We probably know that smoking is bad for our health. But what about e-cigarettes? Introduced as a "less-harmful or safer" alternative to smoking, e-cigarettes or "vaping" has gained increasing popularity. However, the Chinese government released a notice to ban the online sales of e-cigarettes from Nov. 1st and further reduce the young's access to the products.
This means that e-cigarette makers have to close their online stores and take down online advertisements for e-cigarettes. So far, some e-cigarette firms have closed sales links on their websites, and more than a dozen online stores have removed related products, Xinhua reported. This is not the first government measure to limit the use of e-cigarettes. In August 2018, e-cigarettes were banned from sale to people under the age of 18.
Research has shown that e-cigarette companies tend to target young people with their advertising campaigns, according to the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration. It's found that many firms have been misleading young buyers with messages like, "E-cigarettes could help you quit smoking," and, "E-cigarettes are healthy and harmless." Some even claim that vaping symbolizes "young," "fashionable" and "trendy" to attract the young. Michael Blaha, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, also mentioned that a lower per-use cost than traditional cigarettes and a wide range of sweet flavors, like apple pie and watermelon, contribute to vaping's popularity among young people.
However, e-cigarettes contain nicotine (though not always), flavorings, and other chemicals, they are harmful to health. Taking in nicotine during youth can lead to addiction and cause long-term harm to brain development. Flavorings added to e-cigarettes can produce more harmful toxins after heating. Thus, it is advisable that the young should limit the exposure to e-cigarettes.
