Cultural and Ethical Perspectives on E-Cigarettes

Due to the similarities between e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes, there has been a great contention among ethical groups and cultural groups regarding the important role that e-cigarettes place in tobacco harm reduction. However, existing studies reveal that the issue remains unresolved, concerning the appropriateness of encouraging users to use it when the safety and efficacy of smoking cessation when using e-cigarettes remains unclear. Due to the arising ethical and cultural questions that have been asked about e-cigarettes, this study aims to solve major questions that are the center of debate among scholars. This study aims to find answers to the following questions:-

ETHICAL:

What laws govern or pertain to the issue?

What ethical obstacles affect how the medical community addresses the issue? How do ethical theories apply to the issue ?

How do money, power, and control matters relate to the issue and its treatment?

CULTURAL:-

Which cultural values and norms influence the issue?

How is the issue addressed differently in varying cultural contexts and situations? Which cultures or societies are most affected by the issue ? Why?

Which cultural traditions affect the treatment(s)?

In light of the research questions, the study will demonstrate that there is a need for urgent research to establish the safety and efficacy of these cigarettes to help smokers to stop smoking.

The Ethical Perspective 

Laws that Pertain to the Consumption of e-cigarettes 

After characteristic of e-cigarettes rose over the decades, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has passed laws that classify e-cigarettes as products and drugs that have no medical value, for instance, in a Circuit case of Sottera v. FDA, the jury concluded that e-cigarettes would remain being classified as drugs until manufacturers made explicit health claims that those types of cigarettes had medicinal value ( Ayers, Ribis & Brownstein, 2011). In addition , FDA has enacted a law, called a family Tobacco Act of 2009, which classifies e-cigarettes under the same group with a tobacco cigarette, as products that contain tobacco. This law set forth for the enactment of other related laws that aim at controlling and restricting the distribution of this product in the society. For example, some states in the United States, such as Minnesota, have laws that restrict youth access to e-cigarettes ( Ayers, Ribis & Brownstein, 2011). In addition , the state introduced a Smoke-Free Air Act which prohibits smokers from smoking e-cigarettes in congested areas such as in buildings. New Jersey has imposed an excise tax on e-cigarettes to restrict youths from accessing the product primarily .

Ethical Dilemmas among Medical Communities and Ethical Theories 

From a medical perspective, e-cigarettes are described as handheld devices that people inhale to get excitement from a solution of propylene glycol, without the absence of nicotine. Therefore, medical professionals attest that e-cigarettes are for recreational purposes and do not cause any harm ( Grana, Benowitz, & Glantz, 2014). However, ethical groups have raised concerns that these cigarettes have not fulfilled their purpose of encouraging smoking cessation among smokers. Another ethical dilemma that doctors face is whether these cigarettes have a long-term safety profile or not. While most scientists agree that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful because they are free of combustion, the public supports the opinion that they constitute some form of harm, especially due to their unregulated use ( Grana, Benowitz, & Glantz, 2014). This is because most people employ the theory of Virtue Ethics, which proposes that something is wrong or good depending on what has traditionally been acceptable and unacceptable in society . Since cigarettes are traditionally banned in most cultures because of their harmful effect on human and economy, it also applies people are reluctant to accept that e-cigarettes are harmless since they serve the same purpose as tobacco cigarettes, stimulants.

The Impact of E-Cigarettes on Money, Power, and Control 

Currently, there is limited information regarding how e-cigarettes affect people spending decisions regarding their money. Regardless, there is limited information that shows that e-cigarettes lead to abuse liability. Research on the extended use of e-cigarettes among a certain class has shown that most individuals that smoke them are from middle-and-high-income earners, which demonstrates that e-cigarettes are smoked by rich and relatively rich people ( Harrell et al. 2014). Furthermore, these products have been observed as not having an addiction on users; therefore, they do not have control over users’ choices as compared to how tobacco users are addicted to tobacco cigarettes. However, some studies demonstrate that e-cigarettes are costly due to vaping costs, which is money that is used to nicotine in tubes of e-cigarettes with e-liquid ( Harrell et al. 2014). For example, users who smoke e-cigarettes for at least five days end up paying about £70 a month or £900 a year. The study reveals that sometimes smokers will vape more often and spend more money on e-cigarettes, especially when they want them customized to have certain flavors that include some amounts of nicotine. Moreover, variations in costs are caused by the type of equipment that smokers buy, the type of liquid, and maintenance.

The Cultural Perspective 

Which Cultural Values and Norms That Influence Smoking Of E-Cigarettes 

According to Czogala et al. (2014) , e-cigarettes have been ingrained in the smoking habit by cultures across the world due to various cultural values and norms. They include individual factors where people start smoking cigarettes to fit into peer groups or prove their self-image to others. Similarly, e-cigarettes have received the same brand where those who can afford it tend to show off to others and expressing their character identities, which includes showing that they are rich. The second cultural factor is the social norms in certain societies, such as the traditional uses of people tend to introduce new groups of smokers through the process of acculturation ( Czogala et al. 2014). Based on these values, these products have emerged as a potential solution to tobacco smokers where they are significantly affecting the smoking culture by providing them with an alternative solution to the prevention of cancer and respiratory diseases. Societies across the world are acknowledging that tobacco is a major threat to people’s health ( Czogala et al. 2014). Consequently, most smokers are shifting from tobacco to the e -cigarettes through the influence of social change that is observed among tobacco smokers.

How E-Cigarettes Are Perceived In Varying Cultural Contexts 

It is not clear how e-cigarettes facilitate smoking cessation in varying cultural contexts, but based on the world’s perspective on the fight against cancer, most cultural groups agree that e-cigarettes as the best alternatives for tobacco cigarettes. However, because they are just the same as tobacco cigarettes due to their stimulation effect, the public health communities are convinced that e-cigarettes could help smokers to refrain from smoking cigarettes ( Breland et al. 2014). However, American culture is an example of cultures that are seriously affected by the issue of e-cigarettes. This is due to the reason that the American culture is divided between liberalist and conservative groups, which engage in intent divisiveness regarding the impact of e-cigarettes on health outcomes.

Another reason is that this intense division has been caused by the absence of evidence that shows that e-cigarettes are the same for individual and public health ( Breland et al. 2014). Thus, some of the cultural issues that have been raised involve the use of these products for entertainment and to help smokers to stop smoking, including the potential effects of encouraging non-smokers to engage in the habit and their potential gateways to cigarette smoking.

Cultural Traditions That Affect the Treatment 

As it has been identified in the earlier mentioned studies, e-cigarettes were introduced as strategies for helping tobacco smokers to stop smoking. Nonetheless, since e-cigarettes are used as recreational goods in the same way as a cigarette , they serve as potential devices for renormalizing the smoking culture ( Breland et al. 2014). There are still ethical considerations that surround the accessibility of e-cigarettes in the market and their potential for tobacco harm reduction, include whether they might fulfill the objective of making positive contributions to the public health ( Breland et al. 2014). Specifically, cultural traditions draw upon the disagreements that exist between utilitarianism and liberalism concerning as to where e-cigarettes can prevent disease associated complications that are caused by tobacco cigarettes.  

Overall, this study establishes that e-cigarettes remain the best alternatives for tobacco harm reduction since their benefits outweigh the arguments against them. Unlike tobacco cigarettes that are known to cause harm to human health, e-cigarettes are unlikely to cause health implications in the long-term period.

Recommendation 

There is, however, a concern that e-cigarettes might be a doorway for youths to join the smoking culture. Since there are policies and regulations that are aligned to preventing this from happening, the study concludes that interventions aimed at promoting e-cigarettes should be encouraged. Even after e-cigarettes are legalized , there is a need for urgent research to establish the safety and efficacy of these products for preventing the smokers from smoking cigarettes. This research would help government to regulate the distribution of e-cigarettes, which would, in turn, impact their availability and use.

References

Ayers, J. W., Ribis, K. M., & Brownstein, J. S. (2011). Tracking the rise in popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (electronic cigarettes) using search query surveillance.  Am J Prev Med , 40 (4), 448–53. 

Breland, A. B, Spindle ,T. , Weaver, M., & Eissenberg, T. (2014). Science and electronic cigarettes: current data, future needs.  J Addict Med ,  8 (4), 223-33.  

Czogala, J, Goniewicz ,M . L, Fidelus, B, Zielinska-Danch, W, Travers, & M. J, Sobczak, A. (2014). Secondhand exposure to vapors from electronic cigarettes.  Nicotine Tob Res .  16 (6), 655–62. 

Grana, R., Benowitz, N., & Glantz, S. A. (2014). E-cigarettes: a scientific review.  Circulation , 129 (19), 1972–86. 

Harrell, P. T, Simmons, V. N, Correa, J. B, Padhya T. A., & Brandon, T. H. (2014). Electronic nicotine delivery systems ("e-cigarettes"): review of safety and smoking cessation efficacy.  Head Neck Surg , 151 (3), 381–93.