Are e-cigarettes a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are not always a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. Although they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they do contain nicotine and their long-term effects are unknown. According to the Food and Drug Administration, e-cigarettes are not always safe and in an analysis of 18 samples of cartridges from two leading e-cigarette brands, cancer-causing substances were found in half the samples. There were other impurities noted as well. For example, diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze, was found in one sample. Testing also found small amounts of nicotine in most of the cartridges labeled nicotine-free.

E-cigarettes are not “safe” but in comparison to regular cigarettes they are safer, says addiction specialist Douglas Severance, MD. In this video, he talks about the carcinogens found in both kinds.