The e-cigarette is a relatively new product, having appeared on the market a little under a decade ago. Partly because of this, there has been a lot of speculation about the safety of the electric cigarette. Three of the biggest myths will be discussed and debunked.

1. The liquid used in e-cigs contains antifreeze
According to some sources, the vapour that an electronic cigarette produces contains the same chemical that is found in the green antifreeze liquid that you put in your car to prevent the radiator liquid from freezing in winter and boiling is summer. This is not true. The active ingredient in antifreeze is ethylene glycol. The main ingredient in e-cigarette liquid, on the other hand, is propylene glycol, which is a totally safe chemical used in asthma inhalers and a number of processed foods. This myth is somewhat understandable given that the two chemicals sound similar.

2. The vapour from electric cigarettes is just as cancerous as the smoke from tobacco cigarettes
Although it is true that the liquid used in e-cigs contain carcinogens, the levels are so small that they cannot possibly harm a person. They are about as small as the levels you might find in fresh milk, eggs, meat, fruit, vegetables and a multitude of other products that you consume on a daily basis. The carcinogens in tobacco cigarettes, on the other hand, are at dangerously high levels and are known to directly cause cancer in humans and laboratory animals.

3. Electronic cigarettes encourage tobacco smoking
Some critics have argued that because e-cigarettes make it seem fun to smoke, some people who would otherwise not have done so might take up the habit of smoking tobacco cigarettes. There is, however, no evidence that this has occurred or is likely to occur. Furthermore, the main purpose of the electric cigarette is to assist people to cease smoking. Those who are already hooked on deadly tobacco cigarettes are encouraged to inhale a harmless vapour instead.