E-cigarette stores spread in CNY: Are they safe?

 A controversial cigarette alternative – the electronic cigarette – is taking on a higher profile in Central New York with the opening of several stores that specialize in the product.

The two newest stores - called Evolution E-Cig - are in DeWitt on East Genesee Street across from Wegmans and in North Syracuse on South Main Street.

Electronic cigarettes, which are battery-operated devices designed to look like regular cigarettes, are soaring in popularity. Sales of the e-cigarettes, which turn nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals into a vapor that’s inhaled, are expected to double this year, hitting $1.7 billion nationwide.

E-cigarette stores spread in CNY: Are they safe?. Sales of the e-cigarettes, which turn nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals into a vapor that’s inhaled, are expected to double this year, hitting $1.7 billion nationwide.

What are e-cigarettes?

Controversy swirls around the e-cigarettes, with manufacturers and proponents saying they are a safe way to get people to quit regular cigarettes and are a safe alternative to smoking.

Many health officials and anti-cancer groups, however, say too little is known about e-cigarettes impact on the human body or what is in the liquids smoked in the devices.

The American Lung Association has strong concerns, said Michael Seilback, the group’s Northeast region vice president for public policy and communications.

“We simply don’t know what’s in the product as they are completely unregulated,” he said. “It’s like the wild, wild west out there. There are 250 or more different e-cigarette products out there, and each is made of different components.”

Some health experts point to preliminary studies that show potential carcinogenic chemicals in the vapor.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not made a determination on the safety of the product. The agency so far doesn’t regulate the sale of e-cigarettes although that’s expected to change down the road.

Some states, including New York, have made it illegal for those under 18 to purchase e-cigarettes. Opponents say young people are still trying them in record numbers, which they say often leads to tobacco use. The Centers for Disease Control found a 50 percent increase in e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students from 2011 to 2012.

Todd Harding, the co-owner of Evolution E-Cig, said his product is not a health risk. He said he uses pharmaceutical-grade products which aren’t imported from China in his liquid mixture, which is made on-site at both his stores.

“You want to know where the liquid is coming from, and with us you can see the product being made right in front of your eyes,” he said. “You aren’t getting the tar in your lungs with the e-cigarettes, and there are no carcinogens in the chemicals we use.”

Part of the attraction is the limitless flavors available, ranging from blueberry to tobacco to chocolate and specialty ones, such as Mountain Dew Code Red. Special flavors can be custom made. Harding said some people enjoy using e-cigarettes simply for the pleasure or doing it, and not as a way to stop smoking.

Some health officials, however, advise the public to be wary of using e-cigs until they have been studied thoroughly.

Patricia Briest, manager of the Tobacco Cessation Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, said there are too many unknowns about e-cigarettes.

“We also find that most people who use this revert back to tobacco,” she said. “The nicotine content varies, but it’s still addictive.”

Tim McAffe, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‘s Office on Smoking and Health, said in a medical journal article last month that switching to e-cigarettes over traditional cigarettes would be healthier, but noted that studies show most people wind up using both products.

If someone is considering an e-cigarette as a way to stop smoking, there are several FDA-approved tools like chewing gum to use instead, said Seilback, of the American Lung Association.

Harding, the business owner, hopes to capitalize on the growing demand for the product, with some analysts predicting the market could top $10 billion by 2017. In addition to the two stores here, Harding owns a store in Watertown and plans to open five more retail outlets in March in Albany, Plattsburgh and in Massachusetts.

Harding also plans to open an “e-cigarette lounge” in the DeWitt location, where people can mingle while they “vape,” the term used instead of smoking. He also expects the recent decision by CVS drug stores to stop selling cigarettes to help his business.

“We live in New York where it’s cold and you have to go outside to smoke,” Harding said. “With e-cigarettes, you can smoke inside because there’s no second-hand smoke.”

By Elizabeth Doran | edoran@syracuse.com

E-cigarette stores spread in CNY: Are they safe?