Electronic Cigarette FAQs
Question:What is an electronic cigarette?
Answer: An electronic cigarette is a device that simulates the actions of a regular tobacco based cigarette but with out the harmful smoke and tar. Instead the electronic cigarette produces an odourless and safe water / nicotine vapour that simulates smoke and provides the user with the nicotine that they crave.
Question:How Do Electronic Cigarettes Work?
Answer: The average electronic cigarette is made up of 3 parts:
- Rechargeable Battery
- Atomiser Device
- Nicotine Cartridge
When the user inhales on the nicotine cartridge, it causes a flow of air to pass through the body of the unit triggering the battery to heat the atomiser device, this in-turn heats the nicotine solution inside the cartridge which produces the nicotine and water vapour that simulates smoke, and provides the nicotine hit that smokers crave.
Question: Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?
Answer: There have been no long term medical health studies performed on electronic cigarettes so it’s not possible to say that they are 100% safe. However a clinical trial has been performed in New Zealand on the Ruyan brand of electronic (Sold by NICOCIG) and found that it is very safe relative to cigarettes. The report can be read here – http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdf.
Excerpt from the report:
Findings. Ruyan® e-cigarette is designed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The various test results confirm this is the case. It is very safe relative to cigarettes, and also safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Using micro-electronics it vaporizes, separately for each puff, very small quantities of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, two small well-known molecules with excellent safety profiles, – into a fine aerosol. Each puff contains one third to one half the nicotine in a tobacco cigarette’s puff. The cartridge liquid is tobacco-free and no combustion occurs.
Question: Can Electronic Cigarettes be used in enclosed public spaces?
Answer: Use of electronic cigarettes is not restricted by the smoking ban, although you may want to seek permission before using an electronic cigarette in an enclosed area first to avoid confusion.
The Health Act of 2006, banned the use of tobacco based cigarettes in enclosed public places. With the definition of smoking being stated as : “smoking refers to smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco, or smoking any other substance, and smoking includes being in possession of lit tobacco or of anything lit which contains tobacco, or being in possession of any other lit substance in a form in which it could be smoked”.
As the electronic cigarette contains no tobacco and requires no burning or flame it’s use is not restricted by the 2006 health act, so there is no legal reason why they can’t be used in offices, pubs or restaurants.
