E Cigarettes Ethical and Cultural Issues

Dangers of E-Cigarettes Since the discovery that tobacco smoking causes a myriad of health problems, lobby groups in the health sector and other interested parties have put pressure on the tobacco industry to force the manufacturers of their products to print warning messages on cigarettes. However, the cigarette industry still has a way out of the current situation. It has not been pushed to put the same warning messages on eCigs and similar products made for vaping.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the young people in the US are more likely to use e-cigarettes that any other form of tobacco product. Surveys show that in 2016, over 2 million young people in learning institutions and elsewhere used an e-Cig at some point in 2016. There is a mistaken belief that eCigs are not harmful. Studies show that vaping, though a little less harmful, it is harmful all the same. Given that e-cigarettes are comparatively new products, there is no telling what their long-term effects really are.

However, there is already scientific evidence that points to their potential risk (Spector, 2017). Regulation The federal agencies have not yet crafted any regulations for e-Cigs. The present regulations outlaw selling tobacco products to minors. The Center for Tobacco Products of the FDA has the power to control cigarettes. According to the FDA, e-Cigs are cigarettes. The FDA already started crafting regulations to govern the e-cigarettes sector. Nevertheless, since the law is not yet in place, it appears that the sale of eCigs even to minors remains legal.

However, given the trends, one should be able to tell that in time there will be some kind of restriction at federal government level regarding the use of eCigs. The law making process includes a public commentary session; and it is expected that the FDA will receive many reports in the forum. The drafting of laws to govern eCigs at federal level notwithstanding, some states are already ahead of the game with regulations for the products (Cavico, Mujtaba & Samuel, 2014).

Ethical Issues The health sector is in some of confusion regarding the invention of e-cigarettes. While it is not clear how they help to stop traditional tobacco smoking, there is some anecdote of evidence that a good number of smokers have successfully quit smoking as a result of being put in eCigs. Owing to their close association and, indeed, effect to the traditional tobacco cigarettes, they could be a useful tool in reducing and even getting rid of tobacco smoking.

The problem is that since there is no scientific evidence that demonstrates the usefulness of e-Cigs in reducing the urge to smoke tobacco, the health sector is at a crossroads. There are ethical issues that remain begging as to whether they should be used for recreational purposes and for reducing the harm caused by smoking tobacco. Another issue is that the products are also potentially attractive to those who do not smoke as yet. The risk to renormalize public smoking is real, with the emergence of eCigs (Franck et al., 2016).

Cultural Factor There is a new vaping culture that is causing ripples among health experts. There is a fresh rise in the number of people who want to inhale nicotine across the globe. eCigs have made it possible for current smokers and fresh ones to access a nicotine dose minus the irritant effects of tobacco smoking. Over 30 conventions are held in the US to promote vaping. The vaping functions are attended by people in droves.

The worry to the health experts is that there are more people joining the cigarette smoking club. The eCigs come in fancy flavors that easily appeal to the youth. Some come with innocent sounding names such as.