"Why Quit? Switch to Blu." "Take back your freedom." These advertisements from e-cigarettes (e-cigs) have populated TV commercials, online, and the radio. Companies selling e-cigs claim that they help people to quit or don't contain any nicotine. Unfortunately when things seem too good to be true, they usually are.

The American Lung Association has seen a 19% increase in e-cig usage in the last few years. This increase is due to many factors, including easy accessibility, the glamorization of smoking by the media, peer pressure, and even the alluring flavors of the juice.

Companies selling the e-cigs are attempting to hide the health threats behind technicalities. The Federal Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has not cleared e-cigs as a safer alternative, or a viable way to stop smoking. The rumor that e-cigs are harmless and "nicotine free" stems from companies using "FEMA GRASTM" which is a legal term meaning something is safe to eat. Because e-cigs turn the juice into a vapor, it is not really covered by FEMA GRASTM, and therefore, isn't safe for consumption. In addition, there are currently 7,700 flavors produced by 500 hundred different companies that are completely unregulated. The freedom of the companies are thought to be the factor that is responsible for the spike in nicotine exposure poisonings as reported by the Center for Disease Control.

E-cigs work by heating the juice that is put in, heating it into smoke that is then available for inhalation. This would be fine if it were just the flavored water condensation most kids think it is. The juice contains at least three respiratory irritants (acrolein, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde), and regardless of the "nicotine free" label, the juice can contain trace amounts of nicotine. With these, the longer the e-cig is in use, the more harmful the emissions.

The rise in usage of the e-cigs are concerning for many reason. First, they give off second-hand smoke just like normal cigarettes, so they are no more safer for people to be around. Nicotine in adolescents can cause lasting cognitive behavioral impairments, including affecting their working memory and attention spans. In pregnant women, nicotine can result in low fetus birth weight, preterm delivery and even stillbirth. The CDC has reported that of the nicotine exposure poisonings, one sixth have come from inhalation. Exposure to eye, skin, and accidental ingestion also contribute to the poisonings. Symptoms of nicotine poisonings include nausea and vomiting, seizures, and respiratory depression. Bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious irreversible lung disease, also called "popcorn lung", is another effect,

Before you set your sights and life goals on becoming a "vape god", you should probably do your research. Before looking into e-cigs, I didn't think much of the students that would sneak their e-cigs into school and try to look cool doing so. Now, I am very thankful to know that the University of Central Missouri is an e-cig free zone.