Wales could become the first part of Britain to ban e-cigarettes in enclosed public spaces, after its devolved government set out plans for new laws Tuesday. The move is a bid to "prevent the re-normalization of smoking", Wales' Health Minister Mark Drakeford said, with e-cigarettes enjoying a surge in new users.
The administration in Cardiff said it wants to bring the devices in line with existing smoking laws, meaning people could not use e-cigarettes in pubs, restaurants and offices. The plans are part of a new public health bill which would likely come into force in 2017 if it clears the Welsh Assembly.
Parents Must Talk Frankly to Their Teenage Kids to Wean Them Away From E-Cigarettes
The number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes has tripled in just a year, but parents can play a vital role in preventing this trend.
Advertisement
"Anywhere you can't use a conventional cigarette, then you won't be able to use an e-cigarette either," said Wales' Health Minister Mark Drakeford. "It will prevent the re-normalization of smoking. We have worked so hard in Wales to try and bear down on the harm that smoking does -- and allowing e-cigarettes to be used in the way they currently are risks undoing the progress that has been made."
Wales was the first part of the United Kingdom to ban smoking in enclosed public places, in April 2007. E-cigarettes are battery-powered cylinders that heat a nicotine-containing liquid into a vapor that is inhaled.
![Some Chemicals Used to Flavor E-cigarettes can be as Harmful as Cigarettes]( "Some Chemicals Used to Flavor E-cigarettes can be as Harmful as Cigarettes")
The components of e-cigarettes are not regulated and standardized as compared to standard cigarettes and this is why they vary widely between products.
Some health experts are concerned about the rising popularity of the devices and fear the rapid technological development of e-cigarettes is running far ahead of scientific research into possible side-effects of "vaping". Welsh local health boards and the British Medical Association, the professional body for doctors, support the new plans.
However, anti-smoking campaign group ASH and the Cancer Research UK charity are against. ASH said there was "little evidence" that vapor causes the same harm as second-hand smoke.
"Electronic cigarettes have been shown to help people quit smoking and there is no evidence to currently suggest that they act as a gateway to smoking for young people in the UK," it said.
Kirsty Williams, leader of the opposition Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: "There is very little evidence to date that e-cigs emit anything more harmful than water vapor. Therefore any ban on e-cigs is completely unjustifiable."
Several European countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Lithuania, have already banned e-cigarettes in enclosed public places.
Source: ANI
Some Chemicals Used to Flavor E-cigarettes can be as Harmful as Cigarettes
The components of e-cigarettes are not regulated and standardized as compared to standard cigarettes and this is why they vary widely between products.
Advertisement
Some health experts are concerned about the rising popularity of the devices and fear the rapid technological development of e-cigarettes is running far ahead of scientific research into possible side-effects of "vaping". Welsh local health boards and the British Medical Association, the professional body for doctors, support the new plans.
However, anti-smoking campaign group ASH and the Cancer Research UK charity are against. ASH said there was "little evidence" that vapor causes the same harm as second-hand smoke.
"Electronic cigarettes have been shown to help people quit smoking and there is no evidence to currently suggest that they act as a gateway to smoking for young people in the UK," it said.
Kirsty Williams, leader of the opposition Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: "There is very little evidence to date that e-cigs emit anything more harmful than water vapor. Therefore any ban on e-cigs is completely unjustifiable."
Several European countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Lithuania, have already banned e-cigarettes in enclosed public places.
Source: ANI
More Proof Required to Deem Usefulness, Efficacy and Safety of E-Cigarettes
There are several other smoking cessation aids available that had more robust evidence base supporting their efficacy and safety, than e-cigarettes.
Advertisement
E-Cigarettes Have Become Increasingly Popular Among Canadian Teens in High SchoolsIn total, more than 2.5 million Canadians have tried e-cigarettes, with smokers and young people making up the largest demographic of ongoing users. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest General Health News
In India, youth must be aware of the diseases linked to cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption, causing a form of healthcare emergency.
Direct coastal access may represent a viable route to public health promotion, but the relationships of coastal living are not strongest among lower-income groups.
New research by Tinnitus UK has found that over four million gardeners are putting their hearing capacity at risk this summer without using safety protection.
Mucus plugs could be targeted to help reduce fatalities from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The development of reliable curative therapies for multiple sclerosis could significantly reduce the economic burden of the disease on patients and wider society.