Health Canada's Take on E-Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes are regarded as neat little devices that do not contain nicotine, can be lit by merely pushing a button, come in many different flavours of e liquid including Menthol E Liquid, Fruit Punch, Tobacco, Malibu and Cola, and even Red Bull. When you 'smoke' them, they emit steam vapours that are much harmless compared to tobacco smoke, and leave no lingering odours or stains.
Though the sale of electronic cigarettes is legal in Canada, Health Canada states that e-cigarettes without nicotine or any other drug are subject to the Medical Devices Regulations, but only when they are associated with therapeutic claims like temporary abstinence, smoking cessation, etc.
Most brands of these cigarettes charge around $40 for their starter kits, and these kits provide approximately the same amount of drags/puffs as $75 worth of their tobacco counterparts. Among the reasons why tobacco cigarettes can be so addictive is because of a certain visual, taste and scent cues being reinforced every time a person lights one up.
E-cigarettes have a lithium battery that turns on a heating device known as an atomizer, which in turn heats up the e liquid in the cartridge before being inhaled by the user. Ingredients like propylene glycol, food flavourings and vegetable glycerine that have been certified by Health Canada and deemed safe for human consumption by the W.H.O. (World Health Organisation) are used in e-liquids.
