The E-Cigarette Debate Electronic cigarettes, often called e-cigarettes, are battery operated devices designed to look like regular tobacco cigarettes. Like regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. There are three main styles of e-cigarettes: mini, mid-sized, and modified. Mini e-cigarettes mimic the look and size of traditional cigarettes and are usually used by beginners. Mid-sized e-cigarettes are generally used by more experienced users and there are separate compartments for the battery, the atomizer, and the cartridge for the e-juice. Modified e-cigarettes are the most expensive, but they allow users to experience a variety of flavors. Most electronic cigarettes work the same way. E-cigarette users inhale the way they would with a regular cigarette. This inhalation activates the atomizer to heat the liquid in the cartridge and convert the liquid to a vapor. Inhaling this vapor through the mouthpiece delivers nicotine to the lungs, and the user exhales vapor that looks much like a cloud of cigarette smoke. The liquid that fills the cartridges is usually propylene glycol, an additive that the FDA has approved for use in food. The cartridges may contain different amounts of nicotine, or no nicotine at all. Manufacturers usually add flavorings to the liquid. Options range from tobacco and menthol flavor to mint, chocolate, coffee, apple, cherry and caramel. Electronic cigarettes do have some benefits over traditional cigarettes. First, e-cigarettes do not have the distinctive odor of regular cigarettes. Normal cigarette smoke can cling to hair, clothes, the car, or pretty much anything it comes into contact with. Second, e-cigarettes are cheaper than tobacco cigarettes. The month-to-month cost of electronic smoking is typically about half when compared to traditional cigarettes. Third, e-cigarettes are more environmentally safe than traditional cigarettes. Cigarettes are the #1 cause of fire-related death in the United States and 7 other countries. Worldwide, fires started by lit cigarettes constitute 10% of all fire-related deaths. Electronic cigarettes do not share this problem. Finally, e-cigarettes can be used pretty much anywhere, while tobacco cigarettes have many restrictions on where they can be used. Smokers of traditional cigarettes may have to endure smoking in frigid temperatures, whereas e-cigarette smokers can “smoke” inside. Electronic cigarettes do have their downsides, though. First, a widely publicized study into the safety of e-cigarettes was done when researchers analyzed two leading brands and concluded the devices did contain trace elements of hazardous compounds, including a chemical which is the main ingredient found in antifreeze. Secondly, e-cigarettes are a relatively new product, so we do not know the long-term effects of them. Thomas Glynn, the director of science and trends at the American Cancer Society, said, “As for long-term effects, we don't know what happens when you breathe the vapor into the lungs regularly.” A third concern with e-cigarettes is that they can be a gateway to smoking, given that many popular brands come in flavors and colors that seem designed to appeal to a younger generation of smokers. Kids could start a lifetime of nicotine use by starting with e-cigarettes. A fourth and final concern with e-cigarettes is manufacturers may not adequately disclose all the chemical ingredients in their e-cigarettes, and that the amount of nicotine listed on a cartridge label may not match the actual amount in the cartridge.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to regulate e-cigarettes under existing tobacco laws rather than as a medication or medical device. The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, the nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA has hinted it will begin to regulate e-cigarettes as soon as this year but so far, the only action the agency has taken is issuing a letter in 2010 to electronic cigarette distributors warning them to cease making various unsubstantiated marketing claims. The e-cigarette industry is expected to be more strictly regulated in the near future.
In my opinion, e-cigarettes are the lesser of the two evils, but I do not support either traditional cigarettes or e-cigarettes. I do believe that the FDA should more strictly regulate e-cigarettes because we have no way of knowing what chemicals are actually inside of them, and their marketing seems to target teenagers. I hate all smoking with a passion, but I would rather people use e-cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes so us nonsmokers would not have to deal with the secondhand smoke.

Works Cited
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Edney, Anna. "FDA Set to Decide Whether to Regulate E-cigarettes." Philadelphia Inquirer. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
NEPORENT, LIZ. "5 Things You Need to Know About E-Cigarettes." ABC News. ABC News Network, 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.