Nicotine Hit: Does 'vaping' glamorise smoking?

E-cigarettes are all the rage. Kate Moss is a fan, as is Leonardo DiCaprio.

With millions of users all over the world, electronic cigarettes are definitely on-trend. They are also proving controversial.

Public health experts are sharply divided about e-cigarettes, with some arguing they could substantially cut deaths from tobacco-related illnesses - of which there are about 44000 a year in South Africa - while others warn that they glamorise smoking, especially among the young.

E-cigarettes comprise a battery, atomiser and a cartridge containing nicotine, suspended in a solution of propylene glycol (the stuff from which theatrical smoke is made). When the user inhales, the solution is vaporised (hence "vaping"), delivering a nicotine hit to the lungs without the tar and toxins that come from conventional cigarettes.

Unlike standard nicotine replacement therapy like gums, patches and sprays, they offer "the cigarette experience", said Jeremy Mean, from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority in the UK.

"Rituals such as having something to hold are very important in addiction," he said.

Amanda Sandford, research manager at Action on Smoking and Health, said: "We can't say they are 100% safe because there isn't enough evidence. But in comparison to tobacco products they are safer by several orders of magnitude."

However, there is a problem with quality control - tests show different products vary in how much nicotine they deliver so some products may not help to regulate nicotine cravings.

There are also fears that e-cigarettes could "renormalise" smoking.

Sandford said the potential of e-cigarettes to reduce tobacco-related damage outweighs the risks, but "they are not a panacea. Our research shows that two-thirds who try e-cigarettes give them up."