By Georgi DeMartino | Opinion Editor –
About 31% of people who try e-cigarettes quit smoking within six months, according to statisticbrain.com. With a statistic like this, should e-cigarettes still be considered a trend, or is there some real method to the madness?
E-cigarettes have become a revolutionary piece of technology that have grown increasingly popular all over the country in the last few years. Only 2.7% of adults have tried these new devices (statisticbrain.com), so it is very possible that people are not taking the product seriously.
With all the benefits e-cigarettes have to offer, it is easy to see why sales would be up to $500 million for 2012 (statisticsbrain.com). However, some people are struggling to see the positive side. According to an article in the New York Times, written by Michael Siegel, “many anti-smoking groups oppose e-cigarettes because they find it difficult to endorse a behavior that looks like smoking, even though it is saving people’s lives”.
MD Anderson’s director of Tobacco Treatments Program, Paul Cinciripini, Ph. D., says, “The e-cigarette contains nicotine, which is addictive, and can be a gateway for users to switch to other nicotine products” (mdanderson.org). He goes on to argue that the cool packaging of e-cigarettes can appeal to children and teens, which would ultimately result in using tobacco products.
While there is validity to what Dr. Cinciprini is saying, I see things differently. There are many positives that e-cigarettes can provide for smokers, smokers who are trying to quit, and people who are thinking of starting. The point is that nothing is going to stop someone from trying to smoke if they have their mind set on it. If they have a healthier option at hand, it could prevent them from ending up using the other options that would cause them more harm.
Smokers who are trying to quit are struggling with the lack of nicotine from not smoking cigarettes, but e-cigarettes are only nicotine, no tobacco. While the person is still dealing with the fixation of the physical cigarette, they are reducing the amount of poisons that were originally entering their bodies, and the air around them by switching to the e-cigarettes.
Not only do electronic cigarettes provide a different alternative for smokers looking to quit, they also eliminate the risk of fire hazards. A feature on the U.S. Fire Administration website states that almost 1,000 people are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes or other smoking materials every year. Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of home fire deaths, and a fourth of the people killed in these home fires are not the smokers responsible for causing them.
As a nonsmoker, I am very concerned with the issue of second-hand smoke that ordinary tobacco cigarettes produce. Electronic cigarettes are now accepted in public places, such as restaurants, not only because they are no longer a fire hazard, but also because the smoke that the device releases is just vapor. This eradicates the deadly second-hand smoke problem to the people surrounding the smoker.
While all of these safety precautions are extraordinarily important, another major factor is cost. A blu E-cigarette Premium Starter Kit costs around $80, which includes “1 new blu premium pack with social features, 2 Original/Premium electronic-cigarette batteries, 1 blu Premium wall charger, 1 blu Premium USB charger, and 1 five-pack of e-cigarette cartridges in the strength and flavor of your choice”.
While $80 seems like a pricey amount, think of how much a pack of cigarettes cost now. $80 dollars would only buy a smoker about 9 packs of cigarettes, depending on the brand. With all the extra items included in this package, the kit practically pays for itself.
E-cigarettes are rechargeable, odorless, tobacco-less alternatives for cigarette smokers, and now come in different flavors for the consumer to enjoy. E-cigarettes are more considerate to others in public environments, they are less of a safety hazard, they are healthier than regular cigarettes, and also healthier for those who are constantly surrounded by smokers, i.e. a parent, loved one, etc. Although I cannot stand by the product from experience, I think society should embrace the idea of the electronic cigarettes.
