If you haven’t noticed, there has always been a bit of an anti-tobacco stigma in the air.

The newest thing to hate in the United States is the e-cigarette, which is brewing up some conversation among tobacco industry protestors and the Food and Drug Administration. The Daily Orange ran a front-page article last week summarizing the situation and listing points of emphasis by the FDA and New York State lawmakers about the dangers of possibly toxic ingredients that these e-cigarettes may or may not contain.

For these “health” organizations like the FDA, it was never too early to get a jump on that inevitable nanny legislation. They’re already setting out plans for marketing and product restrictions for the e-cig in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, no definitive evidence has proven that they are any worse than the traditional cigarette. But, of course, they produce smoke so they must be the equivalent of hell on earth.

I find it rather puzzling that after decades of advocating for a cigarette-free world, anti-smoking organizations that have jumped on the anti-e-cig bandwagon have taken no time to acknowledge the significance of a revolutionary alternative with no tobacco.

After years of not smoking campaigns, it seems that smokers have finally responded in a positive way by moving to a rather innovative system of vaporized nicotine to get the satisfaction without the tar, chemicals and tobacco. But that just wasn’t enough.

A CBS news article quoted an FDA representative as saying, “People, especially kids, are being led to believe that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative, but they are highly addictive and can deliver strong doses of nicotine.”

I find that statement somewhat interesting, since that is both exactly what they are and exactly what they are intended to do.

This government initiative all starts with protecting the children. Yes, kids under 18 ideally wouldn’t be smoking anything, but I have a feeling that the future holds high taxes, crippling regulation and unfair marketing restrictions for e-cig companies that are trying to, yes, make money like any industry, but also change the way the world smokes for the better. And it’s all going to be under the guise of “protecting our youth.” Gag.

But that isn’t the point. What ever happened to parenting? What ever happened to teaching your kids what is good and bad for them? When did everyone just agree that the government is going to start deciding what is best for our offspring? It is the job of the American family to teach children discretion. No stack of papers in Congress or advertising campaign can do that.

Misbehaving has always been a part of being a kid. I know adults who have told me their childhood stories of creeping around in graveyards at night and playing awful pranks on their neighbors’ homes. Today, the trend is smoking a stupid electronic smoke stick and trying to blow smoke rings in a circle of friends. Is that such a bad way to misbehave?

Phil Kramer
Freshman
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Martin J. Whitman School of Management

Published on September 26, 2013 at 12:32 am