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Smokers who currently shiver at building entrances and on their own back steps want to know if e-cigarettes produce volatile chemicals similar to those in second-hand smoke. The evidence from the last two years indicates that it’s not a worry. E-cigarettes do emit small amounts of vaporized nicotine, but the amount is negligible from a health perspective. This air-borne nicotine does eventually get deposited on surfaces, but in minute quantities. One 2014 study concluded that an infant would need to lick over 30 square meters of exposed surface to obtain one milligram of nicotine. And although this is a bizarre visual, one milligram of nicotine is unlikely to be toxic to a small child. The same goes for other chemicals contained in the e-cigarette vapour — there is currently no evidence that they pose a health risk anywhere near on par with tobacco smoke.

A greater concern is the ingestion of the e-cigarette liquid itself by unwitting children, who might be attracted to some of their candy-like flavouring agents. Recent data from the U.S. and U.K. indicates that calls to poison centres regarding e-cigarettes have increased substantially in the last five years, meaning that little ones are getting their hands on the e-liquids. However, manufacturers have been responsive to calls for childproof packaging. If you have children or pets and decide to use e-cigarettes, buy the small 10 millilitre bottles rather than the large super-concentrated bottles available in the U.S., and store them as you would any medication or household chemical.