Are e-cigarettes more toxic?

The following article appeared in our local paper and Reuters in Washington.

When heated to the max and inhaled deeply e-cigarettes produce the toxic chemical formaldehyde, which could make the devices up to 15 times more cancerous than regular cigarettes. US researchers have found.

While some say that e-cigarettes may help some tobacco smokers kick the habit, others are concerned that the unregulated devices are being marketed widely, despite little long term evidence about their health effects.

A team of researchers from Portland University found formaldehyde at levels far higher than seen in conventional cigarettes, boosting the risk of cancer.

The study, which critics […]

Santiago a surprising city

My first impression of Santiago in Chile was not a good one as all the buildings seemed to have come from the 1930-1940’s. I was beginning to think that I had been wrong to visit this city until we arrived at our accommodation in Bella Vista.

Bella Vista is an old part of town and near the university but boy does it have character. A lot of the building are painted with all sorts of scenes and the place is full of restaurants, bars, theatres and jazz clubs. It seems as if everyone in Chili is eating all the time.

I took […]

Cigarettes or e-cigarettes, that is the question?

I thought that this article from the Herald Bulletin was quite interesting and a little disturbing.

Each year millions of people resolve to quit smoking, and just as many teens are picking up a tobacco product for the first time.

Both groups are also looking at e-cigarettes as an alternative to traditional tobacco use, and a new study shows the use of e-cigarettes among teens has surpassed tobacco cigarettes in America.

According to DoSomething.org, nearly 4,000 adolescents under 18 experimented with tobacco on a daily basis and 1,000 of those will go on to become regular tobacco users.

The University of Michigan’s Monitoring the […]

It’s a must for your bucket list!

If you enjoy travel I honestly believe that you should put Machu Picchu on your bucket list. Earlier this year I visited Peru and Chili and went to Machu Picchu. What I loved about Machu Picchu is that it is all that you see in the picture and the travel programs and more.

A lot of people travel to see Machu Picchu and because of this the authorities only allow 2000 people in at a time. The best time to see Machu Picchu is early in the morning as the sun begins to rise over the ruins.

There is a trick to […]