University of California intends to ban all smoking or tobacco-related products anywhere on its ten campuses, including all outdoor spaces. The ban will include electronic cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are become more popular. The Food and Drug Administration and the American Cancer Society remain worried about the possible dangers of e-cigarettes and want greater regulation of them. Meanwhile, more celebrities are using them and planning to produce them.
Nearly 8 percent of Utah's twelfth-graders reported experimenting with electronic cigarettes and 3 percent had used them in the past 30 days. Tobacco control and PTA officials were alarmed about nicotine and health risks and voiced support for a state bill that would ban e-cigarette and hookah use in public places.
Idaho’s House of Representatives voted 68 to 0 to make it illegal to sell electronic cigarettes to minors. Despite the unanimous vote, House members voiced concern about the State overreaching and becoming a nanny state.
An electronic cigarette blew up in a user's mouth causing injury and damage. E-cigarettes have grown in popularity and are promoted as a safe alternative to tobacco. Yet e-cigs have not been rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness.
A tobacco researcher says the e-cigarette is nothing like a tobacco product and that it could help people quit smoking. However, research hasn't resolved questions about danger and how well e-cigs work. An e-cig user says he feels better since he switched from traditional cigarettes and has no desire to use them again.
A growing number of states are moving to restrict the sale and use of electronic cigarettes. E-cigarette supporters say these products are safe alternatives to traditional cigarettes while anti-smoking groups and the Food and Drug Administration point to possible health risks and the need for more study.
The Utah Senate passed by a wide margin a ban on smoking hookahs and electronic cigarettes in indoor public places and sent the bill to the governor for signature. Hookah bars and e-cigarette shops are exempt from the ban for five years. Hookahs and e-cigarettes have been in a gray area regarding the dangers of secondhand smoke.