Electronic Cigarette Truth

An article published on the Telegraph website (a UK-based newspaper) recently seemed to portray electronic cigarettes as the saviour of smokers everywhere. While I found some points quite valid, others seemed extremely over-hyped. Indeed, I believe electronic cigarettes are great, but there's a couple of things I wanted to point out to make sure nobody was fooled by the constant great press they've been given recently.

I'll start with the 'bad'.

With tobacco claiming more than 100,000 lives each year it is well known to be the biggest cause of preventable death and therefore the biggest strain on NHS resources. ASH claims that smoking costs the NHS approximately £2.7 billion a year for the treatment of conditions caused by it. This figure is also responsible for covering the costs of hospital admission, GP consultations and prescriptions.

This struck a chord with me. Smokers shouldn't be demonized - I'm sure the government receives plenty more than £2.7 billion a year in takes from smoking, so this is rather a null point. Also, anyone over the age of 18 and with half a brain in their head knows that smoking is quite dangerous - why do people who don't smoke feel the need to constantly inform smokers that its dangerous like they're some sort of beacon of hidden knowledge?

But it isn't only the NHS feeling the effects of our country’s smoking habit: the UK economy as a whole appears to have suffered. It recently emerged that smokers are costing the economy £1.4 billion a year by taking an average of 2.7 days more sick leave per annum than their non-smoking colleagues.

Really? My partner smokes fairly heavily and has never had a day off sick in her life - yet I don't remember us being sent that survey.

As one of the UK’s most widely available brand of electric cigarette in the UK, Nicolites are hopeful that more and more people will wake up to the devastating effects of tobacco and save money and more importantly their lives, by giving electronic cigarettes a try.

My last 'bad' point is kind of laughable. Are Nicolites now the conscious, healthy, saviour company? I doubt it. They're selling an addictive substance. It may be less harmful sure, but it's like buying 'pure' heroin from your street dealer instead of heroin mixed with who knows what.

Just because we're smokers doesn't mean we're gullible and stupid.

However, I think this article raised a few good points too.

As the main cause of accidental fires in the home, cigarettes accounted for a third of all accidental home fire deaths in 2010/11. An electronic cigarette not only poses significantly fewer health risks, but is also a much safer product in general, emitting vapour rather than actual smoke.

The chart revealed Mr Lawrence’s total spend on electronic cigarettes to be £1,006.83 as opposed to £5,668.70 he would have spent as a 40-a-day smoker. 

Where the 57-year-old male used to find himself out of breath simply walking up the stairs, he is now able to walk a couple of miles a day with relative ease using the tobacco-free products.

I love these claims, and I think they're a valid point of why you should switch to an electronic cigarette. Of course I'll be testing the health claims myself, just to be sure.

You can read the article here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/sponsored-features/9683522/electronic-cigarette-nicolites-cost-smoking.html

So what's my point?

While I believe e-cigs are much healthier, it's obvious they aren't completely healthy. As I've said before, if you don't smoke at all it's best to stay that way.

I also disdain the way smokers are constantly attacked - but that's fashionable, I guess.

And lastly I simply found the article quite thought provoking.

Until next time.

Dave.