Ethical Dilemma #1 E-Cigarettes - helpful or harmful?
With 60% of smokers intending to quit, there is a real opportunity for businesses to tap into the "smoking-aid" products. It started with the nicotine patch, then moved to gum, such as Nicorette, and even including a nicotine drink. Although these products had minimal health risks if used properly, they did not tackle the habitual addiction of smoking. So, it was no surprise to see that companies, such as Juul, came out with e-cigarettes. These were advertised as being a healthier and safer option to smoking while still providing the habitual habit of smoking and also providing the opportunity to gradually minimize the nicotine intake.
However, although this sounds like a very practical and beneficial alternative to smoking for those looking for a way to quit, the side effects of the e-cigarettes are not great and, in some cases, actually unknown. For example, there has been an outbreak of serious pneumonia-like diseases popping up throughout the world with reasons unknown except that all of these cases include vaping.
So... what do you think?
What are the ethical questions that this product raises? Should it be legal to sell these vape products? Why, or Why not? Explain your position using information you have learned from the websites below as well as your own person opinions.
Are e-cigarettes a real alternative to cigarettes? Perhaps the lesser of two evils? Or are the unknown risks enough for you to discount them as a legitimate smoking aid?
https://www.politico.eu/article/are-e-cigarettes-helpful-or-harmful/
https://www.statnews.com/2019/09/16/vaping-related-illnesses-question/
https://www.politico.eu/article/are-e-cigarettes-helpful-or-harmful/
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/05-02-2020-e-cigarettes-are-harmful-to-health
https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2016/05/17/10-common-questions-about-e-cigarettes-answered/
I do not support such an idea in general for now. Despite one of the apparent reasons for which the health impacts that could bring to our body from vaping is still unknown currently, I believe the other current main issues from vaping we should focus on are the accessibility and the consumers. Because of how fresh the product is to the public, there are close to no regulations or federal age limits for purchasing E-cigarettes, especially where many buy theirs from online. Because of that, it leads to the issue where I think it is the most crucial, which is the age of consumers. Unfortunately, a portion of young people in these generations considers smoking as a mature behavior or action to show independence without mentioning peer pressure and conformity. As currently vaping has set such trend and image to some teenagers, it also leads back to the unknown health issues it brings to people, especially for a younger age. Understandably, some say it is a decent replacement for cigarettes, considering how it is healthier than tobacco, and I think regulating people from such without replacement makes some people want it even more. However, I think it only gives more excuses for younger people to vape, plus how easy it is to have access to E-cigarettes for younger ones compared to cigarettes. Unfortunately, I think it's not ideal for suddenly applying regulations currently since there isn't much proof of the health impacts they bring. And if they do so, people will go back to the unhealthier option.
ReplyDeleteOrion Lee
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DeleteI agree to the relationship between E-cigarettes and teenagers.
DeleteYou have made many good points here. I agree that there is not enough research on the affects that they are making on teens and that they are too accessible. These are probably the two biggest problems right now.
DeleteI agree with your argument. Although E-cigarettes and vapes are considered healthier than tobacco, the excuse they provide for teens to use them is too great of a problem. Vaping is definitely a trend in teens, and it is too easy for anyone to be able to access E-cigarettes.
DeleteI agree that E-cigarettes are way too easy for kids to get their hands on.
Delete^from Ethan
DeletePosted on behalf of Zoey:
DeleteI agree with the points that you have made here, and although that kids are doing this more often now we still don’t know all the risks that can be made.
The intent of why the E-Cigaret was made was to help people with an addiction to smoking. It was a tool to help people quit this habit. Many people have used E- Cigarets to quite while the majority of others have used it to start. Most of those people are teens. 20% of high schools in 2018 have vaped according to Kaiser Health News. That 20% translates to 3 million high schoolers. It has doubled since 2017 and now it is at 28% in 2019 and the numbers keep rising.Most people know the harmful things that are in regular cigarets but there still hasn't been enough research on E-Cigarets to know the risk. The majority of people who are using vapes are young so we don't know the long term effects or if something in there can be harmful for when they get older. I think that the government needs to do more research on what is in them and how harmful they actually are and they need to put more age regulations on them. This won't stop everyone from using them but right now they are way too easy for teens to get their hands on. They are doing more harm than they are being helpful but I think we can start to make more moves of them being helpful again.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the government needs to do more
DeleteI agree that E-cigarettes are more often used to start an addiction rather than end one. All the statistics you have used about vape use in teens really drive home the message that loose regulations around E-cigarettes and unknown effects still pose substantial negative repercussions in society.
DeleteI agree that a lot of research has to be done, and government needs to do more as well.
DeleteI liked the points you made, especially the one about the government. It does not really seem that the government is doing that much right now about this problem. But if they do more research, like you said they could see how harmful they are and put age regulations on them.
DeleteI agree that the government needs to do more research on all but you said something about making more age restrictions. The age restrictions that they already have on vaping are good, people just don't listen. If people actually listen to them it would be nothing wrong with the age restrictions.
Delete^from Ethan
Delete"Are E-cigarettes truly a better alternative to smoking?" More than 7 million people every years dies as a result of smoking, but what is the evidence on the effects of E-cigarettes to people, that is unknown for now. In other words, should we try something new because we are unsure of the effect, so that makes it ok to replace something that has been killing millions. Maybe a minority develops brain damage, lung problems, seizures yet not proven to related to vaping...etc. However, the majority of E-cigarette users has not been effected. Furthermore the statistics referring to the minority of problem developing E-cig users only shows the results, the stats do not show the factors causing the results. How much the studied subject using E-cig per day, per week, per month? Any prior health issues? What is their lifestyle? How much nicotine are they using...etc. This raises another question, "Are we willing to say that because we don't know the effects, E-cigarettes are better than smoking?" Someone can answer that, more importantly, "Should we normalize E-cigarettes(unlike smoking which is considered unhealthy by large, consider it to be suitable and normal to all) because of unknown effects, or wait until science shows that there is or isn't an effect?"
ReplyDeleteA lot of smokers are trying to quit and suddenly they find this better alternative, but the damages are already made by cigarettes. "As a result of smoking, the damage has been done. Thus, does it matter to these smokers that there might be better alternative to replace cigarettes even though they don't know wether E-cigarettes are better or worse.
Miles
every year* use*
DeleteA lot of interesting points here. I definitely agree that more research that is specific and in depth needs to be conducted. Until that happens, we don't truly have a way to categorize vaping as legitimately detrimental to health, or dismiss any negative effects as specific to people of certain health conditions and lifestyles.
DeleteYou have made some good points here. I agree that you can't make any definitive good or bad comments yet because of the lack of research. I think that there are many other variables that we have to look into to see this and that they could even be worse for people who have already been smoking.
DeleteI agree with your points and I really like the perspective you put into this. You pointed out a couple of things I hadn't thought about before.
DeleteSorry if it doesn't show my name. I was Aurelia that replied.
DeleteI do not support the concept of E-cigarettes. Although their original intent was to help smokers quit, they are having the opposite effect on smokers, as well as creating a culture where non-smokers feel like it's harmless to start vaping. This is especially for teens and young people who are subject to peer pressure and the need to fit in. Though the amount of people who smoke cigarettes age 18 and over has decreased by 13.6% between 2008 and 2017, (healthypeople.gov) but the rate of E-cigarette users between 2017 and 2018 has increased by 78% in highschool students. (FDA.gov) I personally feel that E-cigarettes promote vaping as a risk-free activity despite the fact that the CDC has confirmed 2,290 injuries and 49 deaths due to vaping since November 2019 alone. Since E-cigarettes do not contain many of the poisons and carcinogens of cigarettes, many smokers use them habitually instead of using them to wean off nicotine like one would do with nicorette products. Non-smokers also feel like they can do it harmlessly, like teenager Daniel Arment who said, “It would be more rare to find someone who doesn’t vape,” he says. “Everyone was doing it and nothing bad was happening," yet had to receive a double lung transplant because of vaping. E-cigarettes are not a good smoking cessation product. We know too little about the side effects they have, and they promote a culture of "safe" smoking in adults and youth alike.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWouldn't you agree that you would rather have kids use E-cigarettes than actually smoking?
DeleteI agree with what you were saying about peer pressure that teens feel when talking about E- cigarettes. In my opinion, some teens that are pressured don't want to start vaping, but they feel the need to, like you said, for the reason to fit in.
DeleteThese stats are really interesting and you have made some good points. I agree with your point that non-smokers think that it is safe to start vaping and I didn't see it that way before. I do think that the peer presser is there but not in the way that most people describe it as and that kids also do it to prove a point. I do also think that the original concept of them has a good intent. In the past most people smoked and when you have been smoking since you are 12 it is really hard to quit. At the time they came out most people were already trying to quit and weren't being successful. I think that they way they are being used now is not the way they should be and that people shouldn't be using them to start.
DeleteAurelia
DeleteYou have some really great points that I agree with. Do you think that there are teens that do know that vaping is harmful and vape anyways?
I completely agree that a lot of e-cigarette companies are making their products sound risk-free which is intriguing kids into buying their product. I think companies should hold themselves accountable and be strict about age policies and what can happen when using a vape.
DeleteHi Aurelia,
DeleteI definitely think that there are some teens that know that vaping is harmful and do it anyways. In fact I think this the case with most or all teens. Warnings about vaping are everywhere; the news, posters and talks in schools, statements from WHO, word of mouth and more. I think it is almost impossible not to know about the health risks of vaping, and that teens still choose to do so because of pressure and negligence on the part of the marketers and regulators.
Thanks for the question!
Hi Miles,
DeleteI see where you're coming from, and it's honestly hard to argue with that. With smoking, there are proven facts. We know that yes it will harm you, yes it will hurt your lungs, yes it could give you cancer or shorten your life. Whereas with vaping we only know that there are "risks." There are risks of lung damage, risks of pneumonia and other diseases. So to answer your question, yes, I would rather young people took a risk than a quite possible life sentence, but overall I think that people should not be consuming any smoking or vaping products at all. A risk does not mean that something never actually happens.
Thanks for the question!
From the information I have gathered I think that vaping is very bad for teens and children and good for the economy. Children and teens typically are wanting to start vaping because of peer pressure. It seems as though in today's world, it is very important for teens to fit in, and that is one reason for youth using E-cigarettes. Another reason is the attraction to the different flavours. In the U.S., 31% of youth vape users started using them for the many flavours (Truth Initiative). Vaping is helping the economy because this product is so popular. According to Mt Baker Vapor, Wells Fargo has estimated that $3.5 billion in revenue will be produced by the vaping industry this year (2015) and that amount is suppose to increase to over $10 billion by 2017. Since vapes are so popular, lots of revenue is made off of their sales, which is good for the economy.
ReplyDeleteAurelia
DeleteI agree that vaping is bad for teens and children and your statistics are really good to help back up your answer.
This is super interesting. I have never thought about this from an economic standpoint before. I wonder how big of an impact it would have on the economy if E-cigarette sales decreased. I also agree that fun flavours make it more attractive for people both young and older to start vaping.
DeleteI agree teens typically start to vape due to peer pressure and also get attract to different flavour.
DeleteSteven
DeleteI agree your point about that e-cigarette make a huge income generation in the world economy.
I agree that due to peer pressure and appealing flavours, teens feel more inclined to start vaping.
DeleteYou make a very interesting point about how e-cigarettes affect the economy. The profit they give to companies is definitely very noticeable. It raises a question about the real intent of the product.
DeletePosted on behalf of Zoey:
DeleteYou have gathered good information to back up your answer, also that pure pressure is a serious thing where kids don’t want to do something but people are pressuring to do it.
Although the intentions of e-cigarettes were meant to be helpful, the result of this newer product has seemed to be turning out more harmful than helpful. Originally this product was supposed to be a tool to help end nicotine addictions, but in many cases with young adults and teens it has been used in the opposite manner. We know that there have been many cases of pneumonia that have somewhat been tied to e-cigarettes because all these cases include vaping, but who's to say that this was 100 percent caused by the use of e-cigarettes and not some other unknown cause? I do believe that there will be negative side effects similar to smoking cigars and cigarettes and this will raise many issues for the future. In my opinion e-cigarettes should be illegal, but this will include many complications. The difficult part about if this product were to become illegal is that it wasn't illegal to begin with. Many young people are now already addicted to nicotine, there for in the case that they can not use e-cigarettes they will turn to the alternative of cigarettes. I think that e-cigarettes should be illegal because there are many reasons to believe that there will be many negative side effects related to the lungs and potentially related to heart attacks and strokes. There are so many negative effects that will come from e-cigarettes and vaping that are not being prevented especially for younger people and the next generation.
ReplyDeleteThis was published by Aurelia Geloso. Sorry if my name didn't show up.
DeleteThis is an intriguing debate as to whether or not vape products should be legal. I agree that in their current legal state a greater amount of people and teens are potentially exposing themselves to harm. I agree as well that illegalizing could push some users to try cigarettes, which are proven to be more harmful. I also think that illegalization will not have a large impact on the percentage of people that use E-cigarettes. When you look at data from cannabis, although numbers did rise to 17% after legalization, 14.9% of Canadians still reported using cannabis before legalisation. (Stats Canada)
DeleteI agree that making e-cigarettes illegal wouldn't drastically affect the number of people that consume vapor products. I has been psychologically proven that people have a greater desire to want what they can't have.
DeleteI agree that making e-cigarettes illegal would lead to many complications, but to solve the issue of people who are already addicted to e-cigarettes turning to cigarettes as an alternative source of nicotine, do you think that e-cigarettes could be made legal only for those who have been recommended by a doctor?
DeleteI think that it was a good point you made about e-cigarettes were made to try and stop nicotine addictions, but that they are causing more harm to teens and adults. E-cigarettes pretty much just gave teens and adults a safer option that they can still get very addicted to
ReplyDeleteTo further prove this point cigarettes with more nicotine than normal (so basically the strongest cigarettes you can buy) have 28 milligrams of nicotine how ever a single juul pod has 50 milligrams of nicotine. So if juul is meant to help get off of cigarettes why is there almost double the amount of nicotine.
Delete
DeleteSteven
I agree your point about e-cigarettes is helpful for people that have addition of smoking.
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ReplyDeleteI do not support the idea. It clearly says 8 million die every year from tobacco use, so why vape? The fact that it is healthier than smoking, but it still includes Nicotine, which can be harmful as well. Nicotine is a highly addictive dangerous chemical. It can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries. I agree with providing support for those who are addicted yet to quit and to decrease the number every year. However, there are a lot of teenagers that still believes vaping is common due to social pressure. Juul, an American electronic cigarette company, makes advertisements on social media that prominently featured bright colours and young people smoking with friends. E-Cigarettes are just as addictive as the traditional ones. We should realize the truth that is is bad for our lungs and heart. There is a lot more research to do.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with most of this statement but I think that vapes should still be sold just with more precautions to make sure teens don't vape. Also I agree with the last sentence "there is a lot more research to do." I agree with this strongly because the vape companies make it seem as if they know all about the long term effects however vapes have not been commercially sold long enough to know the long term effects.
DeleteWhile I agree with your point that vapes are still dangerous, letting go of an addiction is a very hard and mentally challenging task. E-cigarettes offer a slower and gradual road to rehabilitation, however in the end it all boils down to your determination and will to quit.
DeleteI agree that a lot of teenagers smoke because of peer pressure even if they know that is bad for their lungs.
DeleteThis was written by Roberta Merino Parcero
DeleteI have to agree that while E-cigarettes are potentially less harmful than cigarettes, the nicotine content still makes them a highly addictive substance. They could be helpful for smoking cessation, but they need to be marketed to that demographic instead of as an attractive product for non-smokers and young people.
DeleteSteven
ReplyDeleteI don't think e-cigarettes are completely harmful. In May 2018, Canada legalized e-cigarettes. As a result, sales doubled to CAD 1 billion in three months, which can indicate that this is Canada’s successful economic growth. You cannot say that e-cigarettes are harmful. It brings a total of $18 billion in income to the world economy, and it also reduces the number of deaths due to tobacco use. In addition, the e-cigarette claims that its selling point is that the content of toxic substances such as tar, carbon monoxide, nitrous acid, etc. is greatly reduced, which can effectively help quit smoking, which is extremely good for those who have been addicted to cigarettes for a long time. Now let’s talk about e-cigarettes smoked by teenagers. In China, I don’t know any e-cigarette laws, but in Canada, e-cigarettes cannot be sold to minors. Every e-cigarette retailer needs their customers to show their ID card to prove them they are adult, but for the minor, that find the illegal way to buy e-cigarette, is it really retailers’ fault? On the other hand, it maybe causing by the lack of e-cigarette education for minors.
I agree that e-cigs and vapes bring in large amounts of revenue to the country but I still think that vapes are physically harmful and can put people in the hospital. So although vapes and e-cigs bring in lots of profit what is the cost?
DeleteWhile I wholeheartedly agree with beneficial impacts the vape industry has brought upon the economy of various nations, I can't agree with the claim that e-cigs aren't harmful. Yes, they are an improvement over normal cigarettes, but have still shown various negative health impacts on consumers.
DeleteI can't agree more with the huge benefits that e-cigs has brought. But I don't agree that e-cigs aren't harmful. Many people had health problems after using e-cigs, especially for teenagers. Many countries still don't have clear laws that e-cigs are not allowed to sell to teens. In addition, China do have clear laws that it's forbidden to sell e-cigs to juveniles, but still many stores sell it to teens.
DeleteI do agree with you on the fact that they are helpful in the economy and helping people quit smoking. Although it's not the retailers’ fault minors still use them and their causing harm to their health.
DeleteSteven are you saying that just because vaping beings a huge revenue, it is ok to take the risk which could harm millions?
DeleteI think that vapes and E-cigs may be a good substitute for smoking as long as the vape is not overused. I believe that if e-cigs and vapes are used lightly that they can be a healthy way to quit but once it starts to become an overused habit and more of substitution than a helpful tool it can be harmful or even lethal to the user, which is why I don’t think vaping is worth it. Also, I don’t think e-cigs and vapes should be used by anyone other than someone trying to quit the bad habit of smoking. As already known, vapes have become a big trend in teenage lifestyle, according to an article from The Washington Post (M.Balingit 2019/10/14) “More than 150 teens have fallen from vapes.” Which is 150 to many, I feel after your product has caused minors to die it starts to become a problem, vape companies should be stricter about age policies and warnings when it comes to their products. To conclude I think vaping is a bad idea in that the cons way out the pros by a large amount, I don’t think that the risk is worth the possible reward and I think that vapes and e-cigs are ruining kids' lives and should stop being sold.
ReplyDeleteI agree. While it has been scientifically proven that vapes and e-cigarettes are less damaging than ordinary tobacco products, overuse can cause serious health issues in the future, yet no long term effects have yet been proven.
DeleteI totally agree. But the fact is that many people don't know the damage that may cause by e-cigs and are lack of conscious that smoking too much is bad.
DeleteI agree with you that they should be more strict about the age policies so that less teens vape but what's going to stop the teens from getting someone else to buy it for theme or using there friends. -maddy
DeleteI agree with you on this e-cigarettes are not being used for what they were intended. The problem will be getting people to quit such as teens especially since there most likely is nicotine in there e-cigarettes.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion e-cigarettes have been a massive improvement from regular cigarettes, however still aren't as safe as their manufacturers lead you to believe. From a functional perspective, e-cigarettes were advertised as being the one true solution to an individual's smoking addiction and boasted the gradual yet very effective and healthy journey to salvation. On paper, and in the advertisements it truly seemed to good to be true.
ReplyDeleteHowever recent cases and novel studies have shed some light and uncovered the truth behind e-cigarettes. From a medical viewpoint, I believe that the introduction of e-cigarettes has had more of a negative impact than good, yet still an improvement over normal tobacco products. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more the 60% of 1.1 billion current adult smokers are trying to quit. These consumers are lured by manufactures such as OVALE and Cretina which advertise their products as being the best alternative. They claim that these products are healthier and are the first step to rehabilitation. While e-cigarettes have been scientifically proven to be less harmful, there are still thousands of global cases that proves that they aren't as safe as people initially were led to believe. For example, the 34-year old woman which was hospitalized and diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia as a result of vaping. Further studies by the University of Carolina discovered that the two main ingredients for vapes are propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which are both toxic to cells. Other studies show that e-cigarettes are capable of producing chemicals such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde which overtime can cause lung and cardiovascular disease. Worldwide 7 million people die every year from tobacco consumption.
From a economic perspective I believe that the introduction of e-cigarettes was a slam dunk. The vape industry has proven to become a integral part of the world's economy. In the US, this industry was responsible for 24.5 billion dollars in economic activity and also provided employment for over 166,000 people throughout the whole nation. Overall, e-cigarettes have been a key contributor to a flourishing economy and have aided in reducing unemployment.
The controversy between the pros and cons that e-cigarettes spawned, has been, and will still be debated for a long time to come. The truth is, that due to how new this product is, the definitive facts are still a mystery. Personally, I believe that e-cigarettes shouldn't be banned or deemed illegal as they have been proven to be less harmful than regular cigarettes and that research is far too sparse to draw any definitive conclusions on their health impact as the severity of symptoms alters from person to person. Another positive are the economic benefits. Regarding the issue of the accessibility of e-cigarettes to minors, I believe paying closer attention to analysing ID cards would drastically decrease the problems arising in schools and keep the youth safer.
In conclusion, I don't support the use of vapes however, I also don't agree with the idea of making e-cigarette use illegal. They provide adicts with a safer way to consume nicotine and are the first step to rehabilitation.
I do agree with the fact that e-cigarettes are better than regular cigarettes but still cause harm. I don't think that ID checking would be the best I think there needs to be a law and should be a fine if you are caught using a e-cigarettes as a minor.
DeleteI do concur with you where E-cigarettes or such products should not be completely banned or illegal, considering like as you mentioned it is proven which E-cigarettes are less harmful than regular tobacco cigarettes, even-though despite currently the long-term effects are mostly unknown, since they are fresh products to the market. From an economic perspective, it did obviously provide a significant contribution to the economy, as you mentioned with some statistics and valid points. I do also agree In terms of decreasing the issue of usage from minors, however instead of more monitoring and attentions, I think there should also be reasonable federal age limit for access of such product, plus it is also part of school's responsibility to educate their students on behalf of such issues, and set strong rules and straight forward consequences for any students who vape in school.
DeleteOrion Lee
In my opinion, using e-cigarettes are really bad for teens, so I don’t agree with the intention of creating e- cigarettes. Although their original intent was to help smokers quit, they are having the opposite effect on smokers. Now more and more teenagers are trying to use E-cigarettes instead of cigarette. The reason why they choose it is just because selling cigarettes to teenagers is illegal, but there is no limit on age of buying e-cigarettes. To be honest, in my current school, many students around me are using e-cigarettes, and the major reason they having those things are that they want to show that they are mature and show resistance to teachers and their parents. But they don’t know what damages actually bring to them. When I asking them about the health damages would e-cigarettes bring, they just said,” I don’t know, but it’s obvious that it’s healthier than cigarette.” So this shows that how ignorant and innocent they are on dealing with their own health problems. And many of them become even worse that they try to take real cigarettes. It is apparently against the original intention of designing e-cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteSo I suggest that the governments should notice the situation of this problem and the laws should set an age limit of purchasing e-cigarettes, and clearly stated the health problem that may cause when using e-cigarettes to people just as the governments stated the danger of smoking cigarettes.
I agree with you that teens are using e-cigarettes to make them look more mature when they do not really know what can happen to them later in life and it's proven that teens who use e-cigarettes are most likely to smoke real cigarettes later on. -maddy
DeleteI personally think e-cigarettes could be an alternative to cigarettes if there's more research done on the e-cigarettes. When you switch to using e-cigarettes instead of cigarettes you also switch to a lower amount of nicotine so there's not as much nicotine in the product which will hopefully help your addiction. I feel that Vape products should be legal to sell because they are helping some people quit smoking. I think they just need to be way more strict with the people that are selling them to ensure that they aren't selling to underaged people. I feel that the government needs to do way more research on e-cigarettes and Vapes so there are no unknown risks all of the risks are known instead of risking my knowing something and using a product that you're not a hundred percent sure about.
ReplyDeleteIf there are still unknown risks, then shouldn't the vape be used as a last resort and not legal to sell to the general public until there has been further research?
Delete^from Ethan
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that it should still be legal to sell e cigarettes because they are meant for people who want to quit smoking and it's somewhat proven by Dr. McEwen and many other doctors say that switching from smoking tobacco to using e-cigarettes is beneficial and lowers a major health risk. With that being said it has been more popular in youths lately to use e-cigarettes. They see other people vaping so they decide to try and in some cases they get addicted. It doesn’t take that long to become addicted to any type of e-cigarette because you think they aren’t as bad as cigarettes because of the “cherry” or “bubblegum” smell they give off. You would think that e-cigarettes are most popular in adults because they are usually the ones who want to quit smoking but ages 15-19 (teens in highschool)and young adults are the highest ages. There have been illnesses that have come out because of vaping like lipoid pneumonia from the liquid in e-cigarettes and acute respiratory distress syndrome. That is just the start and it’s likely that there are more because of the harmful substances in them. You have to be 19 in Canada to purchase an e-cigarette so why are the most popular ages in teens? The adults who sell them should take precautions like see how many they are buying, how often they come back to the store, what age they are and the government should do more research before putting out more vapes.
ReplyDeletefrom maddy
DeleteE-cigarettes are more harmful than helpful. Although they were designed to help smokers looking to quit, they have caused new problems for non-smokers. According to The Verge, nearly 38% of high school students have tried e-cigarettes. Is it more important to provide a less harmful option for smokers or to protect younger generations from falling into these bad habits? Due to marketing and advertisement, e-cigarettes have become more appealing to teens and people who did not smoke in the first place. "Vaping companies are under scrutiny for how their marketing and sweet flavors have appealed to young people "(CNN Health).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Reuters, a study involving almost 900 smokers found that 18% of e-cigarette users were smoke free after a year. Due to these results, I believe that it should be legal to sell vape products to smokers who have been recommended by a doctor, but illegal to sell them to anyone else. E-cigarettes have many unknown risks, but we do know that there has been an outbreak of lung diseases in people who vape. Health officials have yet to figure out what the exact cause is (STAT). "E-cigarettes may not contain tar or rat poison or a host of other chemicals found in cigarettes, but they do contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance, which could turn many users into lifelong vapers." (Politico). This is why I believe that they should only be used for severe cases of smokers when they do not have many options left. The general public should not have access to, or be using e-cigarettes.
Fiona
Katelyn:
DeleteI completely agree with you on the idea that the product shouldn't be as widely distributed.I believe that would definitely be a positive solution. It's unfortunate that there are so many companies focused on profit rather than aide.
I agreed with the point that fiona made, that since e-cigarettes are made with different flavours they appeal more to teens and YAs.
DeleteKatelyn
ReplyDeleteThe intended purpose of e-cigarettes was to help decrease the usage of cigarettes. Unknown consequences aside, they were a good idea if they would only have been used by previous smokers who had the intent of ridding themselves of the habit. Clearly, that is not the reality of the world right now. And all the questions that still remain unanswered about the risk the product can have on a person’s health doesn’t make it a truly better alternative in my opinion. E-cigarettes are also being used in addition to other nicotine and tobacco products, which shows how unbeneficial the product can prove to be. There is also definitely an aspect of greed in this whole situation. When considering the profit e-cigarettes provided many companies, I find myself questioning the motive of many promoters. Is their goal really to help people stop this habit, or to make more money for themselves? I think there are still far too many questions and unknowns to completely understand the negative or positive of this product. I believe the idea was a good one, but the e-cigarette needs a lot of work in order to become a wholly beneficial product
I agree with Katelyn when she asks the question," is their goal to help addictions? or just to make more money?"
DeleteI believe that E-cigaretes are extremely harmful to the body. Although, like most people who have commented above me, I agree that they should be used for people who are trying to cleanse themselves of smoking addictions. people who smoke with e-cigarettes are in high risk of getting many diseases and health issues. One of the main issues with e-cigarettes is the accessibility. The most vulnerable time to buy e-cigarettes is the teenage years. Teenagers are being exposed to vapes daily. With the different flavors and overall accessibility of them, addictions are steadily rising.I believe It is super important for stores to monitor the purchases of e-cigarettes and for healthcare centers and the government to more carefully protect the kids and YAs who are being exposed to this. e-cigarettes can be prescribed by a medical doctor in my opinion. the main reason for that is because on many of the articles listed, e-cigarettes seem to be a healthier option than traditional cigarettes.
ReplyDelete-ashley-
DeleteIt is clearly proven that e-cigarettes are not a good alternative for health and are not better than a cigarette, although the advertising says the opposite.
From: Roberta Merino Parcero
This is a test for my username
DeleteScientists say when you switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes you have significant lower levels of carcinogenic substances. Lower carcinogenic substances may be a benefit to e-cigarettes but on the other hand e-cigarettes normally have nicotine. Nicotine is extremely addictive and peer pressure can cause teens to use e-cigarettes. Cigarettes have tobacco in them which is worse than nicotine and an advantage of e-cigarettes over regular cigarettes. On the other hand, nicotine causes health problems and if you start young you are more likely to use e-cigarettes as an adult. Since most people start young and their body isn't fully developed the older they get the more health problems they run into. The benefits of e-cigarettes used by people who are not quitting smoking are very small compared to the problems it causes. So, with what I learned I believe e-cigarettes are not as helpful as they were meant to be but instead are causing harm.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning, e-cigarettes were manufactured as an alternative for people who wanted to quit smoking. But today it is proven that they cause serious damage to the respiratory system and there are many people who die from consuming it. It is ridiculous to think that with all this information people continue consuming it.
from: Roberta Merino Parcero
DeleteFrom your information provided, I do concur with you as even-though such E-cigarettes benefits previous smokers in terms of reducing the amount of nicotine they intake, it is still proven to be quite harmful, and obviously like as you mentioned the issue where it attract more minors, which could result more harm to the body, considering of their age. Since you shown the research where most flavors also contain such chemicals that will contribute to other health issues, meanwhile the younger people believe that they are less harmful than other forms of tobacco, it's obvious that quite significant amount of minors are not educated about the actual chemicals included and the health issues it brings along. Obviously, education does not guarantee the which society considered as correct individual ethics, however it will definitely decrease the amount of minors using such products.
ReplyDeleteposted on behalf of Zoey
ReplyDeleteI would argue that this subject would do more harm then good. No matter what your doing, your putting stuff in your body that it doesn’t need and could still create problems with health issues. Kids that have never smoked before will try the e-cigarette and it will make them feel better because it’s supposed to be “better for you” but in reality your still putting chemicals into your body. Despite all the cons, I don’t believe that this product should be illegal, smokers that want to quit will go to this product and try there best to use this properly. That brings me to the question, is there a way that it can be for sure used properly? I’ve came up with the conclusion that if a doctor were to prescribe the e-cigarette for people that want to quit, the chances of it being used properly are very higher and kids won’t be getting addicted to anything that they don’t intend on getting addicted on. I’ve never agreed on putting chemicals into your body but if this helps someone stop just that I think it’s a good idea