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An important conversation was started during this year’s legislative session, and it is critical that Arizonans continue to have real discussions about the vast differences in nicotine vaping products. If nothing else, what we learned from the debates surrounding vaping products is this: not all vapes are created equal.
There are vapes, for example, that target American children with fruity and other candy-like flavors. Most of these products are not legal to sell or consume in the United States, however, these illegal vapes are the fastest-selling vaping products in America.
How can that be, you ask? The problem starts at the top with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.
For years now, the FDA has failed to enforce its own policies around these illegal vaping products – and it has failed in virtually every effort to regulate a functioning marketplace for nicotine vaping products. By example, we’ve seen millions of vape manufacturers apply for the FDA’s approval in recent years, and yet, the government has only approved a total of 23 products for sale in the United States.
This, in turn, has created an illegal market for disposable, flavored vapes in America. And, ironically, the illegal, flavored products – namely from China – are the most popular choice among teenagers today, according to last year’s National Youth Tobacco Survey.
But, again, it’s important to note that not all vapes are created equal. While America has been flooded with illegal products from China, it’s important to remember that there are nearly two dozen legal products available – and they’re available for a reason: to help adult smokers quit smoking cigarettes.
What’s not talked about enough is that vapes are an incredibly helpful – and effective – tool to help smokers quit cigarettes. Even if you’ve never smoked a cigarette in your life, you’ve likely heard numerous stories about how difficult it is to kick the cigarette habit. Many, many smokers have tried to quit several times with little to no success. In fact, the famous author Mark Twain once joked that “giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world,” adding later that he knows this to be true because he’s done it thousands of times.
If only Mark Twain had access to the vaping products available today. Indeed, smokers have – for years and years – used nicotine replacement gums and patches to try to quit smoking cigarettes. But credible research now shows that vaping products are more effective cessation tools than nicotine gums and patches.
The sad reality of today is that – while you would easily find gums and patches on the shelves at your local pharmacy – most businesses today are refusing to carry any vaping products in their stores.
This is precisely why conversations need to continue to occur here in Arizona, and around the country. There is an obvious need to increase education and information about the vaping market to reduce harm for today’s smokers.
What is not often understood or realized is that nicotine is not the primary cause of health products. In fact, nicotine is derived naturally from tobacco leaves – and humans have used it safely for thousands of years. There is absolutely no denying that nicotine is an addictive substance that’s found in tobacco, it’s important to know that nicotine alone is not the real threat facing smokers today.
When it comes to cigarettes specifically, it’s the process of combustion – or burning the tobacco and paper – that creates the harmful toxins. In other words, if you’re not burning and inhaling the smoke from cigarettes, there’s a huge decrease in health risk.
We, here in the United States, have a real opportunity to position ourselves as the global leaders in helping smokers quit cigarettes, and transition to less harmful alternatives. However, change must start at the top. That’s why we need the FDA to step up and enforce its policies on the books – which would eliminate the fruity-flavored vapes that entice children – and embrace legal vaping products as a legitimate route to help smokers quit cigarettes.
Rep. Lydia Hernandez, a Democrat, represents Legislative District 24 in Phoenix.
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