UAE: Rise in Number of e-Cigarette Smokers

Source from:  Top News Arab Emirates  05/21/2013

According to latest data, the number of regular users of e-cigarettes was reported to be 600,000 at the beginning of 2013 but the number has risen to over a million within months.

The gadgets are available widely in supermarkets across the nation. They were initially designed to help the smokers quit the unhealthy habit but now it has been seen that these are prompting even the children to take up the habit.

The critics said the devices come with no restriction of age and are available in children's favorite flavors like chocolate. They argued that such factors strongly appeal the children to take up smoking.

The device is comprised of a cartridge containing liquid nicotine and a heating element. It is known to give the user a relaxing sensation just like the real cigarettes do. They are also exempted from tax and therefore, a cheaper option. Further, they are allowed in public places where smoking is otherwise prohibited.

However, the concerns are still rising over the traces of carcinogenic and toxic chemicals those are found in it, though these are present in much lower quantity in comparison to the actual cigarettes. The device is banned in Brazil and Singapore and is sold under some medical restrictions in Canada, Australia, France and Japan. Enditem