E-Cigarettes — Battery Explosions Undermine Notion of a Safe Smoking Alternative

Combustible tobacco kills, as evidenced by the close to half a million people each year in this country who die from tobacco smoking related diseases.   In response to dwindling interest from the public to their combustible products, and to increase the market share of nicotine addiction, the tobacco industry and other entrepreneurs have been touting a “safe” alternative to  combustible tobacco products – E cigarettes.  By “vaping” nicotine, tobacco companies say, their users are able to receive the nicotine they crave while causing less damage to the lungs.  Of course, the jury is still out on whether the inhalation of vapor laced with nicotine and other chemicals is safe, as recently reported by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Now, yet another safety issue is being reported with alarming frequency around the country – Exploding E cigarettes.  As reported by ABC News and other outlets, consumers have been reporting exploding batteries used to power E cigarettes.

As the videos shown by ABC News demonstrate, the danger from these exploding batteries has the potential to cause serious injury or death.  The upshot is there is no safe way to use nicotine.  It is an addictive drug that ensnares the youth of our country in a cycle of addiction that most often leads to disease and death.  If you use nicotine, there are resources that can help you to quit.  If you don’t use nicotine, don’t start, tell your children never to start and be wary of anyone trying to sell you and your family on a “safe” nicotine product.