May 11--BEIRUT -- Though they are marketed as way to quit smoking, the effects of electronic cigarettes on the health of users is still unknown, according to a leading experimental psychologist.
Thomas Eissenberg, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a leading researcher on the effects of nicotine and tar on behavior, told an audience at the American University of Beirut that the substances found in electronic cigarettes are still not being regulated or studied.
The battery-operated smoking devices are sold as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, but a 2009 study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration showed that the actual levels of nicotine, which can be lethal, did not correspond to those displayed on e-cigarette boxes.
Some cancer-causing agents have also been detected in certain brands of e-cigarettes. Eissenberg spoke at a lecture last week, entitled "Electronic Cigarettes: Dangerous Drug Delivery Device or Life-saving Treatment," which was organized by the Center for Research on Population and Health at AUB.
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