The American Industrial Hygiene Association has summarized experimental and empirical results to form an opinion on the harms of smoking e-cigarettes. The selected document analyzes and investigates the effects of such smoking devices on the health of the smoker and people around and briefly introduces diverse types of e-cigarettes. The properties and content of various chemicals in the heating process are described thoroughly. It is worth noting that the study is based on information current in the year the paper was published. There are many other types of vaping devices at the moment, for example salt or drip ones, but the main point is that the primary smoking substances still remain the same.
The source identifies a lack of data and preliminary research to draw any unequivocal conclusions, and there are areas requiring much more quantitative analysis. For example, there is insufficient information on the potential mixing of e-cigarette contents with other air pollutants and the possibility of a mutual reaction (Marcham, 2014). There is likewise insufficient laboratory research due to a large number of variations in vapor blends, smoking styles, and smokers’ habits.
The main emphasis of the topic examination is on the specific constituents present in most e-cigarettes. Nicotine, flavorings, glycerin, glycols, silicon or metal particles, nitrosamines, and even possible allergens can be found in smoking liquids (Marcham, 2014). Given the main topic of the paper, it can be seen that only a small part is explicitly devoted to the effects of e-cigarettes in indoor environments, as more attention is paid to the general health risks of using e-cigarettes. Furthermore, it looks at government activities designed to limit the places where e-cigarettes are allowed – the ban is set up similarly to conventional smoking.
My conclusion of the study is that the White Paper mostly covers the primary theme. Although e-cigarettes and their effects have not been completely studied, the potential harm to smokers and the health of other people around them is still lower than when smoking conventional cigarettes. I accept and support the importance of the need for further research on this topic to form more apparent results (Marcham, 2014). Each specific device and each ingredient in the formulation must be carefully evaluated in terms of potential risks.
Reference
Marcham, C. L. (2014). White paper: Electronic cigarettes in the indoor environment [PDF document]. Web.