It's called "vaping" - puffing on an electronic cigarette. Actor
Johnny Depp vaped in "The Tourist," and actress Katherine Heigl
used an electronic cigarette a while back on "The David
Letterman Show." Electronic cigarettes, made of plastic and
metal, have no tobacco. A battery heats a solution that contains
propylene glycol (approved by the FDA as a food additive) to
create a vapor that users inhale. The solution, contained in a
disposable cartridge, is available in dozens of flavors and with
various levels of nicotine. They don't stain teeth or fingers,
and there's no smoke. It's no wonder people are turning to
e-cigs as a way to quit smoking - despite warnings from medical
experts who caution against their use. "I think people have the
perception that e-cigarettes are harmless," said Dr. Gale
Burstein, Erie County health commissioner. "We don't know the
long-term health effects on people who use e-cigarettes. We also
don't know the effects of secondhand vapor. It's still a public
health issue." Medical exp