What's Up with E-Cigarettes?

E-cigarette smokers claim that e-cigarettes are not as harmful as tobacco alternatives, are not addictive, and don't create secondhand smoke. What's Up with E-Cigarettes?, which looks carefully at each of these assertions, begins with a definition: e-cigarettes are battery-operated inhalers that basically allow smokers to draw vaporized nicotine into their lungs—vapors that are often laced with candy-like flavors to make the experience more fun. Although an increasing number of people smoke e-cigarettes, no certainty exists about the effects on smokers of the metals and toxic carcinogens that are mixed in with the nicotine, or about the impact on others who involuntarily breathe in those substances. What is clear is that e-cigarettes are being marketed to young adults, who are buying the premise that the product is safe. The conclusion reached here is that we don't really know what the long-term health impact will be on the public. Anyone thinking about taking up the e-cigarette habit would do well to watch this informative overview first. DVD extras include a teacher's resource guide. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)