An examination into how vaping became one of the nation’s hot-button topics on health
When e-cigarettes were first advertised to the public, marketers claimed they would be beneficial to helping regular cigarette smokers quit smoking for good. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still asserts that e-cigarettes can be helpful for non-pregnant adult smokers who want to break away from traditional smoking.
However, the dangers of vaping have become more prevalent recently, with the Trump administration announcing its plan to ban e-cigarettes earlier this month.
In particular, arguments against e-cigarettes include claims that the products appear cool to teenagers and may encourage children to take up vaping due to the sweet smells and flavors inserted into the liquid products. The liquids that are contained inside of these e-cigarettes and other electronic vaping tools are made with nicotine and other chemicals that can aid adults in quitting smoking, but they can be dangerous for others.
“We can’t allow people to get sick,” Trump said in a White House meeting. “And we can’t have our kids be so affected.”
These fears are not in vain. Although these products are advertised specifically for smokers who want a healthier option, children who accidentally or intentionally drink the enticingly flavored substances have experienced overdoses and died. One child was only one-year-old when they ingested the product and passed away due to a nicotine overdose. Since then, thousands of reports have been filed of children being exposed to harmful chemicals.
The exposure is also rising sharply in teenagers. The New York Times reported that one in four twelfth grade students claimed to have vaped in the past month. However, the rates of teenage vaping has been rising steadily throughout the past few years.
In addition, lung diseases have become more common in people who vape compared to a few years ago. The CDC said this could be due to the chemical exposure to the lungs, though more research needs to be done to be sure that this is the definite cause.
“While e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit some people and harm others, scientists still have a lot to learn about whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking,” the CDC said. “If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, don’t start.”
For some, these claims might seem overly dramatic. After all, there is no proof that vaping can have long term impacts on people’s health since it is still relatively new. And parents should watch their children more closely, shouldn’t they? Why should people who vape be punished for the careless non-action of others?
It comes down to society’s responsibility to each other and to our children. It is easy to say, “watch your kids,” when it is not your child who overdosed. It is easy to push aside the potential dangers of vaping when you are not one of the hundreds of people who are now suffering from lung disease.
It is important to remember that dangerous things are never marketed as being dangerous until it’s too late. Regular cigarettes used to be advertised as healthy. Marketers said they were good for sore throats. Doctors smoked in advertisements. Cartoon characters like The Flintstones smoked. Even grandparents were advertised as smoking as a way to relax and be healthy.
Now we know that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the world, with more than 4 million deaths in the United States annually. Even though e-cigarettes are composed of different products than traditional cigarettes, they still have nicotine and other similar chemicals that are known to cause cancer.
The similarities between regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes are shocking, even down to the denial that they can both be bad for one’s health. Despite CBS and WarnerMedia pulling e-cigarette advertisements, there are still some who claim this is an overreaction.
If we are to be mindful of our health and bodies, we must take every possibility into account and look at the facts objectively. E-cigarettes pose a real threat to people’s health, and though there is still research to be done, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. No one wants to be sitting in a hospital room, wondering why companies advertised products that would kill them.