Taiwan has banned the sale of e-cigarettes, a cautious approach that now appears to be wise given a rise in the number of deaths linked to the practice worldwide, but regulated sales might be a more appropriate response. Such incidents have led to India last week banning the sale, manufacture, import and marketing — but not use — of e-cigarettes and the US pulling flavored products from store shelves.
Despite the ban here, vaping has proved popular among young people. The devices are available for sale online or at night markets, and even though customs officials confiscate them, people are not prosecuted for attempting to bring them into Taiwan. Data vary, but an estimated 50,000 young Taiwanese use e-cigarettes.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, but have drastically reduced amounts, or none, of the more harmful ingredients that are in conventional cigarettes, nor does the process entail burning, which causes carcinogens. As such, they are seen not only as a less harmful method of nicotine consumption, but also a viable option for cigarette smokers wanting to quit. Another perceived advantage is the absence of smoke, which many find unpleasant and is linked to health risks through passive smoking.
These factors are not uncontested: There is evidence that non-smokers can actually be drawn to smoking conventional cigarettes after getting a taste for nicotine through vaping. More serious are the cases around the world of pulmonary disease linked to vaping, some of which have been fatal. In some of these cases, the people affected had pre-existing conditions or were using unregulated products containing THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Also, the suspected clusters of e-cigarette-related pulmonary complications have seemingly exploded this year, while vaping has been around for more than 10 years. A decade might not be enough to properly evaluate the long-term health effects of vaping, or whether pulmonary problems linked to their use are temporary or long-lasting.
Studies in the US have underscored that no correlation has been found between e-cigarettes and pulmonary conditions. That is not to say there is none, it simply means that more work needs to be done, while caution should be taken.
The problems might be from reactions between ingredients that produce toxic substances, or by metal particles released as the device heats up. They could also be due to cheap, unsafe, unregulated products being sold online.
Banning e-cigarette sales gets lawmakers off the hook to a degree, but tens of thousands of young people are vaping, with many getting the products from unregulated, potentially dubious sources. Allowing their sale in Taiwan would at least keep the market above ground, enabling effective regulation, including labeling rules and penalties, which would expose manufacturers and sellers to legal liability. The government could also introduce a public information campaign warning of the potential dangers of vaping.
There is no legislation capable of regulating this category of products, as it is not tobacco or a pharmaceutical drug, so it will fall between the cracks until a category is created for vaping.
The alternative is to wait for a social health scare and for people to die, which would force lawmakers to act after failing to pre-empt a situation that is well-documented.
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