Vaping 101: What you need to know - LubbockOnline.com

They can smell good and make curious-looking puffs of vapor, but what exactly are those little handheld devices more and more people are putting up to their mouths?

Use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products is increasingly popular, especially among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reported through its National Health Interview Survey that in 2014 12.6 percent of adults in the U.S. claimed to have tried e-cigarettes at least once, and about 3.7 percent of adults who used e-cigarettes every day or on most days.

Use of vaping products in middle and high school students has tripled from 2013-14, according to data published by the CDC.

But what are they all about? Check out our Q&A for more:

■ What are electronic cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are battery-powered heating devices that have cartridges or refillable tanks containing a liquid mixture that is composed primarily of propylene glycol and nicotine, as well as other flavorings or chemicals. When the button is pressed, the liquid is heated to the point of becoming an aerosol and is inhaled. They vary in size, nicotine concentration and chemical composition.

■ When were they first made?

The first patent filed for an electric cigarette was by Herbert A. Gilbert in 1965. Another aerosolized, high-frequency e-cigarette was patented in China by Hon Lik and Ruyan Technology. This technology went on the market in 2003 and was patented internationally in 2007. Several patent infringement lawsuits have been filed by Ruyan Technology against e-cigarette manufacturers.

■ When did they become mainstream?

It seems to be around 2012 to 2013, when sales for disposable e-cigarettes in convenience stores went up 320 percent. Sales of starter kits for vaporizers went up 72.4 percent in the same time frame and cartridges for vaporizers went up 82 percent.

■ What is in them?

The liquid mixture is primarily composed of propylene glycol, nicotine and glycerine. Significant differences in brands and flavors prevent an actual listing of the ingredients in all of them. The Food and Drug Administration found oddities in some brands, such as the erectile dysfunction medication tadalafil (Cialis) in one.

■ What is propylene glycol?

Propylene glycol is normally used in the production of polyester resins for products such as toner for laser printers. It is also in vaporizers for pharmaceuticals and a range of foods, such as whipped cream and soda. Studies have not found it to be carcinogenic.

■ Are they harmful?

The studies differ on this because of the relative recent introduction of e-cigarettes. The vast majority of research papers have concluded e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but more harmful than breathing oxygen.

The aerosol in e-cigarettes does not contain smoke, tar or carbon monoxide. However, it does contain nicotine in varying amounts.

■ Can they help me quit cigarettes?

There is a research war going on about this question as well. According to the American Association of Cancer Research, many smokers do report quitting, but other research shows the rate that people quit is only slightly higher than nicotine patches.

■ What age do you need to be to purchase them?

18.

■ What are some
alternatives?

Some alternatives to e-cigarettes are asthma inhaler technology, nicotine pyruvate vapor, caffeine-based e-cigarettes and a vaporizer that heats tobacco leaves and delivers nicotine in a vapor without burning the leaf. It should be added that logically, cigarettes are also an alternative to e-cigarettes.

Sources: The American Heart
Association; Wiley Online Library