E-Diction Presentation

Throughout Orange County, the OC Sheriff’s Department has conducted several informational presentations about electronic nicotine delivery devices like e-cigarettes, hookah pens, and vapes.  Last night, the presentation came to Lake Forest City Hall, where officers introduced these products to interested parents. 

Known by many different names, these devices function similarly to mimic traditional smoking.  Battery-powered devices vaporize a cartridge of e-juice solution.  Their dramatic increase in popularity has left researchers scrambling to determine the safety of these products.

These are some of the points they shared:

·         California law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to minors (California Health and Safety Code § 119405).  However, the officers reported many minors are still able to purchase these products at local convenience stores or through the internet.  One student even reported purchasing the e-cigarette off of an ice cream truck.

·         E-cigarettes are not allowed on the campuses of any school within the Capistrano Unified School District.  Deputies can cite students for having drug paraphernalia.

·         It is not true that just “harmless water vapor” is emitted.  Studies have found more than 10 cancer-causing or reproductive toxins in the vapor (acetaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, isoprene, lead, nickel, nicotine, n-nitrosonornicotine, toluene).   

·         E-juice solutions are sold with varying strengths of nicotine.  Although some brands claim that they don’t contain nicotine, tests have shown the opposite (Goniewicz ML, et al. 2013). 

·         Many of these devices are also used for marijuana dabs and concentrates, and have been reported on student campuses.

·         Just like with traditional cigarettes, cities and states are beginning to ban the use of e-cigarettes under current tobacco restrictions.

·         The ability of e-cigarettes to aid in cessation is hotly debated.  The FDA has not approved any e-cigarette as a cessation device. 

·         Call the Orange County Health Care Agency at 1-800-NEW-LUNG (639-5864) for help quitting smoking.  Free nicotine patches are available for adults that complete the free quitting tobacco services.