Huff and e-puff

Huff and e-puff

News:

1. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken a stand against e-cigarettes.

Important facts:

1. In a recent hearing on a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court, the Delhi government said it was planning to ban e-cigarettes.
2. If it follows through, the NCT will join States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra in the ban.
3. The controversy exists partly because it is a new and rapidly evolving
4. Impact of e-cigarette:

Positive:

• The evidence so far indicates that e-cigarettes are safer than combustible cigarettes. Because they heat a liquid to generate a nicotine-containing aerosol, instead of burning tobacco, they do not produce toxic tars.

5. In the American Annual Review of Public Health, in January 2018 a group of researchers argued that e-cigarettes must be viewed from a “harm minimisation” perspective.

• Researchers highlighted that combustible cigarettes are more noxious than electronic ones, switching from the former to the latter can only help addicts, they argued.

Negative:

• They are not completely safe.
• At high temperatures, e-cigarettes produce carcinogens such as formaldehyde, although these are fewer in number compared to regular cigarettes.
• They also increase the odds of lung disease and myocardial infarction, but to a lesser extent than normal cigarettes do.
• In the American Annual Review of Public Health, in January 2018 a group of researchers advocated the precautionary principle.
• They argued that these e-cigarettes are a young technology; it will take time to uncover their ill-effects.
• Some carcinogens in e-cigarettes have a non-linear effect on cancer.
•  This means even the low doses in e-cigarette aerosols can be carcinogenic if inhaled for years.
• Recent surveys also show that e-cigarettes can act as a gateway drug for young people.
• A 2011 study of Korean adolescents found that e-cigarette users were more likely to turn into regular smokers eventually.
•  As per 2004-2014 data from the U.S. National Youth Tobacco Surveys suggest that young people at low risk of taking up smoking are turning to e-cigarettes.

Way ahead:

• Instead of complete banning the technology, while selling normal cigarettes, could take away a promising smoking-cessation aid.
•  A more pragmatic option would be to regulate e-cigarettes tightly, by creating standards for the aerosols and banning underage and public use.
•  This would leave smokers with a therapeutic alternative, while protecting youngsters from a gateway drug.