Camosun College keeps an eye on e-cigarette usage on campus

Life January 21, 2015

Insufficient research regarding the safety of electronic cigarettes (or e-cigs) has major cities across Canada, including Vancouver and Toronto, considering a ban on their use in public.

The lack of laws preventing e-cigs from being sold to minors creates concerns that they will encourage smoking among youth.

Unknown health risks also have governments and institutions taking preventative measures regarding e-cig usage.

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Camosun student Laura Thomas having a (non-electronic) cigarette (photo by Jill Westby/Nexus).

 

With 16 percent of the Canadian population reporting that they have tried e-cigs, and their use increasing within the student body, it was time for Camosun College to address the issue as well.

Until statistics are provided on the safety of the vaporizers, the college uses its common sense when creating rules and regulations regarding its responsibility to maintain clean air quality for students and faculty, according to staff.

The use of e-cigs is prohibited inside all buildings on campus, and users must be seven metres away from any building entrances and ventilation vents.

“We will continue to monitor the use of e-cigarettes,” says Brian Calvert, associate director of Facilities Services at Camosun. “If there are any changes to legislation or other concerns, we will respond accordingly.”

The e-cig is an appealing choice for some college students; its scentless nicotine delivery system, the appealing flavours, and the fact that they can be used outside of some designated smoking areas, make the e-cig a more favourable, modern route of smoking cessation.

“After many attempts, I was unable to stop smoking without feeling like I was losing my sanity,” says second-year University Transfer student Sarah Winger. “When I tried the vaporizerÉ the previous anxiety I had experienced was non-existent. What I appreciated about smoking was substituted, and without consequence.”

Unfortunately, not all smokers have had success quitting smoking using the e-cig. Kerstin Ogloff, a student smoker on campus taking prerequisites for Family and Child Studies, says that the electronic cigarette simply offers her an occasional replacement for smoking, prolonging the habit. She adds that e-cigs are more convenient between classes, as you don’t need to go to a designated area to smoke them.

“I’ve tried to quit and didn’t notice the e-cig having an effect on my smoking. It’s convenient for when I can’t smoke between classes, or at a friend’s house who doesn’t smoke, but it’s not something I use regularly.”

Second-year University Transfer student Sultan Azizi also says that e-cigs haven’t been able to curb cigarette cravings.

“At first, it felt like it was working, but slowly the cigarette cravings came back,” says Azizi. “I felt that the e-smoke wasn’t as satisfying or as strong, even on its highest setting.”

E-cigs have been proven to contain a small fraction, if any, of the toxins and carcinogens found in conventional cigarettes, but the long-term effects of inhaling vegetable glycerin, a main component of e-cig “juice,” are unknown. It’s also unclear whether minute metal particles from the heating element are able to travel deep into the lungs.

Concerns also lie with products manufactured overseas, as they may contain harmful ingredients.

2 thoughts on “Camosun College keeps an eye on e-cigarette usage on campus

  1. As there may not be any official government regulation on nicotine as it is classified as an uncontrolled substance in Canada, an electronic cigarette store in B.C. can only establish a business under the licence of head shop. Therefore prohibiting the in-store presence and sale of ANY e-juice or related product to minors.

    Speaking towards available information, please visit http://ectaofcanada.com for information regarding members. ECTA requires the companies that are members to comply with a standard, and provides proof of the testing of each juice that the participating company carries. This testing procedure is done by laboratories which are completely independent and unaffiliated with any brand of juice, hardware, and business owner. The official ECTA sign must be visible in a retail setting and on any website.

    All of the information that a person needs to ensure their own safety is available via the Internet. Google scholarly is something I have become comfortable with as a student, and a vaper!

    Here are a couple that I found interesing:

    http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/5/1219.short
    http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/19/2/98.short

    For more info on academic journals available:

    https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=“electronic”+cigarettes+canada&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5

    Select “Schedule F” off of the list found at the link below. Apologies if it has moved, the government moves this web page to new addresses in what seems to be routine…

    http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-27/

  2. The 4 ingredients: propylene glycol (used in medical puffers & hospital air sanitizers) glycerine (found in ciga-likes in pharmacies) flavour & nicotine HAVE ALL been approved for inhalation by Health Canada. Please do your research

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