What's Up with E-Cigarettes?

Gr 7 Up—There are more questions than answers about the effects and dangers of e-cigarettes, a point made by Dr. Jonathan Whiteson of the Rusk Institute in New York City. While manufacturers bill them as having only nicotine and water vapor, existing research points to numerous trace elements and chemicals, including diethylene glycol, a known contaminant with carcinogenic properties. What Dr. Whiteson and spokespeople Ariana Fox and Cameron Mason repeatedly mention is that there's no long-term research available, the amount of nicotine intake from e-cigarettes is almost impossible to quantify, and there are probable secondhand effects on nonsmokers who are present when the vapor is exhaled. Teens interviewed speak candidly about their confusion regarding the safety and addictive properties of e-cigarettes. (Seven percent of high school students have used them without having ever smoked a regular cigarette.) This is an even-handed and easily understandable short documentary regarding a new drug delivery system that poses unknown dangers to a vulnerable population. It does a good job of getting the message across about a topic that is likely to be of increased concern in the future.—John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME