The Uncertain Future of E-Cigarettes

          Cigarette consumption amongst today’s youth has seen falling trends in the past decade. Anti-smoking ads and policies, such cigarette taxes, have lowered incentive for youth to take up smoking. Long term effects of smoking such as lung cancer, yellow teeth, bad breath, and poor skin often push the new generation of youth away from smoking. However, smoking has not fully been pushed out of the mainstream in society. New trends such as e-cigarettes and ‘vape’ pens have gained popularity in recent years as a ‘healthier’ alternative. But how healthy are these new products?

          E-cigarettes and ‘vape’ pens are not regulated closely and different companies offer different products. How do you know what you are consuming? While these alternatives do not have tobacco in them, they do still contain the addictive property of nicotine.

          From a medical perspective, the side effects of products such as e-cigarettes and ‘vape’ pens are still unclear. The long term effects of smoking these products are still unexplored due to the new nature of the product. This uncertainty brings concern into the minds of medical specialists that fear the long term effects of these products could bring negative health associations.

          Areas in Europe such as the United Kingdom have worked to combat this uncertainty by way of medical regulations. Europe works to pursue medical regulations that mirror those of prescription pills. These regulations would offer consumers a constant product across the board that they can monitor and continue to improve.

          Medical safety is the primary concern when dealing with potentially harmful products. European governments are leading the way in the standardization of e-cigarettes and ‘vape’ pens; the world would be wise to follow in their footsteps. 

Lancet, T. (2013). e-cigarettes: A moral quandary. The Lancet, 382(9896), 914.

     doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61918-2