Are e-cigarettes dangerous?

'E-cigarettes are just as dangerous as regular cigarettes'. You have probably heard that claim many times if you are one of the many Danes who smoke e-cigarettes. But is there any truth to it, you might wonder.

Several experts believe that it is wrong to say that e-cigarettes are just as dangerous as regular cigarettes. As can be read in this article, former chief physician and long-time expert in smoking cessation, Philip Tønnesen, points out that the main culprit in regular cigarettes is tobacco and its combustion.

E-cigarettes are without tobacco and therefore not as dangerous, and for the same reason, Philip Tønnesen calls e-cigarettes 'a smashing smart invention'.

E-cigarettes, however, contain water vapour, additives, and possibly nicotine. But that does not mean that e-cigarettes are dangerous. The additives include propylene glycol and glycerol. Glycerol is used as an emulsifier in food, and propylene glycol is used as a humectant in food, medicine, and toothpaste. Additionally, it has also been used in asthma sprays.

In the same article, Philip Tønnesen explains that it can be harmful in the long run, but the risk is small compared to regular cigarettes.

"If you inhale a certain amount of propylene glycol and/or glycerol every day, we cannot rule out that it can be harmful. It may be a small potential risk, but compared to smoking, the risk is almost negligible," he explains to netdoktor.dk.

Do e-cigarettes cause water in the lungs?

If you smoke e-cigarettes, you have probably also encountered the claim that e-cigarettes cause water in the lungs. But this claim is also rather weak.

Water in the lungs, or pulmonary oedema as it is medically called, is a symptom of a range of diseases, especially heart diseases. The primary cause of this condition is heart failure, where the left side of the heart cannot pump the blood from the lungs quickly enough out into the body.

This means that there is an increased pressure, where oxygenated blood and fluid in the form of blood plasma is returned to the alveoli. There should normally be air here, but now it gets liquid blood plasma instead.

Since it is blood plasma in the lungs, and not actual water, it therefore seems quite unlikely that e-cigarettes would cause water in the lungs. If that were the case, it would also cause water in the lungs to take a steam bath when on a wellness trip. And we don't hear about that either.

Do you get fungus in the lungs from e-cigarettes?

There are also people who claim that you can get fungus in the lungs from using e-cigarettes. And if you don't know the facts, it's also a claim that might seem plausible. After all, you do exhale clouds of vapour. But what is actually being vaped is a combination of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerol.

Both of these liquids are antibacterial, so fungal spores should have a hard time living in these environments. Therefore, it should be quite difficult to get fungus in the lungs from e-cigarettes, as fungi and bacteria have poor living conditions in the liquid that is vaped.

Is passive smoking from e-cigarettes just as dangerous as 'regular' passive smoking?

Let's immediately establish that passive smoking will never be completely harmless or entirely safe. However, it is an area where there is not much research, making it difficult to say anything definitive.

However, smoking cessation expert Philip Tønnesen, in this Go’ Aften Danmark segment, has made a comparison that is easy to understand.

He compares passive smoking from regular cigarettes to being stepped on by an elephant, while passive smoking from an e-cigarette is like being stepped on by a mouse.

Everything for e-cigarettes at Esug

Remember that at esug.dk you can find a huge selection of everything you need for e-cigarettes. For example, we have a large selection of POD starter kits, , batteries and other  and other accessories..

If you want to know more about the best e-cigarettes on the market right now, we have written a long blog post that guides you to the best e-cigarettes right now.  that guides you to the best e-cigarettes right now. 

Esug was one of the first Danish webshops on the market, which in 2011 began selling everything for e-cigarettes. Therefore, we have great expertise in the field, we know the manufacturers, and we have a loyal and satisfied customer base.

You can see what our previous customers say about us on Trustpilot, where we have an excellent rating., where we have an excellent rating.