Vape Ban: Who, what, where?
What are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes, better known as an electronic cigarette, is a vaporizer which is handheld and battery-powered. Using one simulates smoking without the use of tobacco. Vaping is the term used to describe the action of smoking an e-cigarette. Some are made to look like the real cigarette while there exist varied designs. E-cigarettes have a heating element that heats a liquid known as e-liquid. This liquid normally contains an assortment of ingredients including glycerine, nicotine, propylene glycol, additives and flavourings.
Major Reason for e-cigarette bans
The emergence of pulmonary issues has been the root cause for ban calls on e-cigarettes. The most recent source of requests for bans is the use of THC products. Many people, whether known or unbeknown to them, purchase vapes for various reasons. THC vape products and the illicit sale of these products are prohibited.
Flavour e-liquids are considered to be used as a gateway for the youth and teens to start vaping, which is returning questions to the industry as to who is their customer?
For most, e-cigarettes are, but a means to an end to tobacco cigarette smoking. E-cigs, compared to conventional tobacco cigarettes, is a means of changing lives. Regular cigarettes produce thousands of chemicals, including about seventy known carcinogens. Electronic cigarettes, on the other hand, contain toxins far fewer in comparison to conventional cigarette smoke which has been clinically proven.
From a cost perspective, vapers have the potential of saving thousands of pounds per year compared to traditional cigarettes.
Benefits and health risks of e-cigarettes
Studies indicate that e-cigarettes are less hazardous by about 95 per cent. Professor, John Newton commented, ‘certain as ever’ that e-cigs are less harmful than smoking.
Despite the backlash against nicotine products, there may be a surprising benefit to the usage of nicotine including help fight against Parkinson’s Disease, increased brain function, depression aid and help enhance your attention.
Health effects of inhaling glycerine, propylene glycol, and flavors remain unknown. Researchers have to follow vapers for years to come to determine long-term health effects. This uncertainty should not be a basis for banning means for helping heavy smokers to quit through e-cigarettes. Many have tried other factors to quit smoking like patches, gum, behavioural therapy, and medications. For some, those means work, and for some, they do not. E-cigarettes could be a lifeline for such.
Since the emergence of e-cigarettes, the rate of people who smoke has considerably reduced. It’s estimated that there is a billion less cigarettes smoked in England every year, with e-cigarettes being an added contribution to this number.
Thanks to vaping, some countries have noted the lowest ever recorded smoking rates. Vaping as a means to quitting smoking achieved better results compared to gum and patches.
Vape Ban aftermath
Governments across the World are listening to the news and seeing how popular vaping is becoming, and their initial reaction is to ban the sale of such products. There have been approximately 20 countries so far who have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, with some countries banning possession.
Implications of e-cigarette bans:
- Reverting to conventional tobacco cigarettes — Albeit many people attributing to quitting smoking due to e-cigarette use, a ban may make them relapse to using traditional cigarettes.
- Growth of black market — When genuine e-cigarette manufacturers and vendors are closed down, those craving the e-cig effect shall result in black markets to get their fix. Note that the black market is unregulated; thus, the products sold could be laced or unsafe for use.
- Loss of business — Many people are already in this line of business, not counting manufacturers. All vendor stores shall either end up closing, meaning joblessness. There are already an estimated 34,000 vape stores in USA, with over 2,000 in the UK.
- More health hazards for smokers and passive smokers — When people relapse to regular tobacco smoking, the number of passive smokers increases. It is because there can never be enough smoking zones to cater to the millions afflicted.
- Counterfeiting — This one is risky and causes damage to the industry, with bootleg vape products. There has been an effort to validate the market with some hospitals, vape shops are housed within in a bid to encourage vaping to smoking. Always do your research on any potential brands or products you wish to buy, read reviews and the label.
- Risky DIY projects for making e-liquid juice — There are many videos online teaching how to make e-liquid juice at home. If the ban is effected, it is expected that DIYs shall increase.
In consideration of the adverse effects that e-cigarettes bans would cause, it would be prudent to find other means to regulate.
Regulations that would negate e-cigarette ban
- Advertisements should be regulated not to make e-cigarette seem cool to use, or to an unintended audience. The Internet has done a good job at disallowing many vape sales via paid advertisement networks. This, amongst other adverts, make youths turn to vape even for those who do not smoke. There should be regulation on the age of a person buying e-cigarette. It shall go a long way to curbing the youth smoking menace.
- Another regulation that can help is the level of nicotine content in the vapes. Not only will this curb the issues of addiction but shall take care of counterfeits. TPD compliance is something available in the UK. In some countries, the average nicotine content of products are 35 to 50mg, with the maximum in the UK being 20mg.
- Several studies have been carried out concerning the use of e-cigarettes. Most of the findings are for promoting than banning its use. There has not been any extensive research carried out on long term effects on health. Not even effects on those who live with people using e-cigarettes.
- Taxation of nicotine products has already been proposed in the USA which has got some ill feedback already.
The UK government wants to stamp out smoking by 2030, with a zero approach to smoking. The UK has the lowest smoking rate in Europe.
Conclusion
Most findings are indicative of positive results like reduced number of smokers, lower risk for passive smokers. The discussion should shift from banning e-cigarettes to coming up with a regulation to control teenage use, ensuring health concerns of the liquid used as well as the quality of vape products in the market.
Lastly, the decision remains with an individual whether to use or not while the long-term impacts of e-cig use are still being investigated.
Clive Bates is a well-known industry expert and has given his 21 cents of the flavour ban with many viewpoints to consider.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538682/
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/18/20872295/flavored-vape-ban-what-it-means-vapers
https://www.medpagetoday.com/pulmonology/smoking/82807
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/danger-vaping-bans/600451/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_of_electronic_cigarettes