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E-Cigarettes
E-cigarettes are increasingly common devices used for nicotine delivery, especially among young people, but the safety of these devices is not yet clear.

History
The first patent for an electronic smoking device was filed in 1927, but the e-cigarette device common today was not available for commercial purchase until 2003. In the late 1990s there were a great many patents filed for so called electronic cigarettes in the United States, but a 1998 ruling by the FDA which determined it not to be an approved drug-delivery device damped the American interest in inventing such a device. In the early 2000s the first e-cigarette was invented by a Chinese pharmacist, and it took three years for the device to become availble for purchase in the United States. Since the first importation of the e-cigarette, their popularity has skyrocketed in the United States market.

Mechanism
There are many different kind of e-cigarettes, but they generally fall into two categories- those made to resemble actual cigarettes and those built for maximum efficiency.

The mechanism for all e-cigarettes includes a battery, typically lithium-ion, a cartridge that contains the vaping liquid, and a low-heat vaporizer that turns the liquid into a "smoke-able" vapor. In order to make the experience as realistic as possible, older e-cigarette models are designed to resemble traditional cigarettes. The end of the cigarette also often contains an LED light bulb that glows red when the user draws on the device, which mimics the lit end of a traditional cigarette. This is important because the pattern and aesthetics of the e-cigarette are just as important to the psychology of smoking as the actual delivery of nicotine. Having the end of the device light up makes it that much more similar to traditional smoking and thus, in theory, an easier way for a smoker to ease into nonsmoking. The older the brand, the more likely they were to report their product as a smoking cessation tool, according to a study from University of California, San Diego.

Newer designs focus on the ability to exactly control and customize the exact amount and strength of vapor produced. These are called eGos or Mods. The design of these devices have left the similarity to traditional cigarettes behind. Although they still have the same mechanism, eGos and Mods are more often larger and thicker to facilitate a larger battery and more powerful vaporizer. These devices are more popular with the younger smokers and those that are not moving from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes.

Uses
The e-cigarette is often defended as a way to help smokers quit smoking. Many people claim that e-cigarette smoking is healthier than traditional cigarette smoking because it does not involve burning tobacco and the cartridges allow for a more controlled dose of nicotine that, in theory, would be lowered over time. However, there is a general lack of scientific evidence that e-cigarettes actually are an effective means of encouraging smoking cessation. A study by researchers from University College London, a world-renowned research institution, sought to measure the effectiveness of e-cigarette smoking for encouraging cessation when compared to actually smoking traditional cigarettes and wearing a nicotine patch. The study found that e-cigarette smoking did not lead to the build-up to harmful gases in the participants blood stream common with traditional smoking, and the participants rated e-cigarette smoking as more satisfying than wearing a nicotine patch. However, the researchers still recommended "the combination of behavioral support and prescription medication"as the method of smoking cessation that provides "the greatest chance of success".

Controversy
There has been great debate on whether or not e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to traditional smoking methods. The National Institute on Drug Abuse does not draw a concrete conclusion citing lack of available data from peer-reviewed scientific studies, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against e-cigarettes being marketed as safe since 2008. The fact that the e-cigarette industry is largely unregulated makes it even more difficult to determine safety. A survey of four hundred and sixty brands of e-cigarettes found that there was little consistency even within brands for measuring strength of nicotine, and less than 73% of brands listed any ingredients.

Despite the debates raging about e-cigarettes, their use is on the rise especially among young people and teens. Newer brands of e-cigarettes have tapped into this market, releasing advertising promoting the cool flavors and the ability to customize the product. Newer brands also averaged twice as many different flavors of e-cigarette liquid than the brands that existed in 2012. Despite the on-going debate, the rise of e-cigarettes shows no sign of stopping.