E-Cigarettes: To Ban or Not To Ban

 

New York has seen a lot of controversy regarding the regulation of e-cigarettes over the past few months.  Recently, the proposal to enforce more stringent regulations on where e-cigarettes can be used has gained quite a bit of traction in New York.

What Is Being Proposed

While the specifics of the proposal is still a bit cloudy and has not yet been set in stone, the gist of it is quite easy to understand.   The advocates of stricter laws want the New York State Senate (NYSS) to ban the use of e-cigarettes in public places.

There are currently very few limitations on where you can smoke an e-cigarette, because it is not scented and does not pose any physical discomfort.  The advocates are hoping to ban people from smoking in offices, restaurants, bars, stores, and other places where the public gathers.

Saying No

While there is a lot of support from New Yorkers and several members of the NYSS, there are still many who object to what is being proposed.  One senator in particular has made quite a stand on the issue, Senator Diane Savino.  She is a Staten Island resident who has quit smoking and sympathizes with the struggle of those who have made the decision to move away from conventional cigarettes.

Savino believes that one of the biggest perils of this ban being implemented would be that people return to smoking cigarettes, since they would have the same rules.  She also believes that the exposure to smokers who have not made the switch to e-cigarettes would add an unnecessary temptation to smoke cigarettes, which would be counterproductive to the entire e-cigarette campaign.

No Concrete Evidence for Negative Impacts

After two years of growth, the e-cigarette’s impacts on health and the health of others has finally been prioritized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Though the e-cigarette industry has been operating with minimal government interference up to now, the FDA is placing more emphasis on studying the ingredients and their effects on people in an effort to create new regulations.   This will be done in an effort to prove or disprove whether the conventional thought that e-cigarettes are healthier than cigarettes.