E-Cigarettes Pose a Health Hazard, FDA Warns

The HealthDay Reporter is reporting that testing of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, has shown that they contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, including a compound used in antifreeze, U.S. health officials said Wednesday. The article focuses on the harmful ingredients of the e-cigarette and the its potential to normalize and cue smoking behavior. The issue of whether this vapor is harmful to others in the vicinity was not specifically addressed. However, the ingredients are toxic and I would argue that the precautionary principle should guide states and communities to prohibit the use of these devices in indoor public places, and these restrictions should only be removed if scientific consensus emerges that indicates the vapors from these devices poses no harm to others.