Every year, we’re saying goodbye to more and more familiar analog items. As electronics continue to become smaller and more efficient, everything is going digital. Hardly anyone uses the U.S. Postal Service anymore, at least not for personal communication; email is the way to go. Books are gradually being phased out by e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Cigarettes? Try e-cigarettes, the healthier, cleaner, and less smelly alternative.
There’s not much to say against some of these advancements. The most common argument against e-readers, for example, is the vaguely nostalgic “I guess I just like holding an actual book.” There’s nothing wrong with that, but it also doesn’t give any concrete reason not to use e-readers. Email and other forms of rapid messaging have largely taken over the realm of personal communication, and while these past few years have seen the associated decline of the USPS, it’s hard to make any real argument that email is somehow bad.
E-cigarettes are another matter. They’re safer … at least as far as we know. Although, just as with any new fad, it takes several decades for all the health risks and issues to fully materialize, e-cigarettes do seem to be safer than the real thing; It’s difficult to be less healthy than cigarettes. They lack the tar, arsenic, and other carcinogens present in traditional cigarettes, most likely negating some of the risk of cancer from smoking. They also emit water vapor rather than smoke, thus causing less collateral damage. The faster-dissipating water vapor has no offensive odor and is less likely to bother non-smoking passers-by. Despite these benefits, however, e-cigarettes are nowhere near as great as people seem to believe.
The problem of e-cigarettes is rooted in their deceptive image of safety. While certainly safer than cigarettes, e-cigs still contain nicotine, one of the most addictive drugs known to man. The promotion of e-cigarettes as a revolutionary way to quit smoking is laughable, since this method requires the same gradual phasing-out of nicotine that goes along with nicotine gum or patches. It’s just as difficult to quit smoking using e-cigs as with any other method.
Another problem with e-cigarettes lies in their cost. Cheaper, single-use e-cigs cost eight to ten dollars, which is as much as or more than a pack of cigarettes. The pack of cigarettes would last longer. Higher-end, refillable “hookah pens” can cost sixty to seventy dollars, and while they last longer, it is still necessary to purchase pricey refills.
E-cigarettes can also be blamed for creating new problems among high schoolers. Kids who pat themselves on the back for inhaling only cancer-free water vapor are still falling prey to nicotine addiction and, perhaps worse, doing nothing to stop the overall culture of smoking. High schools have had to remind their students that e-cigs in school are just as illegal as tobacco. It’s just that, due to their inconspicuous nature and lack of a distinctive scent, e-cigs are easier to conceal and smoke on campus.
E-cigs are a great option for smokers, sure. Switching from cigarettes to e-cigs can be nearly as healthy as quitting outright, and there’s no reason to discourage that. Those who are starting with e-cigs, on the other hand? Just don’t. It’s an expensive and pointless hobby that at worst will draw you into the smoking culture and at best leave you with a serious nicotine addiction. The price, for what amounts to breathing flavored air, is far too high.
Passanisi is a member of
the class of 2017.
