E-cigarettes’ Growing Popularity Poses Danger to Kids

E-cigarettes’ Growing Popularity Poses Danger to Kids
The e-cigarette marketplace has exploded in Europe and the US and big tobacco companies are lobbying for the same in Australia.
Brisbane quit smoking specialist Luigi Pameijer said he is particularly concerned about e-cigarettes’ appeal to children.

E-cigarettes, or small personal vaporisers that give you a nicotine hit, without producing smoke, has increased more than tenfold in the last three years and if tobacco companies have their way, they will be available at any corner store in Australia – plugged for their medicinal value.
said Mr Pameijer.

“The big danger is for young people who are attracted by the glamour of e-cigarettes”, said Mr Pameijer.

“They come in a variety of attractive packages and different flavours, such as bubble gum and cola, which could easily entice the next generation to smoking” he said.

“E-cigarettes do not solve the problem, in fact they can become a gateway to tobacco smoking, particularly for young people”

“There are side-effects and because they are new, there is a lack of long-term scientific evidence of their safety – e-cigarettes carry health risks of their own.”

“After years of denying the health implications of smoking, now big tobacco not only is recognising the dangers, but they are also proposing their new product as the answer,” he said citing British American’s recent lobbying of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to introduce an electronic cigarette into Australia which is described as medicine.

“Since 2005 and the introduction of the first e-cigarette from China, there’s been a stealthy campaign to get more people to start up a nicotine habit.”

“Nicotine habits are as strong as any addiction.”

Mr Pameijer said his biggest concerns with e-cigarettes for children are:

Children are keen to try e-cigarettes: Studies have shown more children experiment with e-cigarettes than cigarettes.

Poisoning from e-cigarettes in children has jumped exponentially: Parents often don’t see nicotine as a poison and leave the liquid e-cigarette cartridges within reach of children.

Bringing glamour back to smoking: With all the accessories that come with e-cigarettes young people might be drawn in to use the in order to look cool.

E-cigarettes could lead to cigarette smoking for children: Between the fancy packaging, sweet flavours and cool factor, children are more likely to try experiment with them.

Mr Pameijer said the tobacco industry has never shown a genuine interest in public health despite decades of evidence of the harmful effects of smoking.

“Are we really to believe that they are now developing a medicine to help people quit?”

“At the end of the day, these can be attractive to kids.”

“For adults it’s a matter of choice, but we have to safeguard those who don’t have the ability to safeguard themselves.”

“For people who are trying to quit smoking, there are better ways of beating the habit, than using e-cigarettes,” said Mr Pameijer who has helped people across the country stop smoking through an advanced hypnosis process.

A University of Iowa study found that on average hypnosis is more than three times as effective as nicotine replacement methods and 15 times as effective as trying to quit alone.

More information on how to quit smoking can be found at www.Quitin60mins.com.au