The Tobacco industry and the government regulators across the globe have always been battling whether usage of tobacco should be regulated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one such body that intends to sweep regulations of the e-cigarette industry. Of course, this is a move that will be met with acclaim in the public health sphere. And although FDA tried to regulate the gadget, it announced a sweeping change in its policy regarding E-cigarettes and vaping products. But should e-cig be regulated by the FDA? Yes, they should. Here are reasons why regulating e-cigarette is a good move.
To Curb Underage Smoking
The ban on anything that’s harmful to your health is always a wise move. Banning selling of e-cig to minors will save the society. It is important to understand that vaping increased by 90% among high schoolers from 2011 to 2016. The number of middle and high schoolers who vaped tripled from 2013 to 2014 alone.
Studies have also shown that these devices increase the use of nicotine.New York Times says that youngsters who would have never smoked are now vaping. This is because they have been convinced to consider e-cigarette less harmful than the normal cigarette. The different flavors have increased the rates of a new generation using nicotine, higher than the rates witnessed in the 1990s.
Although e-cigs are recommended to people who wish to quit smoking, this doesn’t change the fact that 70-75% of people who vape still smoke. It is a misconception to think that they are harmless since they don’t contain tobacco and so they shouldn’t be regulated. They still contain nicotine which happens to be the most addictive component of the cigarette. So regulating this before minors get addicted is the only way out.
There is no doubt that e-cigarette companies target children and adolescents and you can tell that from the fun and colorful flavors like Cotton Candy, Goblin Goo, Cupcake and Bubble Gum just to mention a few. So the number of minors smoking the e-cigarette and those smoking the regular ones (or will) will always increase if the FDA does nothing.
FDA’s oversight will ensure that companies manufacturing e-cigarette don’t put up misleading claims about the electronic nicotine delivery system. So they will help restrict youth access to this product.
Poor Safety Measures
Several users of this vaping device have reported explosions of the batteries. So this goes to show that the gadget is in dire need of FDA regulation. As small as this device may look, it posses a great risk. It is important to understand that it contains lithium-ion batteries. This is the same kind that’s found in hoverboards that explode.
According to reports, at least 25 e-cigs exploded between 2009 and 2014. A dozen more exploded in 2015 and several in 2016. So to date,168 devices have exploded. Unless this is regulated, this number will always rise as the number of companies joining the business rise.
The cases of an explosion are more real than they sound. In February of 2017, an e-cig exploded in a man’s pocket in Kentucky. He was waiting in line at a Shell gas station. So you can imagine the damage the explosion would have caused. But he was rushed to the hospital with a second-degree burn.
There are some users who have argued that the measures put forth by FDA are quite overreaching. However, the man who lost his eye to the explosion agrees that the regulations haven’t gone far enough. This electronic device has always been touted as a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. But it’s clear that safety is not what most users enjoy when the vape.
Harmful to Your Lungs
Although e-cigarettes don’t contain real smoke, they still posse some danger to your lungs and this is a reason enough to regulate them. They also cause inflammation similar to the smoking regular cigarette. So you might get a chronic cough.
If you are a casual exerciser, you might not notice a difference in your lung capacity. However, if you are an intense gym-goer, you will feel the effect of using this device. A decrease in lung function will impair your ability to workout more.
So even as the FDA intends to put up strict measures to ensure that it regulates e-cigarette, local and state governments may also need to adopt laws that regulate electronic smoking devices. This includes a restriction on the sale and use of this device.
The ban on anything that’s harmful to your health is always a wise move. Banning selling of e-cig to minors will save the society. It is important to understand that vaping increased by 90% among high schoolers from 2011 to 2016. The number of middle and high schoolers who vaped tripled from 2013 to 2014 alone.
Studies have also shown that these devices increase the use of nicotine.New York Times says that youngsters who would have never smoked are now vaping. This is because they have been convinced to consider e-cigarette less harmful than the normal cigarette. The different flavors have increased the rates of a new generation using nicotine, higher than the rates witnessed in the 1990s.
Although e-cigs are recommended to people who wish to quit smoking, this doesn’t change the fact that 70-75% of people who vape still smoke. It is a misconception to think that they are harmless since they don’t contain tobacco and so they shouldn’t be regulated. They still contain nicotine which happens to be the most addictive component of the cigarette. So regulating this before minors get addicted is the only way out.
There is no doubt that e-cigarette companies target children and adolescents and you can tell that from the fun and colorful flavors like Cotton Candy, Goblin Goo, Cupcake and Bubble Gum just to mention a few. So the number of minors smoking the e-cigarette and those smoking the regular ones (or will) will always increase if the FDA does nothing.
FDA’s oversight will ensure that companies manufacturing e-cigarette don’t put up misleading claims about the electronic nicotine delivery system. So they will help restrict youth access to this product.
Poor Safety Measures
Several users of this vaping device have reported explosions of the batteries. So this goes to show that the gadget is in dire need of FDA regulation. As small as this device may look, it posses a great risk. It is important to understand that it contains lithium-ion batteries. This is the same kind that’s found in hoverboards that explode.
According to reports, at least 25 e-cigs exploded between 2009 and 2014. A dozen more exploded in 2015 and several in 2016. So to date,168 devices have exploded. Unless this is regulated, this number will always rise as the number of companies joining the business rise.
The cases of an explosion are more real than they sound. In February of 2017, an e-cig exploded in a man’s pocket in Kentucky. He was waiting in line at a Shell gas station. So you can imagine the damage the explosion would have caused. But he was rushed to the hospital with a second-degree burn.
There are some users who have argued that the measures put forth by FDA are quite overreaching. However, the man who lost his eye to the explosion agrees that the regulations haven’t gone far enough. This electronic device has always been touted as a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. But it’s clear that safety is not what most users enjoy when the vape.
Harmful to Your Lungs
Although e-cigarettes don’t contain real smoke, they still posse some danger to your lungs and this is a reason enough to regulate them. They also cause inflammation similar to the smoking regular cigarette. So you might get a chronic cough.
If you are a casual exerciser, you might not notice a difference in your lung capacity. However, if you are an intense gym-goer, you will feel the effect of using this device. A decrease in lung function will impair your ability to workout more.
So even as the FDA intends to put up strict measures to ensure that it regulates e-cigarette, local and state governments may also need to adopt laws that regulate electronic smoking devices. This includes a restriction on the sale and use of this device.
