How heating technology in ENDS reduce health risks?

In 2003 the very first commercially successful E-Cigarette was created in Beijing, by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist. This technology, called “vaping”, quickly spread to Europe, the USA and the rest of the world.  Since its widespread adoption in 2006, comparing the health risks of smoking traditional cigarettes to vaping has never stopped (CASAA, 2017).

The motivation of people switching from smoking cigarettes to vaping varies, including reducing the cost (Pepper & Brewer, 2013), trying to quit smoking and even circumventing smoke-free laws and policies (Grana; Benowitz & Glantz, 2014). However, the most common reason is always about the health risks.

In 2014, WHO stated that if smokers can completely quit all nicotine use, they will get a maximum health benefit. Yet, by 2015, the global sales of e-cigarettes already exceeded US$7billion with more than 500 brands represented.

Neal Benowitz, nicotine researcher at the University of California stated that while electronic cigarette vape isn’t thought of as 100% safe, most experts believe they’re less dangerous than cigarettes. He explained, most of the harm comes from the thousands of chemicals that are burned and inhaled in the smoke of traditional cigarettes. Since E-cigarettes don’t burn, they can reduce a smoker’s exposure to carcinogens and other toxic substances found in tobacco (Cahn & Siegel, 2011) (Weaver; Breland; Spindle & Eissenberg, 2014). Making the e-cigarettes 95% less harmful than the real cigarettes (Public Health England, 2015).

Kenneth Warner, a tobacco policy researcher at the University of Michigan agreed vaping is less dangers than smoking, “on the order of 80% to 85%, at least” he said. Warner also added that the danger from second-hand vapor is “is probably very low”. Since there is no ash, tar, carbon, and carbon monoxide entering inhaler’s lungs (Lee; Kanwarjeet; Kavitha; Manasa & Steven, 2016), the electronic cigarettes are likely substantially safer than tobacco cigarettes (Cancer Research UK, 2016).

In a recent study published at the 1st Scientific Summit (Kalithea, 2018), a comparison between new pod vaping systems and cigarettes was studied.  In this study of aerosol chemical composition, it was discovered that there was a 99% reduction of harmful components in the vapor from the pod vaping system, compared to traditional cigarettes. Specifically, when analyzing pod system vapor for 51 known toxicants, it was found that the vapor had no or law detectable levels of manganese, selenium, NNN, NAT, NNK, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde or acrolein. The total yield of these 51 toxicants was less than 1 microgram per puff, in comparison with 381micrograms per puff that were quantified in cigarette smoke.

That is not to say that vaping poses zero risks.  When evaluating the health risks of vaping, there are two things to focus on:
· First is the e-liquid. The actual liquid which is turned into the vapor that is inhaled. It is usually made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine, and flavorings. Even though it is generally accepted that this is safer than traditional cigarettes, the long-term health effects of this e-liquid are still unclear.
· Second is the heating method. To put it simply, an E-cigarette applies heat to the e-liquid very rapidly, turning it into vapor.  The method this heat is applied, has an impact on the particles present in the vapor, and therefore impacts the health risk of vaping.

Recently a lot of research and development in the vaping industry has focused on the innovative heating technology, in an effort to provide a product that is closer to the feel and convenience of cigarettes, but significantly lowering the health risks associated with smoking.

By 2013, the heating technology progressed from wick to the cotton-based method, also described as “extended atomizers” or “cartomizer“ which uses fillers or Poly-fil-a cotton-like fiber used to hold the e-juice. While single coil cartomizers are available, most are dual coil. This means two coils are used to give a lower resistance and provide more vapor.

Development of heating technology in ENDS

Moreover, to reduce health risks Smoore’s R&D department invented the next heating generation, FEELM, in 2016. FEELM, the combination of the words “FEEL” and “FILM” employs a metal film inside a ceramic basin, applying heat evenly over a large surface area.  This technology adds many benefits, but most importantly reduces harmful substances in the vapor.

The general consensus amongst the world’s top scientists and researchers is that vaping, or smoking E-cigarettes, is significantly safer than smoking traditional cigarettes.  Many advantages have been made in the liquids as well as the advanced vaporizing technology that E-cigarettes use.