• Slug: BC-CNS-Electronic Cigarettes-Box,175
• With: BC-CNS-Electronic Cigarettes

By Cronkite News Service

Here are quick facts about electronic cigarettes:

_ How They Work: Reusable and battery-operated, they use water vapor to deliver a nicotine mist.
_ Look: Made to resemble regular cigarettes.
_ Cost: Starter kits range from around $60 to $90.
_ Outlets: Often sold at mall kiosks and available on the Web.
_ Safety: The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers against assuming they are safer than regular cigarettes because tests have found they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals.
_ Regulation: The FDA has contended they are unapproved drug-delivery devices and tried to block shipments from overseas, but a federal judge recently ruled the agency could regulate electronic cigarettes only as a tobacco product, dealing with their contents and marketing claims.