In 2011, I experienced the first form of e-ciggs . The tip on the inhaling end was coloured brown to resemble the filter of actual red cigarettes, and the other lit up a bright red up each time I drew air in. Eventually the battery wore out and I had to discard the stick.
Then came the second-gen. This version was shaped like a pen with a clear cartridge containing fluid. Like the first-gen, inhaling still felt harsh on the throat, but it generated a bit more smoke. The cartridge was refillable, so users simply had to top it up with more fluid to continue smoking.
At that point in time, the fourth-gen (vape/vapouriser) was already out, but I was only exposed to vaping in 2015. Singapore can be quite slow when it comes to things like that. The fourth-gen is incredibly bulky and looks nothing like its predecessors. Its battery is rechargeable, and it has to go through regular maintenance. Lots of DIY wire coiling and cotton wicking is involved.
I'll skip the technicalities of how the device works. In short, the e-juice (mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings and liquid nicotine needed for vaping) is heated to generate smoke. And of course, you inhale that cloud and puff it out. Just like smoking cigarettes. But smoother and healthier.
Now, this is where the whole debate about vaping comes in. Detractors insist vaping is unhealthy and should be banned. A slew of articles about the POTENTIAL negative effects of vaping started to circulate, and well-meaning friends and families of vapers (vape users) began to caution them about their habits. Here’s the thing,
1. Vaping is not a threat
SAY WHAT? Yes, vaping is not a danger. Claiming how vaping may cause ‘popcorn lung’ is akin to stating how overeating will cause obesity. Guy binges on pizza for years. Guy becomes obese and has a host of health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
But are pizzas harmful?
Too much of anything can be harmful. Hell, even consuming too much caffeine can cause death. The key here is moderation.
Besides, the ingredients used in the e-juice is approved by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration), which means they are of food grade. Propylene glycol and is used in a huge variety of medicine, cosmetics and food products, and vegetable glycerin can be used as a sweetener or food preservative.
It’s hard to die by propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, even if you DRINK them in large amounts. The oral toxicity of these compounds is low.
2. Like caffeine, vaping is not completely harmless. But research cannot prove that vaping leads to death.
Vaping cannot be compared to cigarettes. Research has proven that smoking does indeed cause cancer and a shitload of other life-threatening diseases.
Cigarettes kill. And second-hand smoke from cigarettes is equally, or if not MORE harmful.
Till today, research about vaping has been inconclusive. But why should it be? E-cigarettes has been around for a long time – 2003, to be exact. Since then, research about the long-term effects of e-cigarettes has been ongoing, yet not a single report can prove that vaping is more harmful than smoking.
Because it isn’t.
In fact, according to a research, vaping generated just 1% of free radicals compared to cigarette smoke, and researchers were alarmed by the figure, because vaping is not supposed to produce combustion products.
Vaping is a vice, no doubt about that. A vice that’s just about 99 times less harmful than cigarette smoking.
3. But someone has died from vaping!
No, no one has died from vaping.
In 2014, a toddler from New York died by ingesting liquid nicotine. While there were no official reports regarding whether the liquid nicotine was linked to vaping or not, let’s just assume that the liquid nicotine was used by a parent to concoct the e-juice.
In the US, vaping is criminalised too. And as long as vaping is illegal, vapers will purchase individual ingredients and attempt to mix their own e-juice.
More nicotine poisonings are just waiting to happen.
4. The solution?
Legalise vaping.
Once vaping is legalised (like how it is in the UK), it will be easy to regulate the sales of parts and products.
E-juice bottles should come with a child-proof cap, and as e-juice contains nicotine, an addictive substance, vaping should be considered an offence for minors.
Cigarettes and alcohol cause addiction too. There’s really no reason why these products remain legal when vaping isn’t.
5. If vaping is a lot safer than smoking cigarettes, why the hell isn’t it legal?!
The sale of cigarettes is a billion dollar industry.
Just look at the cost of one pack of cigarettes in Singapore. $13? More?
According to a ST article: “Out of the $12 for a pack of cigarettes sold in Singapore, $8.50 goes to the government as tax. But this 71 per cent figure is not as high as elsewhere. At least 50 countries, many in Europe, impose even higher taxes.”
Cigarettes is a lucrative business. Not just for the private corporations, but for governments too.
In 2014, cigarette sales hit a record low in US. Big tobacco firms have already merged as cigarette sales continue to plummet.
Just imagine the impact on the economy if the tobacco business were to go completely bust.
The authorities are trying to portray vaping as a health and societal issue, because that’s the easiest way to continue cigarette sales and keep up with tax revenue.
6. So what do we do now?
While many have drastically reduced smoking cigarettes since vaping, I don't agree that vaping is the way to quit smoking.
It is however, a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes.
If your loved ones smoke cigarettes, and if you genuinely care for them, you would encourage them to consider vaping instead of smoking. Unless of course, you don’t want to risk them being slapped with a $10,000 fine or worse, a jail term.
Then please go ahead, let your beloved continue puffing away on cigarettes and witness his/her slow suicide unfolding right before your eyes.
I really hope the government will make well-balanced and fair choices. Just because something is new, doesn’t mean it will threaten the state. If decrease in tax revenue is a concern, you can always legalise vaping and impose a tax to regulate sales of parts and products. To outlaw vaping entirely is simply selfish, greedy, and hypocritical.
The Straits Times, stop misleading the public with articles that insinuate that vaping is all scary and bad. Vaping is a vice, just like drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes, BUT, it is way less toxic compared to cigarettes. Refer to Point 1, 2, and 3.
For more evidence that the Ministry of Health's decision to ban vaping in Singapore is "unscientific, unethical and harmful to health", educate yourself here. This is an open letter to the government of Singapore by a legit Honorary Professor / public health sociologist.
Think about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment