Heath Risks of e-Cigarettes Emerge (Essay Sample)

Heath risks of e-cigarettes emerge- Janet Raloff
Student’s name
University of Affiliation
Introduction
The author explores the issue of the safety of e-cigarettes that have for long been thought of being safer than tobacco. Her research question is premised on whether they are safe. The article disputes the universal assumption on the safety of e-cigarettes by concluding that they release toxics into the lungs. The article talks of the ingestion of chemicals such as carcinogens that cause more damage than normal cigarettes. Additionally, it talks of the chemicals making antibiotic resistant bacteria that has proved hard to fight and the release nanoparticles that have a variety of effects to the body. The points are supported by previous studies, some of which engaged the use of rats as specimen.
Discussion on the Article
Janet Raloff’s main objective in for writing this article is to provide insight into the fact that e-cigarettes are not as safe as scientists presumed it to be (Raloff, 2013). She manages to give perceptive on the fact that vaporing, which is the commonly referred term pertaining to the ingestion of e-cigarettes, is just as dangerous as tobacco. First, there is the issue of toxicity to the lungs. In this case, the author uses a respected person to prove her case. The Director of Center for Tobacco for control and Research, Stanton Glantz, who is also in charge of education at the University of California, supports this claim. He conquers that after a number of studies and thorough research, it can be concluded that e-cigarettes are toxic for the lungs. He is also quoted as saying that nanoparticles, which are released from vaporing, cause inflammation that can cause strokes, heart diseases, and asthma. The article uses the much-acclaimed Stanton Glantz as a way of substantiating its claims, which is good. In addition, the findings of the Food and Drug Administration Center are brought into light (Raloff, 2013). Apparently, the center never found any evidence that proves that electronic cigarettes are safe. A researcher at the agency, Pricilla-Callahan Lyon concluded that the vapor causes irritants that are harmful to the lungs. The researcher made the conclusion after she went through data that tested eighteen e-cigarette smokers. The author of this article has gone to lengths to prove the claims in her work. The statement made by respected authorities in the health sector and an agency that relies on actual data is enough evidence of the claims in her hypothesis.
The author does employ the use of literature review in her article. She derives information from a journal issue on 15th of May titled Nicotine and Tobacco Research. In this issue, it was discussed that using a mixture of elements like propylene glycol and glycerin can result in formaldehyde levels that are at par with those in tobacco. The damage, therefore, would be the same as is the case with tobacco. The May issue exploited the fact that second-generation smokers will very likely mix such substances. The above journal issue is the only literature that the author uses. Her research is more reliant on data from previous studies, some of which used specimen to prove the lack of safety in e-cigarettes.
The research is, to a very high degree, relevant to the health issues that are witnessed today. E-cigarette smoking has become the new form of ingesting nicotine. Many people are switching to its use, and it is estimated that it will completely override the smoking of tobacco in the next decade. In 2011 and 2012, the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers alone doubled. It can be safely inferred that the number of adult smokers is much higher than that of teenagers. The situation raises health concerns and many researchers have come out and proved the harmful effects it can cause. With such large numbers vaporing, the health stakes have become higher. The reason that coaxed many people to start using e-cigarettes was the fact that they were previously thought of as safe. However, with every new study proving otherwise, there is heath issues to explore that would otherwise prove fatal for this generation. The discussion on vaporing is relevant today because of such health problems that emanate from it. Already, there are cases that show that the smoking of e-cigarettes is harmful, thus making the health concerns associated with it relevant.
The research can be classified to be quasi-experimental. The reason is that the author of the article allows other correspondents groups to be the researchers. The author takes the role of reporting on the health issue and participating as a third party. The research is based on variables from other groups. For instance, the researchers control all the studies that are done regarding e-cigarettes. The researchers consist of different groups that give results of their findings. The author then considers all these and makes a conclusion based on the results. She is not the primary authority that controls the research, but she makes the conclusions on their findings. Thus, this situation renders the research done by the article as quasi-experimental.
The sample that was used in this research can be inferred to be the mice brought in by Laura Crotty Alexander, a physician, and scientist. The mice were subjected to breathing vapor from e-cigarettes (Janet, 2013). They were checked on a day later, and those that were exposed to the vapor were found to have bacteria in their lungs that were thrice the amount of those not exposed. The mice were divided into two equal categories where one was exposed to the vapor while the other category was not. The sample was appropriate in the research because mice are the best specimen for medical testing. They have the same anatomy as humans and are more likely to provide accurate results because they have no control over the experiment. The author, therefore, chose a study whose sample was perfect for this article.
The article above is based on the studies and works of others but manages to highlight the issue at hand with precision. It is not notably practical since it is based on facts that have been collected from different reliable sources. The author is brilliant in using various sources and studies to prove her point because it increases credibility. Not all those studies and reports mentioned in the article could have been wrong. Even though the work is not very practical, it is precise and persuasive. It is based on facts that have been corroborated by other researchers thus making it reliable. The author suggests that research results should be made known through publication so that people stop smoking e-cigarettes (Gostin, 2014). However, the results could be applied to warning signs on the labels of such cigarettes, as it is the case with tobacco. The reason is that many people still believe that e-cigarettes are safe.
The article could have been improved in various ways. For one, the author should have incorporated more studies that are based on actual experiments with varied samples. Even though she provides many reports and statements from people and organizations that have done research on the subject, it does not suffice. It would have been more sufficiently helpful if the author had incorporated other experimental studies and discussed them in deeper detail. For instance, she should have taken into account more experiments like the one she explored about the mice. In addition, the article is lacking in literature review. The journal issue that is available is mentioned and not explored. Readers have to search for the journal and read the contents then merge it with the claims purported in the article. Therefore, this piece could have benefited from more literature review.
The writing in the article is, indeed, clear and straightforward. A strength the article has is that it does not try to patronize its readers or lead them to a certain point and let them make their conclusion. It gives points in a manner that is r...