perhaps it is the answer, that it is safe and could potentially save lives of smokers workdwide. So do I think that everyone should smoke the e-cigarette? My answer for now is no. I fear the unknown with this device and do not trust it. If anything e-cig smokers will still walk away with a ring of unattractive lines and wrinkles around their mouths from puckering to puff on nicotine vapor. We can only hope that wrinkles are the only hazard this product has. I just ask that for any of you who are considering the electronic cigarette do some personal research. Speak to your physician and learn about safe methods for smoking cessation. There is only one you so take care of yourself!You're worth it! God bless.

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