Category: Health Policy
Level: National
Concerning: A problem/issue that individuals/families face
Why this is important: This is an important issue because
e-cigarettes have unknown long term use effects, there is nicotine in them, and
there is an increase of children trying them. Even though e-cigarettes are “Safer”
than regular cigarettes doesn’t mean children should be allowed to smoke them
with no regulations.
My Views: I think that even
though e-cigarettes are promoted to be safer than regular cigarettes, they
should still have regulations be put on them. Now knowing that the FDA has yet
to regulate them to make sure they are safe to use. Kids might be well aware of
the consequences of smoking regular cigarettes they might want to try an
e-cigarette because it is marketed as a safe alternative. There should be laws
put in place by the national government to regulate the purchasing and use of
these e-cigarettes for the youth because there is actually nicotine in them,
therefore it can very likely become a gateway to regular cigarettes to relieve their
nicotine cravings. I was happy to read that the CEO of an e-cigarette company
feels the same way about the government needing to put regulations in place. Another regulation that should be put into
place is the availability of different flavors, in 2009 flavored cigarettes
were banned because of the fact that it appealed to the younger crowds. There shouldn’t
be flavors to the e-cigarettes for that same very fact, and if it is meant for
a safe alternative to cigarettes, the users shouldn’t have a problem with the
different flavors being dropped. This issue is very concerning to me because
smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things one can do to their bodies, and
for children who are uneducated about the risks to start using e-cigarettes can
have a major impact on them later in life.
I agree that the non-regulation of electronic cigarettes is very disturbing. A recent (albeit controversial) study shows that some electronic cigarettes contain formaldehyde, acrolein and other dangerous chemicals that are also found in traditional cigarettes.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.msn.com/rumors/rumor-e-cigarettes-are-as-harmful-as-the-real-things
This highlights questions as to the safety of electronic cigarettes. The simple fact is that we have no idea what long-term effects the use of electronic cigarettes will have on adults and children, whether the use of electronic cigarettes is an effective way to reduce smoking, or what is even IN most electronic cigarette cartridges anyway.
Electronic cigarettes need to be inspected and regulated by some sort of independent or government agency.
Although I do agree with you stance on having some regulations on the e-cig, I disagree with the flavors being the influence on why children are attracted to smoking. I personally started smoking because of the fact that it was not allowed and I felt like I was breaking the rules. I do not think the flavor of a cigarette will really be the decision maker on whether people smoke or not. I did not realize that some e-cigs have the same chemicals that cigarettes have in them and I feel like this defeats the purpose of them trying to claim to be safer. I have read that some studies have been done proving that they are much safer then regular cigarettes but I'm sure we can never be to sure of what the real affects are later on. I know personally a few people that have quit smoking all together using the e-cig which can be a major benefit having these on the market. I do feel like they should definitely be regulated until we know further information on how it really affect our bodies as well as other factors.
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