Reading Response on "Smoke Signals" by Alessandra Potenza

       The article "Smoke Signals" by Alessandra Potenza is about the pros and cons of electronic cigarettes. These "e-cigs" have dramatically increased in popularity in teens and adults over the past few years, and the debate of whether or not that is a good thing is still at hand.

       One of the best things about the e-cigarettes is that their spark in popularity has lead to steady drop in the amount of kids/teens that are currently smoking regular cigarettes. What used to be 36.4% in 1997 is now only 14%. The reason that e-cigarettes are better is that they don't cause as many health problems. Cigarettes are the cause of almost half a million deaths from emphysema, heart disease, and cancer in the US every year. According to Michael Spiegel, a tobacco expert at Boston University's School of Public Health, "It's a heck of a lot better than smoking tobacco." This shows why e-cigarettes may be a good thing.

       However, there are cons as well. Just because e-cigs are better than regular cigarettes (in terms of health) doesn't mean that they're good for you. They still include nicotine which is an addictive chemical. If you try a cigarette as a kid/teen you are twice as likely to smoke as an adult. Due to the fact that they come in flavors, such as bubble gum and chocolate, they appeal to kids and teens. Therefore, they may want to give the e-cigarettes a try and that could lead to a nicotine addiction that will be hard to get rid of.

       Personally, I think that e-cigarettes should be banned, at least for kids and teens. If you are hooked on to e-cigarettes as a kid, it may be even harder to shake the addiction as you grow older. Also, you are more likely to become a regular smoker as an adult. I think that it's very important that kids and teenagers aren't exposed to things like this because it could lead to many serious problems. Not only do kids want to try the e-cigs, but companies are targeting them specifically by selling them in a variety of flavors. 

       While there are pros to electronic cigarettes there are also cons, as explained by the article "Smoke Signals" by Alessandra Potenza. I think that kids and teens should not be smoking even if it is just e-cigarettes. By banning them we would be taking the first step to decreasing the number of smokers and helping to increase the health of teenagers in the US.