ranty rantsicles

I did some research on the health benefits of e-cigarettes this evening. While I didn't learn anything I didn't already know (that e-cigs are a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes--that using them cuts tobacco-related cancer risks almost entirely), I was distressed to find out that the FDA and certain anti-smoking crusaders are currently working on getting them banned. Already, in New Jersey, they've passed legislation that prohibits their use in public because "they look like the real thing." Not because they are the real thing. Not because they carry the same risks as the real thing. But because...well, they just look like the real thing. And if it walks like a duck....

I don't understand why so many people are passionate about trying to ban e-cigarettes. Even the FDA. The way I see it (the way any sensible person should see it): e-cigarettes offer an alternative to smoking that can't be matched. The WHO has determined that they are safer than pre-existing smokeless tobacco and smoking cessation devices. So: what happens when a smoker who's switched to e-cigarettes can no longer purchase e-cigarette products under this prospective ban? Is it better that he pick up the habit again--expose himself to the same risks as before, the same risks that he curbed by switching to e-cigs?

It boggles my mind. Groups like the FDA are supposed to be looking out for the health interests of the American Public. And using e-cigs in lieu of tobacco products is something I'd expect the FDA to endorse rather than try to do away with altogether.

There's no reason why e-cigs should be banned. They contain nicotine, which by itself is harmless, or just as harmless as caffeine, and propelyne glycol--the same base they use in nebulizers and inhalers. Nicotine is also found in some vegetables. I understand the argument that it may appeal to minors but there's no reason why an adult can't enjoy them. It's not my fault that kids are impressionable. And I doubt that a kid roped in by the "novelty" of smoking an e-cig is going to transition to real cigarettes: especially not if they're smoking e-cigs because they're (omg!) chocolate flavored.

Bottom line: e-cigs have the potential to save lives. I've been a smoker since I was sixteen. I recently switched to e-cigs and I'll probably live longer because of it.

E-cigs should be promoted--their benefits championed. Not discouraged.