Callie Parrish//The Daily Cougar
According to the tobacco-free campus policy, “effective June 2013, the University of Houston is designated as a tobacco-free campus.”
However, the University isn’t requiring faculty, staff and students to quit using tobacco products. But “tobacco users are expected to adhere to the policy and be respectful to ex-tobacco users and non-tobacco users,” according to the policy.
But while electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco, the tobacco-free campus policy also bars them. The reason that e-cigarettes may be banned alongside normal cigarettes is because they are associated with the smoking culture.
At first, it would seem that e-cigs would be the way to go for those who smoke. In the Mayoclinic.org article “Electronic Cigarettes: A Safe Way To Light Up,” author Lowell Dale said, “Manufacturers claim that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, the FDA has questioned the safety of these products.”
E-cigarettes may be more dangerous than once thought. It was discovered not too long ago that carcinogens were found in samples. “A 2009 FDA analysis of e-cigarettes from two leading brands found that the samples contained carcinogens and other hazardous chemicals, including diethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze,” according to the Huffington Post.
Also, there are hardly any laws regarding the sale of e-cigarettes to young people. “Only about 20 states specifically forbid the sale of e-cigarettes to children,” said Jen Christensen on CNN. According to the Huffington Post, “Unlike other tobacco products, e-cigarettes can be sold to minors in many places throughout the country.”
What’s really sad is that younger and younger people are trying e-cigarettes, and many believe that this will lead to actual cigarette smoking. “Critics point out e-cigarettes come in kid-friendly flavors such as gummy bear, atomic fireball candy and cookies and cream,” Christensen said. “It makes them worry that e-cigarettes will become a gateway to encourage kids to develop a lifelong nicotine addiction — or worse, try the real thing.”
With flavors like that, it certainly seems to be the case that e-cigarette manufacturers are trying to get kids to try their products.
What’s rather scary and shocking is that Philip Morris International is now adopting e-cigarettes, according to Lydia Depillis for The Washington Post.
E-cigarettes are currently a substitute to cigarettes. But if marketed correctly, e-cigarettes could be used as supplements. It may be out of the ordinary, but it wouldn’t be a big surprise if this is the real reason why Phillip Morris International is adopting e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are often marketed as a way to quit smoking cigarettes. At first, it would seem that they would be a good alternative for those who smoke on campus, because of the ban on tobacco products. But a New Zealand study about smokers trying to kick the habit suggests otherwise. The study covered three groups of smokers trying to quit: those using e-cigarettes, the patch, and a placebo.
“Over a period of six months, only a tiny fraction of the people in the study that used e-cigs actually quit smoking,” Christensen said. Since it was found that using e-cigarettes does not necessarily improve your chances of quitting smoking, it is ludicrous that they are marketed as such.
Since e-cigarettes are unsuccessful at helping smokers quit, marketing them this way will lead many smokers to waste money on them in hopes of quitting, which will ultimately lead to failure in many cases. So it may be a moot point to argue over the inclusion of e-cigarettes in the tobacco-free campus policy. No, e-cigarettes aren’t as harmless as they were thought to be. In fact, they may be a gateway to actual cigarette smoking and may encourage others to smoke.
E-cigarettes can be smoked just about anywhere, but not on campus. Also, because those who are trying to kick the habit by using e-cigarettes were found not to be very likely to successfully quit smoking, it would be pointless to say it’s OK to smoke e-cigarettes on campus as a safe alternative to smoking. Sounds like a moot point to me.
Opinion columnist Callie Parrish is a math and arts senior and may be reached at [email protected]
Yikes. I worry more about the state of education at UH than I do about ecigs. Using HuffPo as your sole source of information? Come on, the FDA analysis was only eight pages, and says very clearly (on page two) that diethylene glycol was found in ONE sample; NOT categorically as this rehash of HuffPo would indicate. There are a few other points that I could key in on, but some simple Google searches and a modicum of English comprehension would go a long way towards a truer picture.
As a former smoker, having made the switch to ecigs, I can appreciate some degree of skepticism regarding this amazing (and somewhat terrifying) invention. What I cannot abide is the laziness and dishonesty of many of those in the media who are spouting opinions and false information. The War on Tobacco is not yet won, and we need EVERY tool at our disposal to succeed in the fight against combustible tobacco. This really doesn’t have to be another partisan battle.
There are more than 80 studies so far on Ecigs and the product is still standing tall.
The Anti-Smoking Industrial Complex are incapable of realizing the truth, Ecigs is a gateway from Tobacco and will see the end of Lit Tobacco within 10-20yrs.
Even Vapers are concerned about the liquids they use, that’s why the vaping community is far more informed than the average person (or academic). They are moving from smoking for a reason, they want a safer delivery of Nicotine that is effective (unlike NRT’s). They have found that product in Ecigs.
Nothing is safe but Ecigs are %99 safer than Tobacco. The Drexel EDU report on Ecigs shows there is no concern over second hand vapor and only a small concern re the Ecig user. Would you like the Millions of smokers who have made the switch and those who will make it, to remain on Tobacco.
For God’s sake stop taking away the incentives for smokers to switch. If you treat a Vaper like a Smoker what message are you sending. I personally think that the Tobacco Tax should be used to give free Ecig starter kits to smokers who want them, they would be far more effective than NRTs.
Explain to me if Ecigs are not effective as a gateway from Tobacco, WHY are there 10 million Vapers in the EU, 1.3 million in the UK, millions in USA and climbing at rapid rate. They are not new nicotine users. They are not all dual users. 99.99% are EX-SMOKERS. People refuse to see a good thing even if it hits them in the face.
Why are non tobacco flavors only marketed to kids? Do adults not enjoy fruit or desserts? If they are really worried about flavors attracting kids, they would ban fruity or candy flavored vodka. This page is a prime example of poor research and jumping to conclusions. Instead of taking the time to read and understand the scientific data, you have chosen to site media articles, because as we know thr media always prints thr whole truth and never cherry picks or takes things out of context.
I smoked cigarettes for 52 years. Tried everything imaginable to quit without success. A friend gave me an e-cig nearly three years ago, and I haven’t smoked a cigarette since.
Whether e-cigs are safer or better or any of that noise doesn’t change the fact it’s still rude as fuck when someone nonchalantly blows that shit in your face while sitting around them indoors.
Where is the data showing how long it takes for a person exposed to second hand smoke to develop serious health effects? Are we talking about a health issue or a rights issue? Two different animals, since the second is political and the first is medical. Just wondering.
You might have bothered to do a little research among those who are experts in the subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWYFHrw6hM. Dr. Siegal’s CV is here:
http://www.bu.edu/sph/profile/michael-siegel/
This article is rife with misinformation and alarmist statements. Do some damn research, There has yet to be a “truly” comprehensive study as to unsafe effects of e-cigs, They simply haven’t been around long enough to a study that wouldn’t be criticized for being too short of a study period. However, all initial reports indicate that the e-cig is vastly superior in safety to the end user. The two ingredients used to provide the vapor are Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin and have been both FDA approved food safe additives for over 50 years, And yes they did studies on inhaling the vapors.The average person likely consumes some form of these chemicals everyday without knowing.
Yes, that one study that cites the carcinogens found them in ONE sample, hardly definitive. I would also like to note that the liquid sampled came from China. This is to be expected as the industry began there. Now you have quality web sites that sell products they test and stand behind, that are manufactured in the USA.
Not to say that there aren’t some perfectly safe liquids being sold in China, but just as with ANY other product manufactured in China, quality control is generally much lower. Similar to Russian roulette, You just don’t know the quality and standards employed by each individual manufacturer. I prefer not to play such a game. Heavy metals, carcinogens, and other unsafe chemicals can be found in FAR more products that are made in China than people realize for christ sake and HAVE BEEN. One example being dog/cat food. Do you attack the entire dog/cat food industry or do you hold a single supplier responsible for the chemicals that were found?
Early in my e-cig use I had bad experiences with liquids from China and I have had good ones, but right now with the current state of the market the best quality juices in my opinion (excluding subjective taste) are manufactured in the USA.
I agree no one under 18 should be allowed to purchase any nicotine product, period, including e-cigs…but as far as them being a gateway to actual cigs…. was that a joke? Anyone who starts on e-cigs isnt going to want to switch to regular cigarettes unless they think it’s “cool”. And generally teens and young adults are far more concerned with being cool than safe. So it wouldn’t be the e-cig switching them to the real thing, it would be peer pressure and image issues. Likely they would start smoking anyway.
I smoked for 10 years since I was 13, and I don’t mean lightly. I mean a full blown pack or more of good ol’ marlboro reds a day (and yes I did think I was cool). I switched to e-cigs and besides a brief respite when I found a place not selling fire safe cigs, I haven’t smoked for 3 years. They truly have changed my life. This is just my opinion, but I implore more people writing articles related to e-cigs to stop copy & pasting bullshit incomplete studies as legit.
PS: I buy all my liquid from a trusted and reputable provider located in the USA that mixes all their own liquids in small batches. Plus they actually use their own products I trust them and have been a customer for over a year and a half.