E-Cigarettes: Are they really safe?

E-cigarettes have become an incredibly hot topic over the past couple of years. On one hand, they're seen as a healthy alternative to smoking (though, to be fair what isn't a healthy alternative to smoking?. On the other, they're viewed as uncharted terrain; I mean, it wasn't discovered just how bad for you smoking cigarettes is until many years after they'd become a staple accessory for people all over the country.

So, in the midst of this e-cigarette push and pull, you've got laws being enacted against e-cigarettes in major American cities. And you've got others pushing forward with... vape culture. Its a thing. Really. Click it.

So, what's the deal? Who's right? According to a new study in this New York Times article, vaping might lead to exposure to formaldehyde due to the high temperatures required for nicotine consumption. The FDA is scrambling to figure out just what everyone is inhaling; popular thought seems to be that, while not as guilt- and risk-free as some would lead you to believe, e-cigarettes are still a healthier option. For now.

Let's hear it: smokers, would you switch to e-cigarettes? Non-smokers, would you start smoking e-cigarettes? Should they all be banned?