In the article, “China and India turn against vaping. But Europe sees it as safer than cigarettes,” Bloomberg from the Los Angeles Times, features the developing clash between perspectives on vaping starting with one country into another. In comparison to cigarettes, vaping is viewed as a better option. However, due to its growing health concerns, countries outside the U.S have different views about it. The two largest markets, China and India, are holding back on the e-cigarette market. A few chemists from Portland State University have discovered that “e-cigarettes could sometimes produce more cancer-causing formaldehyde than regular cigarettes.” So, when a regular cigarette is lit, formaldehyde is produced by a chemical reaction and is found at high e-cigarette vapor levels, which has been retained as a safer smoking alternative. Thus, debunking the widespread view that vaping is better than cigarettes.
Moreover, due to the increasing health issues associated with its use, India has imposed an all-out ban on e-cigarettes. India’s health secretary even goes on to say, “Why are we debating if it’s more harmful or less? It is harmful. It is addictive.” It’s not clear If China aims to restrict or introduce tighter regulation of e-cigarettes or vaping products. Yet, they argue that the “hazards of e-cigarettes should be highly valued.” While India and China’s views remain the same, Europe disagrees entirely.
British public health officials endorse vaping as a way to wean people from consuming regular cigarettes. European authorities have coupled their support of e-cigarettes with stricter restrictions that have made the new products more appropriate to health officials, such as banning advertisements to minors and enforcing lower nicotine content limits.
Every country has different attitudes toward vaping. With many saying it is safe, vaping appears to divide views, while some argue it should be outlawed because of the risk it presents. Still, whether or not vaping is permitted in one’s country, it’s an ongoing problem.
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