Mango-flavored JUUL pods/Source:JUUL
Massachusettts recently placed a four-month ban on the sale of vaping and e-cigarette products as part of
an effort to crack down on youth respiratory illness as a result of vaping.
The public health emergency was announced following at least 61 cases of potentially
vaping-related illnesses that were reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Aside from the Public Health Emergency, other states have been focusing
on curbing the youth vaping epidemic. Many states have taken steps,
for example, to ban flavored vape on the grounds that flavors target the youth and get them
addicted to nicotine.
The ban, of course, has been met with criticism. Pro-vaping business claim
that the ban will create a black market for unsafe vaping products that aren’t held up to regular manufacturing
standards. Individuals claim that the ban will create a large influx of smokers, as people turn to the alternative to get their nicotine fix.
standards. Individuals claim that the ban will create a large influx of smokers, as people turn to the alternative to get their nicotine fix.
I find it interesting that Massachusetts was able to ban the sale of vape products in the first place.
Indeed, some interpretations of the commerce clause give the feds and state governments concurrent power
over state commerce. Of course, if the feds and state gov were to contradict, the feds’ decision would take
precedent.
Indeed, some interpretations of the commerce clause give the feds and state governments concurrent power
over state commerce. Of course, if the feds and state gov were to contradict, the feds’ decision would take
precedent.
Question Prompts:
- What do you think of the argument that banning vaping will create smokers?
- Propose a solution to solving the youth vaping epidemic.
6 comments:
I don't think banning vaping will create an equivalent smoking crisis. People who are already existing users of e-cigarettes and are addicted to nicotine may switch to cigarettes in order to satiate their addiction. However, regular cigarettes not nearly as appealing to youth, since they lack the kid-targeted flavors of vape. Additionally, teenagers have been exposed to information detailing the dangers of smoking from a young age, and so may be more averse to cigarettes than vape, which has not yet seen the same level of negative exposure. I support banning fruit and candy flavored vape, since those flavors are clearly targeted towards a youth audience. Without the draw of curiosity towards a seemingly kid-friendly product or the sweetness (I would assume fruit-flavored vape is sweet, but I don't know) associated with vape, teens should be less likely to either pick up vaping or continue it.
I don't think banning vaping will create smokers, but it wouldn't change the current smoking situation. Vaping is only a different form of smoking, and if you were to ban vaping, people could possibly just switch methods of smoking such as cigarettes or other e-cigarettes. Although vaping is to be the most popular method of smoking for adolescents, banning vaping wouldn't change the current epidemic, nor would it negatively impact it. A solution to solving the youth vaping addiction could be to ban all the flavored vapes. Adolescents crave the flavor and without the flavor, it might sway the motive to vape. Moreover, having more restrictions when buying these products can also be a good way to limit and stop youths from vaping. More stricter restrictions can demotivate youths to buy vapes, ultimately stopping the vaping epidemic.
I believe that even if e-cigarettes are banned in specific places, some teenagers will continue to use nicotine products, though the number may decrease. I don’t think that simply banning them will be enough to solve the vaping epidemic, as there will still be ways to obtain the drugs. However, if nicotine use does decrease due to the ban, it is possible that some teens would instead turn to other drugs, such as weed, alcohol, or pills in order to satisfy their addiction. These other drugs seem to be rising in popularity. I think that the ban is an important start to solving the youth vaping epidemic, even if it is not the solution. It's really important that teenagers are educated on the products they are putting in their body (seen with how teens claim to understand the problems with cigarettes but still continue to use e-cigarettes/vapes).
I don’t think banning vaping will create new smokers. Our generation has grown up learning how bad nicotine is to our lungs. I do agree with the claim that banning vaping will just create a secret dangerous dealing of vape products for people to get it. The flavors of the vaping products are what draw young people to it. Vaping companies claim that the ingredients in their products aren’t harmful, yet I’ve heard that those companies don’t even know what half of the ingredients are and their effect on humans. Vaping really isn’t good for you, even though it doesn’t have nicotine. Years ago, when smoking regular cigarettes wasn’t looked down upon, people smoked packs a day, not knowing the effects of nicotine. Now, we are learning how damaging nicotine is, yet people still don’t understand that there are dangers to inhaling substances. There are plenty of other ingredients that haven’t been studied and the longterm effects on humans are unknown, endangering the health of many people in our generation in the future. I do understand that some people may be addicted and it may be hard to stop a habit, but to prevent others from becoming addicted, it should be harder to obtain vape products, but without banning them.
I think that it’s true that banning vaping will eventually lead to creating more smokers, since so many, both adults and teenagers, are hooked on the effects of nicotine and tobacco. Though, I do think that higher action is needed to combat the epidemic. Specifically sourcing from NBC article Banning e-cigarettes, not tobacco products, is 'ludicrous,' some public health experts say, "There really is an irony that now you can buy your marijuana and your cigarettes, but you won't be able to get vaping products, which are certainly far less dangerous than cigarette smoking. It's ludicrous.” In order for the most effective action to be placed, ALL tobacco products need to be banned, not just e-cigarettes. It’s not just an epidemic with e-cigarettes, it’s an epidemic of addiction, meaning that even if we ban e-cigarettes, there’s still people who will crave and need nicotine, turning towards other tobacco products that are overall worse for you.
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