E-cigarettes and vapes (pictured above) have become increasingly popular in the U.S. Possible links to poor health have caused many to question whether or not they should be legal (photo courtesy of Vaping 360/Creative commons).
Hayley jones: Illegalizing e-cigarettes unjust, detrimental for vape shops
On Sept. 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an emergency decree to ban all flavored e-cigarette products. This move comes in the wake of recent reports of vaping-related illnesses and deaths across the country, though the circumstances surrounding these incidents are dubious at best and mischaracterized.
This ban, though put forth under the guise of protecting young people, is ultimately a limit on freedom for legal-age adults and a damaging blow to the local businesses that make up most of New York State’s vape shops.
The NYS Department of Health has received “numerous reports from New York State physicians of severe pulmonary (lung-related) illness among patients ranging from 14 to 69 years of age who were using at least one cannabis-containing vape product to becom[e] ill,” according to the NYSDOH website.
This is where a distinction between different vaping products becomes important—the reports referenced by the NYSDOH have found links between pulmonary illnesses and patients using illegal, THC-containing “dab pens.” These pens are not to be confused with the vaporizing devices associated with the flavored e-liquids Cuomo is looking to ban. The former is used for the consumption of illegal, unregulated THC oil while the latter is used for consumption of legal nicotine “juice,” as it is called in the industry.
If you were unaware of the above distinction, you are not alone. Misleading and sensationalist news headlines have caused hysteria among New Yorkers and Americans at large. The average American knows no distinction between the illicit products purportedly responsible for nine deaths in the United States and nicotine vaping devices. By the wording of his statement in tandem with the emergency decree, one must wonder whether Cuomo knows of this distinction himself, or if he simply doesn’t care.
This is not to say that vaping e-liquid is safe or healthy—it is neither. Though vaping devices have not been on the market long enough to conduct long-term studies on their effects, nicotine is an addictive chemical and inhaling anything but air into one’s lungs is damaging. Cuomo claims his emergency ban is in response to vape companies targeting children with their wide range of flavors (e.g. fruit and dessert flavors), but not every manufacturer of e-liquid is nefarious like the company JUUL.
Many legal adults and former cigarette smokers turn to e-cigarette devices to quit smoking, the appeal being an experience that mirrors smoking a cigarette as well as the wide range of flavors available. To take that choice away from adults seems rash and there is no reason for the state government to assume the role of babysitter or parent in its residents’ lives.
In addition, the new ban has many in the Rochester area worried about their livelihood. With e-liquid making up the majority of sales for many vape shops, the ban could drive shops out of business. In the wake of these changes, black market dealers will almost certainly capitalize on the hole in the e-liquid market and might opt to produce and sell their own version of the product. This means that people who still want to enjoy flavored e-liquid products will have to resort to buying unregulated products off the black market, inhaling God knows what chemicals into their bodies from some dealer’s homemade concoction. The statewide ban on flavored e-liquid products is, while supposedly well-intentioned, a mark against individual choice and freedom. It should not be the government’s job to restrict access to these products, but rather make sure they are as safe and without the inclusion of unnecessary chemicals.
Beginning Oct. 4, state officials will be visiting vape shops to see if they are complying with the new regulations, and the state legislature will have 90 days before the emergency ban expires to figure out how to move forward. In the meantime, consumers and shop owners alike will be scrambling to figure out how to navigate these uncertain and restricting times.
Brandy Manaslip: Vaping causes severe health issues, usage should cease
Lately, there has been controversy about vaping and its effects on human health. Vaping is an action that consists of inhaling and exhaling vapor particles which are produced by e-cigarettes. There have been several cases where patients have experienced severe symptoms such as cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and vomiting. Some have needed to be put on breathing machines, according to medical journalist Carla K. Johnson.
Nowadays, the widespread use of e-cigarettes has been growing, especially for the youth. Vaping puts smokers at a high risk for developing health problems and, due to unspecified causes, there is a higher chance that deleterious effects released by chemicals will harm human health.
E-cigarettes have cartridges that are filled with liquid containing nicotine, flavoring and other chemicals and metals, according to the Center on Addiction. Since e-cigarettes contain nicotine, it can affect brain development, making it difficult for an individual to learn and concentrate. Additionally, it can affect your mood and ability to control your impulses as an adult, according to KidsHealth.
Scientists were unable to detect the specific cause of lung injuries from vaping, but there have been 530 cases of lung injury reported from 38 states and one United States territory. Additionally, seven deaths have been confirmed in six states, according to Dr. Anne Schuchat from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This illustrates that, while the health effects behind vaping are yet to be found, vaping is seemingly becoming life-threatening.
According to the CDC, 67 percent of cases are 18 to 34-year-olds, 16 percent of cases are under 18 years old and 17 percent are 35 years or older. They also included that all reported cases have a history of e-cigarette product use and vaping. This demonstrates that vaping is putting people’s, especially the youth’s, lives at stake and it’s becoming a growing epidemic across the states.
There are certainly ways to avoid vaping at all costs—hanging out with people that don’t smoke or vape, tossing away cigars, e-cigarettes and vapes, spending a lot of time socializing or interacting with people in conversations and maintaining healthy routines including eating and sleeping.