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from the pufff-eeeergh-thas-good-shit dept.
More than 40 states have banned the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, but Michael Greenwood reports at the Yale School of Medicine that a study indicates that these measures have an unintended and dangerous consequence: increasing adolescents' use of conventional cigarettes. "Conventional cigarette use has been falling somewhat steadily among this age group since the start of the 21st century. This paper shows that bans on e-cigarette sales to minors appear to have slowed this decline by about 70 percent in the states that implemented them," says Abigail Friedman. "In other words, as a result of these bans, more teenagers are using conventional cigarettes than otherwise would have done so." Guided by her findings and the fact that habitual use of conventional cigarettes first spikes at age 16, Friedman suggests that bans on e-cigarette sales may be more effective in reducing teenage smoking if they were limited to those under 16, rather than those under 18.
This middle ground solution may provide a way to reduce teen smoking while the long-term effects of vaping, still largely unknown, are being determined. "Policy makers have been assuming that banning e-cigarette sales to minors will improve public health. This paper's finding, that these bans increase conventional cigarette smoking among teens, suggests that we may need to rethink this conclusion."
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday November 07 2015, @02:34AM
It's illegal for those under 18 to smoke cigarettes. It's illegal for those under 18 to vape. So not letting kids vape means more kids smoke.
IMHO, the takeaway is "why is it easier for kids to get cigs than ecigs"? Both are bad for them. Seems the new fangled folks are doing a better job of Doing The Right Thing than the old fashioned folks, so law enforcement needs to aim at the old fashioned folks and leave the new fangled dudes alone.
Disclaimer: Not only do I neither smoke nor vape, IMHO both should be heavily regulated. Wouldn't bother me to see a prescription needed to buy either habit. Minimum age to get the prescription goes up 1 year every year. So if you ain't 18 now, tough stuff, you ain't ever gonna smoke legally.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @02:36AM
the real question is why the fuck do some people still think they can solve a problem by making something illegal?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @03:29AM
The point of making stuff illegal isn't to eradicate it entirely, because that's impossible, but to minimize its effects and dangers. In some cases, like with drugs and prostitution, making it illegal only creates even more problems and harms, but I don't think there's anyone who would argue that making alcohol, or cigarettes or other nicotine products like ecigs, illegal to sell to people under 18 creates any significant problems.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @03:35AM
Certainly, as long as we can assume that all parents of those under 18 are on board and willing to help enforce such laws. Right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @08:06AM
Actually, there are people like that. Government thugs have no business banning such things under any circumstances because people, children included, have a fundamental right to control their own bodies. This is true even if governments deny it, which they do.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @03:27PM
The issue here is that they are ignorant, often willfully, of the long-term damages caused by ingesting such substances while still developing. Legally children do not own their own bodies until they are 18, their parents are responsible for them and must consent to any surgeries, piercings, tattoos, etc; if a kid dies the blame falls solely on the parents and they typically face at least neglect charges. Aside from that, there really are a few things, very few, which must be done "for their own good" - preventing people from ignorantly causing damages to their bodies which will last for the rest of their life while they are too young to be able comprehend the damages they are causing is one of those things. After they're an adult, if they want to blow their brains out or saw off a leg, that's on them, but when they're still 8 they don't have the mental capacity to understand the long-term implications of such an action.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday November 07 2015, @04:07AM
Not making it illegal, making it harder to get legally while cutting off a lot of illegal consumption. If you're old enough now to get a prescription, fine. If you aren't, sucks to be you. A different approach to flat out making it illegal and letting the drug gangs shoot it out for dominance for a street corner.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Saturday November 07 2015, @02:43AM
I myself am for freedom and personal choice. However, I think all the additives in regular cigarettes should be completely illegal. I'd also like to see government funding for genetically modified non-carcinogenic tobacco. I hear they got a breed of it now with no nicotine. I still want my nicotine. You can argue that this will increase smoking, but it's on a rise in 3rd world nations, and it'd be better for them to be smoking non-cancerous stuff than what they have been. Only provide the nicotine-free variety of safe tobacco, and they'll keep smoking the nicotine-ized carcinogenic stuff.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 1) by kazzie on Saturday November 07 2015, @12:40PM
IMHO, the takeaway is "why is it easier for kids to get cigs than ecigs"?
Perhaps it's a matter of choice, given (relatively) equal opportunity. If they're both illegal, why not do "proper" smoking rather than the pretend version?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 07 2015, @03:34PM
"Illegal" isn't the same as "illegal while under 18". Its a lot easier for highschoolers to get cocaine and heroin - fully illegal substances - than alcohol - illegal while under 21. "Regulated to prevent sales to minors" != "illegal".