Essay On E-Cigarettes Harm Reduction
Justin Pawlyna
ENGL 102 – AS85
E-cigarettes and Harm Reduction
Should our current approach to combat tobacco addiction focus on abstinence or harm reduction? Many believe the only way to avoid the dangers of smoking is complete cessation. With so few choices, most smokers today would rather continue smoking. Electronic cigarettes, also known as "e-cigarettes" have sparked new debate about harm reduction. Smokers have found an alternative to traditional cessation methods that are ineffective. In my opinion, e-cigarettes are the best alternative to smoking cessation. Their success demonstrates the urgency to implement more tobacco harm reduction (THR) solutions.
In my past, tobacco addiction has been a struggle. A couple of years …show more content…
According to an article in the Guardian written by Jon Henley, opponents of e-cigarettes argue that by encouraging the use of electronic cigarettes, more youth will experiment with e-cigarettes and will become smokers. Henley says that questions still linger about the relative safety of e-cigarettes as well as the need for long-term studies of their safety. He describes how the British Medical Association (BMA) questions whether there are proper regulations being enforced on the labeling, the dosages, and the purity of e-liquid …show more content…
In another article in the Harm Reduction Journal, Riccardo Polosa, Brad Rodu, Pasquale Caponnetto, Marilena Maglia, and Cirino Raciti argue most smokers are faced with few options when they are looking to quit. They describe how tobacco harm reduction is the key to reducing the long-term health risks of smoking because this method involves removing tobacco combustion from the equation. They claim that nicotine by itself has little to no health risks and has even been shown to be beneficial to treat certain conditions such as depression and attention disorders. As a result, when complete nicotine cessation takes place, these underlying conditions are left untreated. And finally, they argue that if harm reduction policies were put into effect, potentially “millions of lives could be saved” and potential costs could be avoided (Polosa et al. 7). In my life, both of my grandparents were hard smokers and suffered from smoking related conditions. If only they had known that other alternatives were available, I am certain they would have given them a try. It makes me sad that other alternatives were available to help them and if only they had been properly educated they could still potentially be
ENGL 102 – AS85
E-cigarettes and Harm Reduction
Should our current approach to combat tobacco addiction focus on abstinence or harm reduction? Many believe the only way to avoid the dangers of smoking is complete cessation. With so few choices, most smokers today would rather continue smoking. Electronic cigarettes, also known as "e-cigarettes" have sparked new debate about harm reduction. Smokers have found an alternative to traditional cessation methods that are ineffective. In my opinion, e-cigarettes are the best alternative to smoking cessation. Their success demonstrates the urgency to implement more tobacco harm reduction (THR) solutions.
In my past, tobacco addiction has been a struggle. A couple of years …show more content…
According to an article in the Guardian written by Jon Henley, opponents of e-cigarettes argue that by encouraging the use of electronic cigarettes, more youth will experiment with e-cigarettes and will become smokers. Henley says that questions still linger about the relative safety of e-cigarettes as well as the need for long-term studies of their safety. He describes how the British Medical Association (BMA) questions whether there are proper regulations being enforced on the labeling, the dosages, and the purity of e-liquid …show more content…
In another article in the Harm Reduction Journal, Riccardo Polosa, Brad Rodu, Pasquale Caponnetto, Marilena Maglia, and Cirino Raciti argue most smokers are faced with few options when they are looking to quit. They describe how tobacco harm reduction is the key to reducing the long-term health risks of smoking because this method involves removing tobacco combustion from the equation. They claim that nicotine by itself has little to no health risks and has even been shown to be beneficial to treat certain conditions such as depression and attention disorders. As a result, when complete nicotine cessation takes place, these underlying conditions are left untreated. And finally, they argue that if harm reduction policies were put into effect, potentially “millions of lives could be saved” and potential costs could be avoided (Polosa et al. 7). In my life, both of my grandparents were hard smokers and suffered from smoking related conditions. If only they had known that other alternatives were available, I am certain they would have given them a try. It makes me sad that other alternatives were available to help them and if only they had been properly educated they could still potentially be