In this day and age, it seems like everything is becoming electronic. Students can electronically upload textbooks, pay bills over the Internet and now they can even smoke cigarettes electronically.
If you have ever found yourself bored and wandering around Wildberry uptown, you may have noticed they sell electronic cigarettes. Your first thought might be that these electronic cigarettes must be less harmful than smoking a traditional cigarette. Why else would people smoke them? This is exactly what the electric cigarette manufacturers want you to think but is not necessarily true.
Electric cigarettes work by vaporizing a chemical solution that contains nicotine. When a person inhales, a battery heats up part of the plastic cigarette turning the solution into a vapor that can be inhaled. When a user exhales, he or she is releasing water vapor that is intended to simulate a real cigarette exhale. The smoking device does not actually burn so people can smoke it indoors without carrying the risk of starting a fire or bothering other people. However, cartridges containing the solution have to be replaced and the battery must be charged periodically depending on the amount of use. An e-cig starter kit costs anywhere from $50 to $150 and single cartridge refills cost about $5 depending on the brand.
In 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performed a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples. The sampled e-cigs contained dangerous amounts of carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze. Even though e-cigs do not contain tar, the FDA is worried manufacturers are marketing these products as safe, especially towards young people. Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, US Commissioner of Food and Drugs announced the FDA is "concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public."
Last September, the FDA engaged in a campaign against five major electronic cigarette distributors that have unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices. The FDA is making sure that all electronic cigarettes sold in the United States are lawfully marketed so that people do not unknowingly believe that electric cigarettes are a safe alternative to traditional smoking.
After a simple Google search of electronic cigarette vendors, you will find websites such as thesafecig.com or breathefreshecigs.com. Website names like these are giving people the idea that e-cigs are healthy, so it is no wonder the FDA is stepping in to ensure consumer awareness of the risks involved.
Yet, cigarettes have changed drastically in the last 50 years. During the 1950s, filtered cigarettes became popular and a majority of people assumed that cigarettes were finally safe. In the 1970s, "light" cigarettes dominated the tobacco market, again making people feel safer about their smoking habits. Are electronic cigarettes another stunt to trick users into thinking the product is safe?
Despite FDA concerns, some influential public figures believe e-cigs are a healthier substitute to cigarettes. The popular television show The Doctors ranked e-cigs as the number nine Top Healthy Trend of 2010. On the program, Dr. Andrew Ordon claimed that electric cigarette use "is a lot better than consuming all of that tar and charcoal and carbon monoxide found in other cigarettes."
Over the next few years, we will probably see an increase of electric cigarette use on campus. E-cigs have become extremely successful in Europe and are gaining popularity in America. Miami has not yet banned them. According to the Miami University anti-smoking policy, smoking is defined as the burning of tobacco or any other material in any type of smoking equipment. Since an e-cig does not burn, this might just be the loophole that student smokers have been searching for.
Electronic cigarettes are a controversial item. It is clear that they do not contaminate lungs with tar but the FDA has provided evidence that they do contain high levels of carcinogenic chemicals. In the long run, I do not think it will matter what the FDA has to say about electric cigarettes because the general public believes that e-cigs are safe. Typically, when fact and public opinion collide, public opinion tends to prevail. After all, filtered and light cigarettes are still on the shelves and people are buying into them.
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