First of all, it should be made clear that what follows is not an endorsement of e cigarette use among minors. These products are for adults and are marketed to adults. The question of whether or not children are banned from using them is not what is being addressed here. What is being addressed is the collection of misinformation being used to prevent use among children, which could be used to prevent adults from using them. In fact, preventing adults from vaping is part and parcel of the proposed Bill.

The E-Cig Misinformation Being Propagated

Much of the tone from the anti-vaping camp is practically pro-smoking. What is being suggested is that e-cigs release a vapor mixture of “various chemicals and low amounts of nicotine,” while with analog cigarettes, you get “a steady stream of straight nicotine.” The facts are that e cigarette cartridges contain only water, propylene glycol (or vegetable glycerin), nicotine (optional) and (optionally) food-grade flavoring. Compare that to the carbon monoxide that is created through an ignited product, along with thousands of carcinogens and poisons, including arsenic, benzene, chloroform, formaldehyde, and lead—just to name a few. This is not “straight nicotine.”

Then, there is the question of “harmful levels” of nicotine that is being raised. Is nicotine addictive? Yes. Is nicotine harmful? It is approximately as harmful as caffeine when not smoked in combination with tobacco toxins, and it leaves the body quickly enough to prevent accumulation.

A lethal dose for the average person would be a straight shot of 50 mg. The average analog cigarette delivers 1.5mg of nicotine. The average e-cigarette contains from 3 to 11mg (if at all), and according to the research of Harm Reduction International, an international group of scientists, approximately 10 percent of that is actually delivered to the bloodstream. That is an effective delivery of 0.3mg to 1.1mg—less than the average smoke.

The Actual Goal—Electric Cigarette Ban

The stated goal of the Utah bill is to prevent children from having access to e cigarettes. However, now as it stands, it would ban vaping in public places, period. According to David Neville from the Utah Department of Health, this is to provide a “healthy, happy environment for kids to be raised in.” Another fact that is being missed is that there is no chance for secondary inhalation with electric cigarettes. With the facts in consideration, this bill is overkill.