Laying Bare The Real Truth – Propylene Glycol In E-Cigarettes
There is little reality in the efforts of big tobacco and big pharma to portray the use of propylene glycol as a danger ingredient in electronic cigarettes. In 1942, studies at the University of Chicago’s Billings Hospital seemed to show inhalation of vaporized propylene glycol might cause pneumonia and other respiratory diseases in mice. Later studies to follow up were conducted on monkeys and other animals in an attempt to understand long term effects. The results of the extended testing showed no ill effects or potential for accumulation of propylene glycol in the lungs.
In a newly discovered zeal to protect the health of hte public, tobacco companies and the FDA shout “danger” when discussing propylene glycol. It’s an interesting strategy as PG has been proven safe and accepted by the FDA for years. The warnings ignore the elephant in the room. E-cigarettes are safer than tobacco. Almost anything you inhale is safer than smoking tobacco.
In e-cigarettes propylene glycol is used to dilute the nicotine and provide a solution that can be vaporized and deliver nicotine to the e-smoker. PG is a commonly used food additive and is the substance used in fog machines. It also appears on the label of ingredients of many of the food products we routinely buy.
The warnings of the dangers of PG do not come from researchers, doctors or scientific journals. Online sites issuing warnings are full of anecdotal (and seemingly imaginary) stories and are blogs often devoted to conspiracy theories. Several comments contain the statement that “propylene glycol is antifreeze”. Well, no, it isn’t. That would be ethylene glycol. Natural healing sites and anti-smoking groups are also quick to talk about potential danger of the use of PG.
A tremendous amount of information can be found on the internet but it’s important to know who you are listening to. PG is used in baby wipes and even the FDA is unlikely to approve a dangerous product for use on infants. The best electronic cigarettes deliver only a very small amount of PG to the e-smoker. Some e-liquids use glycerol rather than PG as a base but propylene glycol is the most used ingredient in e-liquid solutions.
Consumers are smart to closely examine ingredients in the products they eat or inhale. We have all become more educated about food additives that may cause problems even as they add healthy color. We know to check for a variety of terms when looking for low sugar product as sucrose, fructose and various “syrups” are alternate names for sugar.
To find an example of the folly of believing warnings issued without full facts of proof can be seen in recent history. The FDA banned saccharin thirty years go. The artificial sweetener made with saccharin was called Sweet and Low and widely used in food and beverages. Many homes stocked Sweet and Low to use in coffee and on cereals. The ban caused a great deal of financial hardship for many businesses, led to public panic and was a total farce.
What the FDA didn’t tell the public was that the research did not apply to people. The mice had been given huge doses of saccharin daily. Adjusting the amount to that needed for a person to develop cancer would require the person to consume at least 400 cans of diet cola every day for months. Today, saccharin is once again fully available for sale to the public.
PG is necessary as an ingredient in e-cigarettes to deliver the vapor smokers want. There is no scientific proof that e-cigarettes containing propylene glycol pose a danger to the smoker. That is the truth no matter how much effort big tobacco puts into discrediting a competing product.
Mary Kay Rivers has become a true expert on all facets of e-cigarettes. Her publications about the less harmful electronic cigarettes for COPD patients and about the best e-cigarette have become very popular.
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