lectronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are
battery-operated devices, originally
designed to resemble conventional
cigarettes, which deliver a nicotine-
containing aerosol (aka, 'vapor') to users.
Worldwide, the usage of e-cigarettes has ex-
ploded since they were first developed by a
Chinese pharmacist in 2003. The devices,
which are often marketed as a healthier or safer
alternative to traditional cigarettes and as a po-
tential smoking cessation aid, have become an
industry in and of themselves. Virtually not a
day goes by, however, without some new study
or article being published discussing potential
exposure issues related to e-cigarettes. This
leaves many to wonder, what is the real truth?
Some Statistics
In the United States, e-cigarette sales are esti-
mated to top $1.5 billion in 2015 and continue
to grow nearly 25 percent per year through
2018. As of January 2014, more than 460 dif-
ferent e-brands were available on the market,
with over 7,700 unique e-liquid flavors offered.
China currently produces approximately 90
percent of the world's e-cigarettes and Chinese
manufacturers are expected to ship more than
300 million of them to the U.S. and Europe this
year.
According to a study published by the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), e-cigarette use among middle school
and high school students tripled from 2013
to 2014. The CDC indicated that current e-
cigarette use has now surpassed current use of
every other tobacco product overall, including
conventional cigarettes. Another study, this one
from the University of Michigan, reported that in
2014, nine percent of 8th graders, 16 percent
of 10th graders and 17 percent of high school
seniors had reported using e-cigarettes within
the previous month.
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