Electronic Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery operated products designed to turn nicotine and other chemicals into a vapor. You then inhale the vapor. These products are often made to look like:

• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Pipes
• Pens

E-Cigarettes may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans. Because clinical studies about the safety of e-cigarettes have not been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), you have no way of knowing:

• If they are safe
• Which chemicals they contain
• How much nicotine you are inhaling

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Additionally, these products may be attractive to kids. Using e-cigarettes may lead kids to try other tobacco products—including conventional cigarettes—which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death.

Although e-cigarettes may be marketed as a tool to help smokers quit, they have not been submitted for FDA evaluation or approval and there is no evidence to support those claims. There are, however, a number of FDA-approved quit-aids available to smokers, including:

• Nicotine gum
• Nicotine skin patches
• Nicotine lozenges
• Nicotine oral inhaled products
• Nicotine nasal spray
• Zyban
• Chantix

Get more information about quitting.

Learn more about:

• The latest news and events about electronic cigarettes on this FDA page
• Electronic cigarette basics on this FDA question and answer page