Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford man accidentally shoots himself while showing gun to 7-Eleven clerk ... October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Medford man accidentally shoots himself while showing gun to 7-Eleven clerk ... October days break heat records in Medford ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... OUR VIEW Our View: E-cigarette bill is half right, half wrong Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Oregon Senate passed a bill on Monday to curtail electronic cigarettes in the state. Part of the measure was long overdue; the other part was premature. Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, as they are known, were developed in China, and have taken the U.S. by storm, their market share growing faster than regulators' knowledge of their effects. The devices are designed to deliver a dose of nicotine to the user by heating a cartridge of liquid nicotine to produce not smoke, but vapor. The Food and Drug Administration, concerned about unknown health effects, has banned importation of the devices, but they are sold everywhere, and are growing in popularity among teenagers. That's the overdue part of the Oregon legislation. Senate Bill 2546 would outlaw sales of e-cigarettes to minors. Astonishingly, that's not yet against the law in Oregon. Little is known about the specific health threats of inhaling vaporized nicotine as opposed to tobacco smoke from a conventional cigarette, but nicotine is highly addictive and is known to be harmful to the cardiovascular system. What's more, liquid nicotine in concentrated form is highly toxic. A single teaspoon is enough to kill an adult. So the cartridges clearly pose a risk to children beyond any harm to the user. It makes sense for Oregon to join those states that have banned e-cigarette sales to minors. SB 2546 also would ban use of the devices indoors, such as in restaurants and bars. E-cigarette makers tout them as safe to use indoors because they produce no smoke, therefore no second-hand smoke. Again, marketing has outpaced research, and it's not clear whether second-hand vapor poses any risk to non-users. Still, lawmakers seem ready to declare "vaping" off-limits indoors. Other jurisdictions are doing so as well. Sellers of e-cigarettes market them variously as tools to quit smoking or as a safer way to continue ingesting nicotine. It's not yet clear whether either claim is true, but it's not possible to declare them false. Keeping addictive substances known to be hazardous out of the hands of minors is common sense. But lawmakers should refrain from banning the use of a legal product they can't say is harmful to anyone other than the user until all the facts are in. Otherwise, they're imposing exactly the kind of "nanny state" regulation critics often accuse them of. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501