Electronic Cigarette Debate

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Introduction
An electronic cigarette is a battery powered electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). These products deliver nicotine containing aerosol or vapor made up of propylene glycol or glycerol - a polyol (sugar alcohol.) It 's Metal tubes are designed to look like real cigarettes and contain a cartridge filled with a nicotine laced liquid vaporized by a battery-powered heating element. This colorless and odorless liquid is mainly used as a drug. The first of these devices were invented by the Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik, in 2003. The U.S. patent for the device states that the product is “An electronic atomization cigarette that functions as substitutes (sic) for quitting smoking and cigarette substitutes.” In other words, the …show more content…

The nicotine containing products continue to go under regulation by the FDA meaning that young people can legally buy e-cigarettes from their neighborhood corner store. This easy accessibility explains as to why so many adolescents use the device. Findings from the National Youth Tobacco survey in a Morality weekly report, shown that the percentage of high school students who reported ever using an e-cigarette rose from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10.1 percent in 2012. Altogether in 2012, more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigarettes. Imagine how those numbers have rose in three years. Speaking on the matter on Oregon’s Public Broadcasting podcast “Thinking Out Loud” Deputy Health Officer Jennifer Vines states that “the adolescent brain is developing. It’s particularly susceptible to the effects of nicotine and we know from studies that nicotine effects the parts of the brain that have to do with intellectual function in the brains reward system.” This can cause many parents to be concerned about their child 's Inability to focus in school setting and obtain the work they are expected to. In response to this, the country is currently working on banning e-cigarette use wherever smoking is currently banned, prohibiting sales of e-cigarette products to minors and requiring licenses for retailers selling E cigarettes and other tobacco