A ban in Wales on smoking electornic cigarettes in enclosed spaces has this month sparked debate on their effects on people’s health.
This move is seen as a controversial decision made by the Welsh government as there is sufficient evidence to suggest that electronic cigarettes are beneficial and they are able to aid traditional smokers to break the habit successfully, without relapsing and routing back to traditional smoking.
A spokesperson from Cloudstix said: ‘There are 2.6 million adults using electronic cigarettes and 1.1 million don’t smoke alongside them, alongside this vape is now occupying 10% of the 10 million smokers that the UK holds, the evidence from this clearly suggest that the devices’ work.’
The backlash comes after reports have suggested that ecigs encourage the younger generation to take up smoking since many people including celebrities ‘glamorise’ their usage.
Dr John Middleton who is The Vice president for the faculty of public health has fears of damaging a society that has finally rejected the idea of smoking as a normality. Dr Middleton believes that with increased use of these devices it could perhaps encourage a younger generation who might not have started smoking to actually take up smoking.
Ecigs are battery powered devices that convert liquid nicotine into a mist but the devices do not contain tobacco smoke, just nicotine. By providing a smoker with the nicotine it will reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it more unlikely for the smoker to revert back to regular cigarettes.
Over 100,000 people die every year due to a life of smoking, inhaling thousands of toxic chemicals such as tobacco smoke, this chemical has been recognised as being responsible for more than 1 in 4 cancer related deaths in the UK.
So surely with the elimination of the tobacco smoke in ecigs the risk of cancer is alongside cut down too. Not only this but it has also been reported ecigs have helped people to reduce their smokers cough, intensify their taste and smell and improve their sleeping habits. More so to the fact that the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives of the devices in this case.
Rather than banning these devices many people believe they should just become regulated and registered with the MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare products regulatory agency) to ensure control over manufacturing facilities and labelling requirements.
Some people also believe childproof packaging should be put in place alongside restricted marketing to children; e.g. eliminating the use of different flavourings. Contradictory to this, many adults have come forward to say that they enjoy the flavourings and that the flavourings were a contributing factor to them ditching their cigarettes and picking up an Electronic cigarette instead.
