With the popularity of electronic cigarettes on the rise in Canada, the question of whether property managers will consider these ‘smokeless’ alternatives to be part of their general smoking policy is still up for debate. For decades landlords have been bluntly inquiring on rental applications as to the smoking habits of their tenants—more recently, many taking the controversial step of banning them from their premises altogether. In future will the same restrictions apply to the electronic variety, too?

With limited information and a lack of government regulation to draw from, any collective stance the property management industry might be taking on e-cigarettes has yet to be disclosed. Of the five major companies contacted for this article, none were willing to comment.

Apartment residents, on the other hand, are far more forthright with their perspectives. Danny Dixon of Etobicoke admits that he has no issue powering up his e-cig device, even though he lives in a smoke-free apartment building. “It’s more convenient than having to go outside,” he says, “and since it produces no second-hand smoke, it’s not harming anyone around me. I also purchase vanilla scent cartridges because my family likes the smell of it. For me, it’s win-win.”

Sweet smelling flavours and convenience aside, recent findings suggest that the once dubbed “safer alternative” to tobacco smoking might not be as benevolent as early promoters once thought.

On August 26, The World Health Organization (WHO) published a report calling for a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes indoors, as well as restrictions on e-cigarette advertising and sales specifically to minors, who are considered most at risk for taking up the habit versus using them as a quitting aid. It also calls for regulations on the contents of e-cigarettes.

On August 11, Toronto Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown, released a report recommending the province amend its Smoke-Free Ontario Act to include a ban on e-cigarettes. If approved, this would mean that wherever cigarettes are prohibited across the province, the same would apply to e-cigarettes. Health Canada’s position is that it will not approve the sale or import of any device (or liquid refills) containing nicotine.

Vaping vs. smoking

According to manufacturers, e-cigarettes don’t emit any smoke, so technically users aren’t smoking. The slim devices may resemble cigarettes from a distance, but they operate using liquid nicotine, producing an odourless mist or vapor. From a property management standpoint, this is a huge step up from traditional tobacco in that it won’t stain or burn furniture, or lead to unsightly butts littered across the property. But when it comes to the air we breathe, is this vapor any better than second hand smoke?

One study referenced in the New York Times suggests that perhaps it isn’t. Though nicotine itself (which is highly addictive and known to be cancer-causing when burned) may be less harmful when breathed in this form, the heat required for vaporization still creates carcinogens. Besides nicotine, trace amounts of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, have been found in the ingredients, and the long term hazards of ingesting these toxins are not yet fully known.

Fire starters?

Health matters aside, recent reports have pointed to another potential danger of e-cigarettes: fires. From cars and apartments, to the cargo decks of airplanes, a handful of blazes have been reported world-wide in which e-cigarettes are believed to have been the cause.Two common reasons for these fires include: the incorrect use of battery chargers (i.e. using a charger not meant for the device), and the unintentional over-charging, in which the lithium battery overheats and, in extreme cases, explodes.

Peter Derrington, District Chief, Toronto Fire Services, says that there is still not enough empirical evidence on e-cigarettes to form any conclusions, and as such their safety—or lack thereof—is uncertain. “These devices are so new, we are not fully aware of all the concerns. We know that cooking is the number one cause of house fires, for instance, and have no shortage of evidence and prevention tips surrounding that. But e-cigarettes are another story.”

And it’s only a matter of time before that story unfolds.

E-cig facts & figures:

• E-cigarettes run on a lithium battery, which heats the liquid contained in the chamber, creating a vapor for the user to inhale. Because they don’t burn tobacco, there’s no smoke, no carbon monoxide and no odour.

• E-cigarettes are smoke-free and tobacco-free, but they’re not nicotine-free. The liquid in e-cigarettes is typically a combination of nicotine, flavourings (such as bubble gum or watermelon), propylene glycol (a solvent), and other additives.

• In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik patented a device that would allow users to breathe vaporized nicotine. Ten years later, electronic cigarettes have blossomed into a billion-dollar industry.

• Some analysts project the market for e-cigarettes will surpass $10 billion in the U.S. by 2017 and that e-cigarettes will outsell regular cigarettes within the decade.

Erin Ruddy is the editor of Canadian Apartment Magazine