Research on e-cigarettes examining health effects

Using the look and feel of real smokes, electronic cigarettes are experiencing a boom in popularity. But as the popularity of the product rises, so do the unknowns about its potential impact on public health.

As scientific studies on e-cigarettes try to catch up with their popularity, it remains to be seen if the products are going to be a godsend to smoking cessation or a reverse toward the goal of cutting out nicotine permanently.

E-cigarettes are battery powered devices that convert nicotine. These products can be bought over the counter and therefore are not subject to exactly the same regulation as actual smokes. A 2011 survey showed that about 21 percent of smokers had used e-cigarettes at least once — up from about 10 percent of smokers who took the same Web survey in 2010, based on an Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published online in February in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

The Food and Drug Administration declared that the agency plans to propose controlling e-cigarettes as a tobacco merchandise, in accordance with Jennifer Haliski, a public affairs official for FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

However, concrete regulations on e-cigarettes have not yet been issued, as the science remains catching up.

“Further research is necessary to assess the potential public health advantages and risks of electronic cigarettes and other innovative tobacco products,” Haliski said.