U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, proposed an irresponsible and flat out dangerous measure in calling on the FDA to ban the sale of e-cigarette products for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. This shortsighted suggestion would not improve overall public health; it would drive former smokers back to combustible cigarettes or to dangerous black market products.
I know this because I was a two-pack a day smoker for 35 years and vapor saved my life. It also enabled me to start my own small business, giving me the opportunity to help others kick their cigarette addiction and reduce their chronic disease ailments.
Right now, our country needs smart, science-driven policy, not fear mongering that will ultimately lead to another public health crisis.
Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s argument is not based on evidence. It even ignores recent statements from the FDA. According to the federal agency, vaping’s effect on the risk of COVID-19 is “not known,” whereas an extensive body of research exists connecting cigarette smoking to the underlying chronic health conditions relevant to COVID-19, such as COPD, emphysema, bronchitis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma. There is no comparable body of scientific evidence that concludes that vaping nicotine causes those underlying health conditions.
On the contrary, the 2018 report of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) – which was funded by the FDA – concluded that “there is substantial evidence that completely switching from regular use of combustible tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes results in reduced short-term adverse health outcomes in several organ systems.”
Removing vapor products from the market while keeping cigarettes available will not achieve any of Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s goals. It will only exacerbate the crisis at hand. I have already seen this first hand, as my business was not considered essential during my state’s stay-at-home order in response to COVID-19. I was forced to shut my doors and cease selling. As a result, I have been notified by 12 customers that they have been forced to revert back to traditional cigarettes. These are just the folks that have personally reached out to me. There are thousands more who have been forced to do the same. We can’t rob Americans of a safer alternative to cigarettes as they already confront the unprecedented uncertainty created by the coronavirus.
As a former smoker myself, I’ve relied on vapor products to kick the habit that was my daily routine for over 35 years. Not only did vaping allow me to quit cigarettes, but it even addressed some of my own underlying health conditions brought on by my smoking habit, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, an experience consistent with the NASEM findings referenced above.
I know for a fact that without vapor products, I would still be smoking cigarettes. Because of this, I wanted to help others in a similar position as myself and ensure they could access the products that so helped me.
Now, I proudly own and operate multiple vape shops in Kentucky and Ohio. Like me, the overwhelming majority of our customers are seeking a solution to quit smoking combustible cigarettes. These people should not be punished for trying to make a positive lifestyle change.
My customers are not alone. There are 10 million to 13 million American adults who utilize vapor products to quit combustible cigarettes. A sudden ban would drive them, and me, to either revert to harmful cigarettes, which take the lives of nearly 1,300 Americans every day, or rely on a new and dangerous black market.
On top of the undeniable public health impact this would have, an across-the-board ban on e-cigarettes would threaten over 13,000 businesses and nearly 90,000 jobs, intensifying the economic woes created by the pandemic. Already, my own vape shops have had to lay off employees as they try to stay afloat after two months of mandated closures. In these uncertain times, we look to our politicians to advocate for our small businesses, not undermine them.
Now more than ever is the time to ensure vapor products remain widely accessible as a substitute for cigarettes to help people quit and remain away from traditional smoking. At a minimum, vapor products should be made as accessible as any other tobacco product, but most importantly as available as cigarettes that continue to be sold at convenience stores around the country, even amid stay-at-home orders.
To even suggest banning a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes during this time is grossly irresponsible and narrow-minded. I will not allow the future of my businesses and the health and safety of my customers to be sacrificed in pursuit of a political agenda. It’s critical that our leaders, like Rep. Krishnamoorthi, look at the bigger picture and understand the breadth of consequences that would result from such a drastic measure.
– The Center Square
