Should E-Cigarettes Be Banned?

Should e-cigarettes be banned? A few months ago, the safety of e-cigarettes became a widespread concern. For non-smokers, e-cigarettes are harmful to health; however, for smokers, the benefits of e-cigarettes outweigh the drawbacks. It may not be a good idea for the government to simply ban e-cigarettes.
 
E-cigarettes offer no benefits to you. Smokers inhale vapor that contains nicotine, which is addictive. There are also other chemicals that may be harmful. However, vaping is far less dangerous than smoking; cigarettes are uniquely lethal products. If people switch to e-cigarettes as a substitute for traditional cigarettes, it could have significant health benefits. In the U.S., 450,000 people die from smoking each year, and globally, 7 million die from smoking. Anything that helps people stay away from tobacco could potentially save lives.

The biggest concern about e-cigarettes is that they will create a new generation of nicotine addicts. Some people who have never smoked are starting to vape, including some children. For example, in the U.S., one in four high school students uses e-cigarettes.

This is concerning and helps explain why many governments, including those in Egypt, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brazil, have banned e-cigarettes. But they shouldn't. Bans often do more harm than good. Prohibiting e-cigarettes will lead nicotine addicts to purchase illegal products—products that are more likely to harm them. It will also prevent many law-abiding smokers from switching to something less deadly.

For these reasons, regulating e-cigarettes is preferable to trying to eliminate them. Governments should carefully control the ingredients in e-cigarettes; for example, the EU limits the nicotine content they may contain. In contrast, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to have been changing its views on how to regulate e-cigarettes. The government should also regulate e-cigarette advertising. Marketing aimed at children is clearly unacceptable. Perhaps the fruity flavors are particularly appealing to young taste buds. Government health warnings should be clear and measurable. Vaping may be a dangerous habit, but it is far less deadly than smoking.