A new measure being pushed through the Arizona Legislature would make it a petty offense for minors to buy or possess electronic cigarettes, battery-powered devices that resemble cigarettes but contain no tobacco.
There are no current federal laws regarding “e-cigarettes,” and the devices are not required to have printed health warnings, according to a Senate report.
Unlike conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors and do not emit smoke. Users instead exhale an odorless vapor, making them convenient to operate indoors.
However, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine, the same addictive ingredient found in tobacco products.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office, which is supporting the legislation, became interested in e-cigarettes through its work on tobacco-related issues, said legislative liaison Jennifer Boucek.
“It became apparent that the way they’re marketed and the different flavors could make them attractive to minors,” Boucek said.
The device could tempt minors to start smoking normal cigarettes, she said.
Jack Leadbeater, CEO of NJOY, a global e-cigarette company based in Scottsdale, said in an e-mail that the company has no interest in selling its products to minors.
“Electronic cigarettes represent a smoking alternative for adult committed smokers,” he said. “We applaud taking steps to protect our youth, while maintaining appropriate access to the adult committed smokers.”
NJOY’s Web site requires Internet surfers to verify their age before entering the site.
While e-cigarette companies like NJOY do not market their products as aids to help smokers quit, some smokers have decided to use the devices for this purpose.
Britany Statt, a nonprofit leadership and management junior, is currently trying this method to quit smoking.
Statt, who hasn’t bought a pack of cigarettes since December, said owning an e-cigarette has helped diminished her cigarette cravings.
“It tastes sweeter,” Statt said, but also admitted her preference for the taste of a real cigarette.
After smoking regular cigarettes for two years, Statt decided it was time to quit and found that e-cigarettes were the easiest way to accomplish her goal.
“I don’t feel like it affects my lungs at all because it’s just water vapor,” Statt said.
Journalism freshman Lee Zitzer, a smoker, said the difference between tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes is like night and day.
“It’s like breathing air,” Zitzer said of the e-cigarette.
Zitzer, who started smoking in seventh grade, said some smokers are turned off by the e-cigarette because it doesn’t have the same effect.
“People are addicted to the feeling of the smoke hitting your throat,” he said.
Criminal justice freshman Jorge Molina, also a smoker, agreed with Zitzer.
“It’s like grabbing a straw and sucking it,” Molina said. “When you take a drag of a [regular] cigarette, it’s so soothing.”
The Arizona Senate unanimously passed the e-cigarette legislation on Monday and sent it to the House.
According to the measure, both vendors and minors could be fined up to $300 for the selling or buying of e-cigarettes.
Reach the reporter at kjdaly@asu.edu
