It’s hard to be a smoker in 2013.

Law after law and policy after policy has severely limited the range of locations where those pressed for a nicotine fix can puff away in peace. Cigarette prices are higher than ever, and the product is routinely maligned and protested.

After decades of traditional smoking cigarettes coming under attack, there has been a rise in the fortune of the electronic “smokeless” cigarette industry. Unlike regular cigarettes, electronic versions boast being able to offer up the desired nicotine fix while inhibiting dangerous toxins and chemicals. Additionally, being smokeless is supposed to mean a reduction in second-hand smoke exposure. While the industry makes no direct guarantees, it has been implied that if you’re going to smoke, e-cigarettes are the safer and less addictive alternative.

Anti-smoking advocates are not convinced. According to the New York Daily News, a move has been made in New York City to ban smoke-less cigarettes from the same public places as regular cigarettes. The reason is due to concern over a lack of proof that electronic cigarettes are actually safe. This concern moves beyond the state of New York as e-cigarettes are becoming a global phenomenon.

Bill Would Restrict Electronic Cigarettes in New York http://t.co/caizEEZrIg

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 27, 2013

Aside from the potentially addictive nature of e-cigarettes, there is another cause for concern. Some electronic cigarettes when faulty have the nasty habit of exploding. In the case of one unfortunate man, while in his mouth. Because of the electric nature of the cigarettes and how they’re charged, there are related issues that can cause an entirely different set of safety needs. As these products are not currently relegated by the FDA, there is no telling how and when faulty products might hurt users.

In my day we didn't have any "electronic cigarettes", we had to buy ones of rolled paper and actual tobacco then we LIT them with FIRE.

— Lauren Maxson (@lauren_maxson) November 29, 2013

Electronic cigarettes may in time prove to be free of toxins and safer than normal cigarettes, with or without the explosions. Still, the possibility makes one wonder why those looking to quit don’t opt for nicotine patches. After all, if one is going to get their nicotine fix, the arguably safer option is the one that has no chance of literally blowing up in your face.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, 1 and 2