Wake Up and Smell the Vapor New Jersey!

Published in: The Courier News

Dear Editor,

On December 10, 2009 New Jersey’s state Senate voted 38-0 to endorse a bill that will apply the terms of the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act” to restrict the use of E-cigarettes, which are more formally known as electronic cigarettes. Unanimous support was also given to this legislation by The Senate Health, Senior Citizens Committee, and Human Services. This bill (S-3053) will include E-cigarettes in its definition of “smoking,” and it will broaden the ban on adolescents smoking by prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to people 18 years and younger. It will also restrict the use of E-cigarettes in public places and workplaces. At this point in time the bill is awaiting Governor Jon Corzine’s signature and if approved, will be the first statewide legislation of its kind within our country.

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that closely resemble and feel like real cigarettes, supposedly providing smokers with a nicotine solution in the form of vapors. What the E-cigarette companies don’t tell you is that their products have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration because after being tested, it was found they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

As the Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free NJ Coordinator, at the Somerset Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (SCADD), which is funded by the NJ Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program (CTCP), I believe that it is imperative to educate the community about the dangers of E-cigarettes. I believe that tobacco advertising in general all too often targets our youth, and now the E-cigarette is just another example of a tobacco product with an assortment of fruity flavors that can lure children into the addicting world of smoking. I also strongly believe that children should not have access to the E-cigarette and this new form of smoking, though drastically different from typical cigarette smoking, should not be absent from our current definition of smoking.

Furthermore, the E-cigarette has never been proven to be a smoking cessation device and the FDA does not promote it as a healthier alternative. Therefore, instead of opting for “healthier alternatives” we should be opting for tobacco cessation, the only true way that Americans can live tobacco-free lives. If you or anyone you know is interested in quitting smoking you can contact The Somerset Medical Center’s Quit-Center at 908-685-2442. You can also logon to New Jersey Quitnet at: nj.quitnet.com or call New Jersey Quitline at: 1-866-NJ-STOPS.

Stephanie Simmons
Somerset County Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free NJ Coordinator
Somerset Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependency