Misbehave responsibly with e-cigarettes: Column

[KulrMeStoopid]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/09/12/e-cigarettes-tobacco-fda-regulation-column/2806757/

As someone who hates smoking and loves children, even children who smoke, I was delighted to learn the other day that more and more kids smoke electronic cigarettes.


According to data furnished this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of 10 high school students used e-cigarettes last year, twice the number from 2011. CDC Director Tom Frieden said these teenagers might develop "a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes." Yes, and they might also develop an addiction to Caesar salads and Golden Girls reruns. Who knows?

 

[Fleabag]

It does strike me as an illogical argument that an increase of children/young people trying e-cigs is reason to ban or over-regulate them.

For a start, there's an ASH study that demonstrates that almost every child who'd tried an e-cig was already smoking - so the e-cig's obviously a great positive health choice (one that is quite surprising, given the assumed lack of concern for positive health choices amongst smoking children).

Secondly, we have the possibility that, as e-cigs become more common, previously non-smoking children may embark on a nicotine habit by taking up vaping. OK, evidence suggests e-cigs are not particularly attractive to children, but perhaps those who would otherwise have started smoking might make the comparatively safe choice of vaping instead - obviously good!

The children who would not contemplate developing a nicotine habit will continue to choose neither activity.

To be honest, when I was a teenager, very few of my peers didn't try smoking - in fact most did smoke routinely, even if only when out with friends. I would say that fear of being caught by parents was the strongest deterrent (for those whose parents cared), and probably the primary reason for not continuing into adulthood (for those who didn't).

I can remember my mother being concerned that I still drank cordial instead of tea or coffee in my early teens, saying a failure to make this transition would affect my social acceptability.

Why is it still seen as fine for a parent to allow (or encourage) a child to develop a dependence on caffeine, yet some factions of society are scaremongering about children taking up another habit that is no more damaging to their health than drinking coffee?

 

[anthonyb]

I'm not going into detail here. But as a teenager I experimented with more than just tobacco. But that was a long time ago.
I do preach to both my teenage tots. But not in the way you think. They've seen me smoking all their lives, and what I tell them, gives them the informed choice.
They know what smoking is all about, and the old man has stopped in favour of vaping.
What I tell them is it's their choice, but I wouldn't recommend it. Then list all the reasons why.

 

[Fleabag]

I have step-sons - I know one has tried smoking a couple of years ago (he's 20 now). Whether he smokes is entirely his own decision now, my only advice to him would be to learn from my mistakes- I wish I'd not started in the first place - the only easy way of not smoking is not to start.

I find he respects our advice because we accept he'll go wild from time to time at his age, so we're realistic about the advice we give, and he knows we want him to have fun without putting himself at risk.

We know he'd like a trip to Amsterdam at some point, and he'll likely try cannabis when he does - when the time comes, I'll be giving him the info he needs to stay safe and well. Advising him not to do it would be pointless and leave him vulnerable to all the risks of using it unwisely.

 

[Midnight]

I first tried smoking at about 12/13 years old down by the council garages with older boys. I progressed onto sharing fags behind the gym in school with my mates and at the back of the bus on the way home (remember when we could smoke on buses!?). I have battled nicotine addiction most of my life. I have given up and then relapsed more times than I care to remember. Both myself and the kids' dad smoke. Our families smoke. I have given my kids the best advise I can by telling them about the dangers of cigarette smoking, knowledge I didn't have as a kid in the early 80's. We knew it wasn't good for us but didn't know how bad it actually was. By the time I found out, it was too late, addiction had set in and taken a firm hold. I've advised my boys not to start smoking in the first place but I have also made it quite clear that whatever they do, is up to them. I trust them and hopefully have given them sound advise when it comes to life lessons. But, we all had to learn the hard way growing up, we all learned by experience and by experimenting. It's part of growing up. If they smoke, they smoke. I would rather they didn't but it is their lives.

 

[Mawsley]

I wonder how many people who used a caravan last year are now dead?

We should ban caravans.

 

[Fleabag]

There's a common and trusted product on the market freely available to the public, and even children, without restriction - this should be urgently addressed by the EU and the product strictly controlled.

One of the ingredients is described below:
The two primary uses of this ingredient in industry are as a solvent and as a source of materials for organic synthesis. As a solvent, it is used for thinning oil-based paints, for producing varnishes, and as a raw material for the chemical industry. It has long been used as a solvent, mixed with beeswax or with carnauba wax, to make fine furniture wax for use as a protective coating over oiled wood finishes (e.g., lemon oil).

As an organic solvent, its vapour can irritate the skin and eyes, damage the lungs and respiratory system, as well as the central nervous system when inhaled, and cause renal failure when ingested, among other things. Being combustible, it also poses a fire hazard. Due to the fact that it can cause spasms of the airways particularly in people with asthma and whooping cough, it can contribute to a worsening of breathing issues in persons with these diseases if inhaled.

The ingredient?

Turpentine

The product?

Vicks Vaporub

Would you be so keen to stick the stuff under your nose after reading that?

You can scare anyone about anything with the right spin

 

[anthonyb]

I was going to say, that if you knew what was in most common day items, you'd stick to the spuds from your garden. But even they have nicotine in them.

 

[steffijade]

I wonder how many people who used a caravan last year are now dead?

We should ban caravans.

Especially the ones that travel to Mablethorpe along Lincolnshire's twisty, pot hole strewn roads at 35mph when I'm trying to get to work.. grrrrrr.