Political debate rages over e-cigarettes and health

Controversy surrounding e-cigarettes has spilled from the scientific realm to the political one as of late.

The scientific community is largely torn on the subject of e-cigarettes, a vaporizer method for satisfying addicts’ nicotine cravings aimed at curtailing the risks associated with smoking cigarettes. Some scholars believe the vapor-based, nicotine-delivering devices to be a safe alternative to cigarettes, which subject smokers to tar and thousands of other harmful chemicals along with the tobacco. Yet others believe the appealing nature of e-cigarettes — particularly for younger populations — pose a whole new host of risks.

In a statement, the American Lung Association expressed its concerns regarding a lack of oversight over e-cigarettes, their chemical composition and even the validity of the notion that e-cigarettes work.

“Early studies show that e-cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals, including carcinogens,” the statement said. “The Surgeon General has found that nicotine has negative health impacts on fetal development and adolescent brain development. Nicotine is believed to contribute to increased incidence of premature birth and low birth weight. Research has also shown a negative impact on pulmonary function in newborns, an issue of paramount concern to the Lung Association.”

The Association cited e-cigarettes’ marketing to younger adults as a cause for concern with the new technology.

“The American Lung Association is concerned about e-cigarettes becoming a gateway to regular cigarettes, especially in light of the aggressive industry marketing tactics targeted at youth — including the use of candy flavors and the glamorization of e-cigarette use,” the statement said. “Studies are showing a dramatic increase in usage of e-cigarettes, especially among youth. For the first time ever, a national study released in December 2014 found e-cigarette use among teens exceeds traditional cigarette smoking. The study also found that e-cigarette use among eighth and 10th graders was double that of traditional cigarette smoking. CDC studies have shown e-cigarette use among high school students increased by 61 percent from 2012 to 2013.”

Given the intense controversy surrounding e-cigarettes, several policy-setting bodies have taken up the issue, regulating their usage. This regulation has come on both large and small scales.

For example, on March 24, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law provisions restricting the sale of e-cigarettes without a license, proscribing criminal penalties to unlawful sales and empowering the state’s Department of Health to make determinations regarding e-cigarettes’ quality, nicotine content, packaging and labeling.

Likewise, a bill regulating the vapor juices was passed by the Arkansas House of Representatives just this past week. That vote passed 51-16.

On a more local level, municipalities have been enacting ordinances dealing with e-cigarettes. Eerie County, N.Y. passed an ordinance last week banning the usage of e-cigarettes in public places where cigarette smoking is already prohibited by state law.

Yet indicative of the true contention present within the e-cigarettes debate, this past week also saw the town of Spring Lake Park, Minn. move in the opposite direction, seeking to clarify existing rules to exempt e-cigarettes from bans on indoor smoking.

“I’m just hoping that by doing this, it’s used the right way, and it gives people the tools to get off them damn cigarettes,” city councilman Bob Nelson told KSTP TV.

Even college campuses have tackled the divisive issue. Last Thursday, after much debate on the merits of e-cigarettes, Germanna Community College in Virginia put an end to e-cigarettes inside campus buildings and within 25 feet of building entrances.