Nicotine vaporizers and electronic cigarettes are turning heads and catching second looks in places where traditional smoking is banned. Vaping, as the process is known, allows smokers to consume nicotine in a gray area of legality and health concerns.Nicotine vaporizers are battery-powered devices that create a liquid vapor of nicotine the user inhales as they would with tobacco smoke. Since there is no burning material, the vapor is not smoke. Exhaled vapor does not have the same byproducts of combustion that traditional secondhand smoke contains.There are two main reasons people use the devices, said Kirlyn Fouts of A+ Tobacco in Falcon. First, people use it as a stop-smoking aid, which Fouts said is not the vaporizerís purpose. ìThey’re really for convenience,î Fouts said. Second, the device is a good solution for people who want to smoke but can’t because smoking is not allowed. ìIf he feels like he needs some nicotine, he can get it without anyone noticing and without bothering anyone, so it works for that particular thing,î Fouts said.Despite the retailersí warning that the devices are not supposed to be used as a stop-smoking aid, consumers are using them for that purpose. ìI am trying to quit smoking, and they’ve helped replace cigarettes for me,î said Cary LaVigne, Colorado Springs resident and vaporizer user. ìIt’s a good substitute because it’s something you can do with your hands. And I can reduce the amount of nicotine in each bottle until it’s down to nothing.î The vaporizerís refill cost is significantly less than the same amount of cigarettes, he said.Colorado state law regulates the sale of nicotine vaporizers to minors the same as other tobacco products, including ìany electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine to the person inhaling from the device.î However, Colorado non-smoking laws for public spaces do not currently apply to vaporizers. Under state law, the devices can be used in bars, restaurants and other locations where tobacco smoke is banned, unless the management disallows them. ìYou can’t use them on planes, though. They’re too new for the FAA,î Fouts said. The Department of Transportation proposed a rule in September 2011 to specifically ban the devices on flights.Falcon School District 49 includes the devices in its Tobacco-Free Schools policy ban. According to the policy, since the devices have not been federally approved as a ìtobacco use cessation product,î the possession or use of the devices on school-controlled property or at district events is not allowed.Despite the fact the exhaled vapor consists almost entirely of water vapor, there is still nicotine released into the air. A November 2013 study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that nicotine in secondhand vapor is about one-tenth that of traditional cigarette secondhand smoke because there is no ongoing burning between puffs on the device. However, it still exposes others to the chemical. ìUsing an e-cigarette in indoor environments may involuntarily expose nonusers to nicotine but not to toxic tobacco-specific combustion products,î the study’s authors concluded. ìMore research is needed to evaluate the health consequences of secondhand exposure to nicotine, especially among vulnerable populations.îThe health impacts on the users are somewhat unknown. The Food and Drug Administration said in a September 2013 Consumer Update that the agency is concerned about the safety of the devices and how they are marketed. ìProducts may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans, and consumers have no way of knowing whether e-cigarettes are safe for their intended use,î according to the report. The report cited a 2009 study by the FDA that laboratory studies of vaporizer liquid found detectable levels of carcinogens and toxic chemicals that had not been disclosed by the manufacturer.Some states and cities across the country are beginning to include the vaporizers as part of the existing smoking bans. The New York City Council voted 43-8 to extend a 10-year-old ban on tobacco smoking to include vaporizers. New Jersey also specifically includes electronic cigarettes in non-smoking bans.
