Some manufacturers of electronic cigarettes are offering financial aid to students who write about the possible benefits of using their products. The financial aid – worth $250 to $5,000 – can be used at colleges or universities in the United States. These scholarships are advertised on the internet by e-cigarette makers and e-cigarette review websites, the Associated Press reported.

Most of the scholarships are offered as part of a competition. Students are asked to write papers on how e-cigarettes can be safer than smoking traditional cigarettes. At least one company asks students to write about different kinds of e-cigarettes and suggest ones they like best. Some seek papers in support of medical marijuana.

Some companies have used the scholarships as a way to get their names listed on websites of schools like Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.

E-cigarettes have been growing in popularity in the United States since 2010. The devices are never lit. They instead use power from a battery. They produce a vapor caused by heating liquid. Users breathe the gas into their lungs.

The liquid usually contains nicotine, a chemical found in tobacco products and traditional cigarettes. Nicotine is known to be highly addictive. So users can develop a dependency on the drug. Most e-cigarettes also contain other chemicals for taste. Many medical experts agree that using an e-cigarette – known as vaping - is safer than smoking a cigarette. Supporters have also suggested that e-cigarettes can help smokers of traditional cigarettes cut back or even stop smoking. But little is yet known about the long-term health effects of using e-cigarettes.

Aliqismet BADALOV,

“Khalq qazeti”