On March 2, 2011, an American e-cigarette seller demonstrated the use of the cigarette. People's Pictorial provided the photo. On the 15th, officials from Florida's fire department said that while "smoking", a man had his mouthful of teeth blown off due to an explosion of the e-cigarette. His tongue was also injured and his face was burned.
### Incident
The battery suddenly exploded and flew out.
Tom Holloway, 57 years old, lives in Niceville, Florida. On the evening of the 13th, he was smoking an e-cigarette at home when the e-cigarette's battery malfunctioned and caused an explosion, setting fire to the chair cushions, carpet, and office equipment in the house. His wife said she only heard a "bang" in the study, like a firecracker exploding, followed by her husband's screams. After the explosion, Holloway not only lost all his teeth but also lost a small piece of his tongue, and his face was also burned.
After investigation by firefighters, it was found that the battery of the e-cigarette Holloway was smoking suddenly exploded and flew out. Since the e-cigarette's battery is installed inside the tube, the battery exploded right next to his mouth.
Fire department head Parker said, "It's as if you're trying to hold a bottle rocket in your mouth, and it launches."
According to U.S. media reports, Holloway has three children and is a photographer. He fought on the battlefield during the Vietnam War in his early years. Two years ago, he started quitting smoking and turned to relying on e-cigarettes to quit the habit.
### 2.5 Million Americans Use E-Cigarettes
Preliminary judgment suggests that the cause of the accident was likely a problem with the battery inside the e-cigarette.
Investigations have not yet determined the brand, type of battery, or usage period of the "culprit" e-cigarette. Investigators found a charging device in the room. Parker speculated that Holloway might have been using a rechargeable lithium battery. Parker said he had never heard of such an event before.
Thomas Kiklas is a co-founder of an e-cigarette association. He said, "Last year, 2.5 million Americans used e-cigarettes, and we've never heard of anything like this before."
### E-cigarettes Should Be Used Cautiously
A spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that e-cigarettes are currently not regulated by the FDA.
On July 22, 2009, the FDA announced that after laboratory testing, carcinogenic substances and other toxic chemicals harmful to humans were found in the smoking devices known as "e-cigarettes." Although manufacturers promote e-cigarettes as a "healthy" cigarette to attract customers, federal health officials say that these devices actually turn highly addictive nicotine and other chemicals into vapor for users to inhale.
The FDA's Drug Analysis Division analyzed samples of the refill cartridges of two well-known brands of e-cigarettes. In one sample, they detected diethylene glycol, commonly used in antifreeze, which is toxic. Dangerous carcinogens were also found in other samples.
Professor Stephen of Indiana University warned consumers that there are no specific research data indicating the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes. Even the main claim of e-cigarettes—"helps quit smoking"—is just a one-sided statement from merchants.
Due to the lack of reliable scientific data supporting their safety and effectiveness, the impact of e-cigarettes on public health remains unknown. Medical professors at Wake Forest University in North Carolina recommend people use e-cigarettes cautiously.
Comprehensive reporting by Li Shan and intern Gao Shuwen.
### Three Questions
1. What are the hazards of smoking e-cigarettes?
Experts point out: "Nicotine, regardless of how it is absorbed by the body, is a substance that leads to addiction." The World Health Organization has severely warned that there is currently a lack of scientific clinical experiments to prove the safety of e-cigarettes, and it has never endorsed e-cigarettes.
When people use e-cigarettes, in addition to nicotine, they may also inhale other toxic compounds that have yet to be discovered, which could even contain highly toxic substances harmful to health.
2. Can it help quit smoking?
A United Nations agency once stated that there is no evidence showing that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit their nicotine addiction.
In September 2008, the World Health Organization specifically issued a public statement regarding "e-cigarettes," stating that it has not obtained any scientific evidence proving that e-cigarettes are safe and effective tools for quitting smoking. The WHO has never considered e-cigarettes as legitimate nicotine replacement products to help smokers quit.
3. What regulations do foreign countries have on e-cigarettes?
On December 19, 2011, Elizabeth Potter, director of the Federal Center for Health Education under Germany's Ministry of Health, said: "Consuming e-cigarettes is closely linked to health risks; therefore, we recommend stopping the consumption of e-cigarettes." The Federal Center for Health Education pointed out that nearly 90% of the gas inhaled from e-cigarettes is propylene glycol, a chemical substance that can irritate the respiratory tract in a short time, and long-term, repeated inhalation of propylene glycol can have adverse effects on the human body.
Countries such as Australia, Denmark, etc., have issued relevant laws to suppress or ban the sale of e-cigarettes. Countries like Brazil and Argentina have even explicitly banned the sale of e-cigarettes.
### China's Current Regulation Is Still in a Blind Spot
According to national regulations, all indoor public places in our country prohibit smoking. How to quit smoking has become a focus of public attention. Some products named "electronic cigarettes" have quietly become popular in China.
A smoking cessation person said that since the "electronic cigarette" technology is relatively new, there are currently no authoritative institutions certifying the safety of the product, and consumers should be cautious when choosing. There is no authoritative statement on the safety of "electronic cigarettes." There is also no conclusion on which department should regulate "electronic cigarettes." Some "electronic cigarettes" do not have production batch numbers or production dates, and some do not even indicate the manufacturer, making them genuine "three-no" products.
This set of manuscripts, except where noted, comes from Xinhua News Agency and China News Service.