E-cigarettes are already a huge business for the tobacco industry, but they are by no means "healthy". The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have stated this in two reports. The Viennese environmental hygienist Manfred Neuberger even sees e-cigarettes as a new "gateway drug", which is why he considers the same restrictions as for cigarettes to be sensible.
The tobacco industry is apparently also trying to reach new customer groups by means of e-cigarettes. According to the CDC study, around 750,000 adolescents and young people who had never smoked before had taken up e-cigarettes in the USA in the previous year. This tripled the number of new nicotine users in the United States.
Studies on long-term effects are lacking
E-cigarettes, according to the U.S. government agency CDC, could motivate young people to use tobacco more often, leveling the fruits of a decades-long fight against smoking. In the meantime, sales of nicotine vaporizers amount to around two billion US dollars (around 1.5 billion euros). Although e-cigarettes eliminate part of the health burden by avoiding conventional smoking, the nicotine is still addictive. Scientific studies on the long-term effects are lacking.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already proposed a rule that no one under the age of 18 should be eligible to purchase in the United States. But this is not intended for mere mixtures of flavors.
WHO calls for advertising ban
The WHO is taking the same line. Their expert paper begins by criticizing the fact that the billion-dollar market for e-cigarettes is once again playing into the hands of the tobacco industry. All countries that have signed the Tobacco Control Convention should restrict sponsorship and advertising related to the new products. Sales to young people and through vending machines should be banned for e-cigarettes, the World Health Organization demands.
While it can be argued that e-cigarettes produce less toxic content that users consume, e-cigarettes with fruit, sugar or alcohol flavors should be banned altogether. Therefore, health promises in advertising should also be subjected to a ban. This also applies to promises that the devices will make it easier to stop smoking, he said. Finally, WHO advocates a ban on e-cigarettes indoors to protect non-users.
Viennese expert: New "gateway drug
Viennese environmental hygienist Manfred Neuberger expresses a very similar opinion: "I would agree with those who would like to see the same restrictions on e-cigarettes in advertising, smoking bans and for young people as is the case with normal cigarettes. Of course, e-cigarettes are not quite as harmful as regular cigarettes, but the benefits are small compared to the potential harm." Those smokers for whom all therapies have failed so far would benefit only moderately, he said, but the devices now provide a new "gateway drug."