The impact of California’s new licensing fee

Besides paying a tax as per Proposition 56, as of this month all vape shop owners will also be required to pay a new state licence fee of $265, which has been implemented after a bill to regulate vaping products as traditional cigarettes had passed last May. Additionally, other regulations will prohibit the opening of stores within a distance of 500 feet from a school or playground. Local authorities are insisting that these rules are being put in place to protect minors from exposure to the products whilst still insisting that vaping acts as a gateway to smoking.

However an article published earlier this week on The Daily Caller referred to the fact that many public health experts are speaking up against the fact that the US government seems to be ignoring data that points to the contrary and insists on adopting a prohibitory stance. Several studies carried out by a number of reputable sources in fact confirm that smoking against high school students and smokers in general has dropped significantly, ironically the latest released data that confirmed this was published by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the same agency who has also on more than one occasion spoken against vaping products.

Is vaping really making youths smoke? Data shows otherwise

“California is taking a big step forward in preventing a new generation of young people from becoming addicted to nicotine,” said Dr. Karen Smith, California Department of Public Health director, in a statement last year. But is it really? Besides the aforementioned studies, evidence is speaking for itself across the ocean in the United Kingdom.

In the UK it all started with the renowned study which was released by the Royal College of Physicians earlier this year, which found vaping to be at least 95% safer than smoking and led to the country completely endorsing electronic cigarettes as smoking cessation aides. The result? There are now approximately three million vapers across the UK, (most of which ex smokers), a figure which has led to the country reporting the lowest number of smokers ever recorded.

Viewing vaping in the right context

Another argument put forward by health officials in California is the claim that at least 10 toxic chemicals have been found in the liquid nicotine used in electronic cigarettes, but once again this claim has been counteracted with further studies that first of all found that these chemicals are emitted in amounts so small that they could be insignificant to our health. But most importantly one must keep in mind the right perspective, no one is suggesting taking up vaping as a hobby. Public health experts are only in favour of e-cigarette use as a tobacco harm alternative, for smoking cessation purposes. When seen in this context, any harmful effects from vaping products are proven to be insignificant when compared to those in cigarettes.

Hence all that vaping advocates are asking of authorities, is to not demonize the products. Everyone is in favour of moderate regulations so as to ensure that children have no access to the products and that they are certified safe enough for consumption. However for the reasons discussed above, putting them on the same shelf as tobacco products, the same products that they are helping millions quit, is doing nothing but stalling progress in terms of harm reduction.