Electronic or e-cigarettes are devices that deliver nicotine through a vapour, rather than smoke.
No combustion is involved but the nicotine is still derived from tobacco.
However, there has been little scientific evidence to support claims either on its safety or efficiency.
Researchers from the University of Athens, Greece, aimed to investigate the short-term effects of using e-cigarettes on different people, including people without any known health problems and smokers with and without existing lung conditions.
The study included a group of people who had never smoked and 24 smokers, 11 with normal lung function and 13 people with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, according to an Athens statement.
Each person used an electronic cigarette for 10 minutes.
The researchers then measured their airway resistance using a number of tests, including a spirometry test.
The results showed that for all people included in the study, the e-cigarette caused an immediate increase in airway resistance, lasting for 10 minutes.
In healthy subjects (never smokers) there was a statistically significant increase in airway resistance from a mean average of 182 percent to 206 percent.
Christina Gratziou, professor and study author from Athens, said: "We do not yet know whether unapproved nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes, are safer than normal cigarettes, despite marketing claims that they are less harmful. This research helps us to understand how these products could be potentially harmful."
"We found an immediate rise in airway resistance in our group of participants, which suggests e-cigarettes can cause immediate harm after smoking the device.
More research is needed to understand whether this harm also has lasting effects in the long-term," added Gratziou.
These findings were presented on Sunday at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria.
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This is one of those researches that just raises more questions. The conclusion is don't assume that e-cigs are completely harmless...and more reserach is needed.
I find the methodology of the test very suspect. They measured "airway restriction" after breathing a substance that's not normal atmosphere, it's no surprise at all that there was an increase in restriction. The only data was taken 10 minutes after using the device, which does signal a short term physical result of using an electronic cigarette, but does not indicate actual damage or long term change in the lungs.
Surprise! If you rub your skin with sandpaper, it will be irritated. The real comparison that needs to be made is between e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes. To use the parallel I just put forward, traditional cigarettes would be more akin to shreadding your arm with a rasp. I'll take slight irritation over the alternative and it's dangerous and ignorant to suggest otherwise.
The bottom line is that breathing anything other than filtered air will ultimately be harmful to your body. If you choose to harm your body less by using an electronic cigarette, you should be allowed and even encouraged to do so.
No carcinogens, no harmful second hand smoke...
Increased airway restriction? So does pollution (which is arguable more harmful). I even did a science fair project on exercise and it's affect on airway restriction when I was in grade school. I'm not saying e-cigs are comparable to exercising, but rather that temporary airway restriction is not necessarily harmful.
I think you need to do some actual research and present all evidence and arguments before jumping to conclusions.
So let me get this straight, they gave Smokers an E Cigarette for 10 minutes & they make an assumption that it's bad for your health I quit smoking cigarettes 5 months ago, i've tried all the NRT & none worked, so 5 months ago i started using E Cigarettes & i've not wanted a normal cigarette since. when i was smoking i felt awful, my chest sounded like a 90 year old mans, i smelt of cigarettes & i had a constant cough & i had no sense of smell & poor taste. Today i can breath, smell, taste, i don't have a cough & people can see a difference in me. so which do i choose in the future, death by cigarettes or death...."Maybe" from e cigarettes...hmmmm
It's a good thing i smoke regular smokes then :)
Worth Reading Post E-Tribune as I just kept myself away from buying E-cigrete instead of my Benson&Hedges which I planned to quit. :-)