What's Up with E-Cigarettes?

Reviews

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
School Library Journal

Recommended  Think that e-cigarettes are healthier than regular tobacco cigarettes? Think that e-cigarettes will help you quit smoking? According to this program, think again. Recommended for middle, high school, and even college audiences, What’s Up With E-Cigarettes provides an informed view of the what, the how, and the what happens, when inhaling e-cigarettes, or “vaping.”

The program clearly explains what an e-cigarette is, how it’s used, and, the most important point that is reinforced throughout the film, the fact that not enough research has been done to clearly state that using e-cigarettes is any healthier than smoking regular cigarettes. As of this review, e-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA, so marketers can make claims that at first glance, would lead one to believe that they are not as dangerous as tobacco products. However, the liquid that is “vaped” contains just as many chemicals as tobacco cigarettes, and there hasn’t been enough research to prove that they are safe. Research does state that second hand exposure to e-cigarette vapor affects those who are in proximity to users, even though they themselves are not using them. Marketers know their audiences, and produce flavors and colors of e-cigarettes that are perceived as fun and not really dangerous. Two young adults, Molly and Miles, provide their own testimonies on their experiences with e-cigarettes, providing a real-life example for the target audience. Neither one of them recommends that people start using e-cigarettes. What’s Up With E-Cigarettes follows the successful pattern of Human Relations Videos, with experts providing advice, as well as attractive, young hosts that most young adults will relate to, and the inclusion of a teacher’s guide to help plan classroom instruction.

—Lori Widzinski, Multimedia Collections and Services, University Libraries, University at Buffalo, State University of New York 
Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)

E-cigarette smokers claim that e-cigarettes are not as harmful as tobacco alternatives, are not addictive, and don’t create secondhand smoke. What’s Up with E-Cigarettes? , which looks carefully at each of these assertions, begins with a definition: e-cigarettes are battery-operated inhalers that basically allow smokers to draw vaporized nicotine into their lungs—vapors that are often laced with candy-like flavors to make the experience more fun. Although an increasing number of people smoke e-cigarettes, no certainty exists about the effects on smokers of the metals and toxic carcinogens that are mixed in with the nicotine, or about the impact on others who involuntarily breathe in those substances. What is clear is that e-cigarettes are being marketed to young adults, who are buying the premise that the product is safe. the conclusion reached here is that we don’t really know what the long-term health impact will be on the public. Anyone thinking about taking up the e-cigarette habit would do well to watch this informative overview first. DVD extras include a teacher’s resource guide. Highly Recommended 

—T. Keogh
Video Librarian