Cigarette smoking is known to be an extreme health hazard, yet people still continue to do it. Some may believe that switching over to electronic cigarettes to cut back from the traditional tobacco stick is a healthy choice, but that idea is becoming known by health experts to be false.
Despite the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and battery-powered vaporizer pens, users are now being restricted as to where they can smoke them. San Francisco adopted a policy limiting e-cigarette use to primarily outdoor areas away from building windows or entrances in April 2014, according to the San Francisco Tobacco Free Project’s website.
While the policy is a step in the right direction, there needs to be more regulations and education about electronic cigarettes and vaporizer pens so people are aware of the negative health effects and danger they are putting their bodies through.
E-cigs and vape pens are fairly new to the scene as of 2008. The Food and Drug Administration and the American Cancer Society are still unsure of the effects it has on a user’s health because of the lack of research. What the FDA is certain of is that these pens contain toxic chemicals that should not be inhaled. A report by the California Department of Public Health found that liquid used for electronic cigarettes contain at least 10 chemicals known to cause cancer.
It should be obvious nothing good is coming from smoking them just from looking at the unattractive goo in the transparent glass of vaporizers. Many users believe that e-cigs are less harmful because they don’t contain tar or odor, nor produce smoke like regular cigarettes, but what they do contain is nicotine, which is extremely addicting.
Although their scent isn’t as bothersome as regular cigarettes, it’s hard enough walking through campus without passing by a cloud of cigarette smoke or vapor, even though it is not permitted. Students continue to use vaporizers and e-cigs in the classroom, hallway and buses instead of the designated smoking areas because users believe they can smoke wherever they want as long as they aren’t lighting up traditional cigarettes, according to SF State’s Residential Life.
Other cities in the state are on track to creating a healthier environment for people. Richmond and Petaluma have recently passed a ban similar to San Francisco on the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public places.
State Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco introduced a California bill on Jan. 26 that targets the popular pens. The state bill would ban the smoking devices in the same places that traditional cigarettes are banned from.
In addition to the health hazards the smoking tool has on our bodies, e-cigs and vape pens lure in younger generations by adding desirable flavors such as chocolate milk, watermelon and bubble gum.
What teens may not know is the smoking pens produce high levels of formaldehyde-releasing chemicals at high voltages, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month. These are the same chemicals that were used to keep the cats you dissected in high school anatomy preserved.
The results of these studies indicate that the state should be putting stricter regulations on e-cigarettes and vaporizers. It is not right to sell unregulated, formaldehyde-releasing chemicals to people and make it seem okay just because it’s trending.
Many e-cig or vape users are usually former smokers looking for a healthier way to feed their habit without quitting cold turkey. What ever happened to nicotine patches or gum that helps quit smoking? Smoking something in a different way or using a new device isn’t going to help addicts quit. It is just one bad habit replacing another.
It seems like we just got to a place where cigarettes have become less popular, but now that the newest fad has reached younger generations, who knows when there will be an end to the irresponsible habit. Like traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes should be heavily restricted in all public places throughout the state to protect everyone’s health. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes are beginning to make smoking popular again and making people ignore the importance of their health.
charlie • Feb 7, 2015 at 5:33 pm
The above is so bad it’s not worthy of a response.
When I was a smoker I supported banning the sale of rolled cigarettes. Next reduce the number of licensed tobacco retailers by 90% If people are rolling their own they are buying in bulk and don’t need so many retail locations. Now that there are ecigs it’s a no brainer. Leave the ecig market alone and most smokers will take it up so they won’t have to roll so many cigarettes.. If you are vaping you only need about 4 cigarettes a day, an easy number to roll. Because of the great vaping flavors cigarettes will start to taste bad and most smokers will finally make the switch. What they will find after a couple of months is that vaping is a superior experience, they feel a lot better and they save thousands of dollars a year. They will have no more interest in smoking. Then if they decide to stop vaping that will be much easier but they can keep an ecig at the ready to protect against relapsing back to tobacco.
Governments will not support these ideas because they have become addicted to tobacco money and many would become insolvent if the money dried up. They also need to keep kids from vaping so they will become the smokers of tomorrow. Without the young smokers the easy money from tobacco will end. It appears to me that ecigs are helping kids avoid tobacco. Banning sales to them is fine, let the parents decide. But don’t ban posession. Let parents decide that too.
sailirish7 • Feb 4, 2015 at 10:12 am
At least this is labeled as an opinion piece, because it’s pretty obvious you had no interest in being factually accurate. The voltage required to release formaldehyde is significantly higher than the large majority of vapers use in their devices. I would also love to see this list of 10 chemicals you’re talking about. The same things that are in a fog machine, are in e-ciggs with the exception of nicotine of course…
Zak Majik • Feb 4, 2015 at 10:02 am
“It seems we just got to a place where cigarettes became less popular”, yet somehow simultaneously vaporizers are “making smoking popular again”. There is hardly any need to point out the flawed methodology of the New England Journal of Medicine study because the “unattractive goo” is reason enough to ban all the things!
Bob Johnson • Feb 4, 2015 at 9:05 am
E-cigs MUST be banned. They compete with Chantix, a known killer, and Nicoderm, defeating the entire purpose of draconian smoking bans, the bottom line of Pfizer.
Blog Dog • Feb 4, 2015 at 1:17 am
Quoting your mission statement: [[ Xpress Publications and its staff members are dedicated to providing an independent and accurate information source….]]
A simple question to Xpress Publications. What went so drastically wrong with the above article?
Mission statements are great in theory, but the multiple inaccuracies and propaganda in this article are proof that theory and practice doesn’t always work out too well!
Blog Dog • Feb 4, 2015 at 12:45 am
Quote: [[Cigarette smoking is known to be an extreme health hazard, yet people still continue to do it. Some may believe that switching over to electronic cigarettes to cut back from the traditional tobacco stick is a healthy choice, but that idea is becoming known by health experts to be false.]]
Most users of e-cigarettes are fully aware that they carry some risks. But, and this is a big but… there is a growing body of scientific evidence (not junk science which you have quoted in this skewed article) which estimates that e-cigarettes are at least 95% safer than tobacco cigarettes. And that is the only really important fact to people hooked on traditional cigarettes. It’s not the nicotine that kills smokers, it’s the tar, chemicals and 60 plus known carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Your highly misleading article will be read by people thinking about adopting a safer habit, and many will carry on puffing on deadly coffin nails! I hope you are happy with your days work!