Promoted as the “Safer” Option, E-Cigarettes Still Pose Some Risks

The risks and dangers of smoking cigarettes have been thoroughly documented in recent years. Many smokers find that they want to quit, but struggle to do so.
In this situation, electronic cigarettes, also known as “e-cigarettes” or “vapes,” can look like a promising option. An e-cigarette delivers nicotine through inhaling flavored water vapor. Because you can select the concentration of nicotine in the fluid you use, and because you’re not inhaling all the byproducts of smoke from a burning cigarette, vaping can seem safer than smoking.
While e-cigarettes don’t pose identical risks to conventional cigarettes, they’re not risk-free. Nicotine remains an addictive chemical that causes demonstrated changes in your heart function, respiration, blood pressure, and more. The risks of nicotine exposure are the reason doctors encourage their patients to wean themselves off nicotine altogether. Nicotine gum or patches are recommended as a tool to reduce nicotine levels, not as a permanent replacement for cigarettes.
In addition, certain e-cigarettes have been recalled or pulled from the market altogether due to hidden defects in their manufacture or design. Overheating batteries or problems with the coil can cause severe burns, electrical shock, or other dangerous injuries. Some reports have involved defects in the vape fluid itself: some fluids contain particulates that can cause a serious lung disease known as “popcorn lung.”
And while e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular, they are still a relatively new product, which may pose dangers that aren’t yet clear. The tobacco litigation of the 1990s focused on the fact that the tobacco industry hid certain dangers from smokers, who didn’t know the risks until it was too late. The risks of e-cigarettes may also be currently unknown.
Learning all you can about e-cigarettes and other new products you want to try can help you make informed choices about your life and health. And taking the necessary steps to protect yourself if you are injured can aid you in collecting the compensation you deservefor things like pain and suffering, time missed from work or expensive medical bills. If you’ve been harmed by the hidden defects or faulty manufacturing of a popular product, contact the top-rated trial attorneys at Lombardi & Lombardi at 866.523.3121 or via our online contact form to find out how we can help you. Don’t wait, contact us now.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.