Tobacco companies want you to believe that electronic cigarettes are dangerous. Lawmakers are trying to ban them and public health officials are constantly harping on the dangers of the “unknown” impact of ecig vapor. But the truth is that we know plenty about how ecigs affect human health. In fact, research surrounding ecig vapor dates back to 1942, decades before the ecig was ever even invented. Back in the 1940’s, Dr. Oswald Hope Robertson suspected that vaporized propylene glycol (a main ingredient in ecigs) could potentially kill the flu virus. He put his hypothesis to the test in a study at the University of Chicago’s Billings Hospital.

To determine how inhaled propylene glycol might affect the lungs and respiratory health, Dr. Roberts gathered some laboratory mice and separated them into two groups. He placed each group in a separate chamber and then sprayed propylene glycol into one, followed by the flu virus. In the other chamber, he only exposed the mice directly to the flu virus. The mice that first inhaled propylene glycol first all survived, but the mice that only inhaled the flu virus all died.

Dr. Robertson believed that inhaling propylene glycol could effectively kill the flu virus and even pneumonia. “The propylene glycol itself was a potent germicide. One part of glycol in 2,000,000 parts of air would – within a few seconds – kill concentrations of air-suspended pneumococci, streptococci, and other bacteria numbering millions to the cubic foot,” he explained.

Today, we are still using propylene glycol although health experts won’t tell you that it could have incredible health benefits. The FDA classifies PG as a food and drug additive that is “generally recognized as safe”. You can find it in numerous foods and pharmaceutical products, but only through electronic cigarette vapor is it inhaled as Dr. Robertson proposed.

The e-liquid in electronic cigarettes is made from a blend of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings. When you take a puff of your ecig, you are inhaling propylene glycol, just like Dr. Robertson’s mice. According to his conclusion, you could also be killing any harmful bacteria that are lurking in your lungs.

This study just goes to show that electronic cigarettes are not all bad, in fact, most vapers will tell you they are not bad at all. There is a lot of research out there to show the benefits of vaping, but some of the most convincing studies like the one from Dr. Robertson have been shoved out of sight to keep you living in fear. Don’t fall for the hype. Ecigs can be a life changing option so throw your cigarettes in the trash and start vaping today!