Order ready-to-submit essays - 100% plagiarism-free guaranteed!
Note: All our papers are written from scratch by human writers to ensure authenticity and originality.
Looking for Reliable Essay Writing Support? We’re Here to Help.
Tell us about your essay and we will find the best writer for your paper.
Write My Essay For Me
The public health community is more divided than ever over an alternative to
smoking than electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Anecdotal information indicates that
numerous individuals have quit using e-cigarettes, even though their efficacy as smoking
cessation aids remains unclear. E-cigarettes, comparable to traditional cigarettes except for
the use of a battery, can potentially lessen the adverse health effects of smoking significantly.
However, there is much disagreement since there is no solid proof that the product is safe for
people's health. The potential for them to appeal to nonsmokers, to serve as a gateway to
cigarette smoking, and to renormalize public smoking are only a few of the ethical concerns
raised about their usage as recreational items and harm reduction technologies. To better
comprehend the potential benefits to public health, we investigated the moral concerns raised
by the widespread use of electronic cigarettes to reduce tobacco exposure. The contradictions
between utilitarianism and liberalism in public health ethics are central to our paradigm, with
utilitarianism seeking to maximize public health advantages by reducing illness burden as
much as possible and liberalism placing a premium on people's autonomy over their bodies.
While debating potential policy actions, ethical issues are sometimes tacked on as an
afterthought. Problems are seldom seen as opportunities; instead, they are seen as roadblocks
to reaching specified objectives when they arise. Conversely, ethical considerations should be
central when establishing policy objectives and developing strategies for achieving them.
Every choice between two or more possible courses of action or policies (including inaction)
is ethical, at least to the extent that it affects the well-being of others in some manner.
Without attempting to abolish the practice altogether, harm reduction strategies
instead work to mitigate its negative consequences. Typical uses include the supply of needle
exchanges and safe injection kits to injectable drug users and using methadone to treat opiate
addiction. Big data shows the effectiveness of harm reduction initiatives in public health,
3
most notably in lowering the prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis C infection, despite persistent
opposition to these strategies. E-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction may be seen
differently by skeptics than other kinds of drug addiction. Critics have voiced worries about
the likelihood of a gateway effect of e-cigarettes towards traditional smokes, despite the lack
of evidence that either e-cigarettes or needle exchanges encourage drug initiation among non-
users(Franck et al.2014).
Furthermore, needle exchanges are not supported by influential political lobbyists or
for-profit businesses as e-cigarettes are. When compared to the obviousness of smoking an e-
cigarette in public, injecting drugs is far less noticeable. While the differences are noteworthy
and need more investigation, they do not automatically rule out e-cigarettes' potential to
reduce damage.
Given the prevalence of smoking-related diseases, it is clear that innovative public
health measures are required to lessen the risks of smoking. Standard nicotine replacement
medications are authorized for usage for up to 12 weeks; hence almost all interventions have
focused on the cessation of nicotine use. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, only
around 15% of smokers who are determined to stop were successful in remaining smoke-free
for an entire year after receiving nicotine replacement therapy(Caponnetto et al.2011). Anti-
tobacco activists have voiced concern that harm reduction might overshadow cessation
messages, effectively reducing the number of successful quitters. However, an elimination-
centred approach is inconsistent with the understanding that harm reduction strategies are
more practical and feasible than enforcing population-wide abstinence.
Despite being advocated as a harm reduction option to combustible cigarettes among
adults, there is no definitive scientific proof that ENDS are an efficient long-term quitting
smoking assistance. According to a meta-analysis of 82 research done by Grana et al. 2014,
e-cigarette usage among adults is most significant among current smokers, followed by ex-
4
smokers. The researchers discovered that "dual usage," or the use of electronic cigarettes in
addition to conventional tobacco cigarettes, is widespread around the globe. Some worry that
ex-smokers who use ENDS will be "renormalized" to smoking and will find it easier to start
up again(US Department of Health and Human Services. (2014).
However, this rising ENDS usage pattern presents many difficulties for public health
in the United States. According to a systematic study, nearly all teenagers are aware of e-
cigarettes, indicating widespread knowledge of ENDS among middle and high school
students. Another emerging evidence suggests that switching to traditional tobacco usage is
more likely among those who use ENDS. ENDS is a gateway to smoking for many young
people who would not otherwise start using combustible tobacco(Franck et al.2014). The
rising popularity of ENDS has the potential to introduce nicotine addiction to a new
generation of young people, which might renormalize smoking in society and therefore erode
the public health achievements of the previous half-century.
Additionally, there has been a rise in the use of ENDS among marginalized groups,
such as individuals with mental illness and people of colour. According to research by
Forman-Hoffman et al., 56.4% of all cigarettes smoked in the US are smoked by persons with
mental health issues(Caponnetto et al.2011). About half of all fatalities among those
receiving mental health care are attributable to smoking-related disorders, making this
population especially vulnerable to tobacco's negative effects. At the same time, new research
suggests that adults in the United States who are experiencing mental health issues are
vulnerable to trying e-cigarettes; one study found that ex-smokers in the mental health system
were six times more likely to be interested in trying e-cigarettes than those without mental
health issues.
Several concerns have been expressed by those opposed to regulations that would
outlaw the use of these devices in enclosed public spaces. First, critics say there is
5
insufficient proof that being around someone using one of these devices inside can hurt them.
Many critics point to research showing almost minimal danger. In addition, limiting access to
these products may discourage individuals from engaging in "harm reduction" by switching
from traditional cigarettes to ENDS. Some people are opposed to vaping devices because of
the high cost of the equipment. In contrast, others believe that those who want to transition
from traditional cigarettes should be able to try out the devices in a retail location. Opponents
also wonder whether the risks to children from seeing this conduct modeled are sufficient to
justify a ban on their usage in public buildings.
The policy mentioned above should be enacted so the general public can be protected
from potential health risks associated with ENDS. Given the lack of definitive data on
electronic cigarettes' safety and effectiveness as smoking cessation aids, it is essential to set
realistic risk limits based on an ongoing evaluation of the benefits and risks. Their popularity
in the consumer market has skyrocketed, but an ethical framework to govern how they should
be used has yet to catch up. In their capacity as tobacco harm reduction devices, e-cigarettes
may significantly impact public health, according to the available data. In clinical practice,
doctors have a moral obligation to provide patients with balanced risk assessments based on
scientific data so that they may make educated decisions about whether or not to smoke.
When it comes down to it, the goal of the smoking cessation strategy should be to enhance
public health, which will entail certain compromises in the form of harm reduction. To craft a
policy that respects individual agency while safeguarding societal health, it is necessary to be
open to compromising with utilitarians and liberals. Even if it is essential to proceed with
prudence in this area, it should be clear from the moral need to learn more about the product's
capabilities.
6
References
Caponnetto, P., Cibella, F., Mancuso, S., Campagna, D., Arcidiacono, G., & Polosa, R.
(2011). Effect of a nicotine-free inhalator as part of a smoking-cessation
programme. European Respiratory Journal, 38(5), 1005-1011.
https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/5/1005.short
Franck, C., Budlovsky, T., Windle, S. B., Filion, K. B., & Eisenberg, M. J. (2014). Electronic
cigarettes in North America: history, use, and implications for smoking
cessation. Circulation, 129(19), 1945-1952.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.006416
Grana, R., Benowitz, N., & Glantz, S. A. (2014). E-cigarettes: a scientific
review. Circulation, 129(19), 1972-1986.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/circulationaha.114.007667
Linn, M. W., & Stein, S. (1985). Reasons for smoking among extremely heavy
smokers. Addictive behaviours, 10(2), 197-201.
Roberts, M. J., & Reich, M. R. (2002). Ethical analysis in public health. The
Lancet, 359(9311), 1055-1059.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673602080972
Rostron, B. L., Chang, C. M., & Pechacek, T. F. Estimation of cigarette smoking-attributable
morbidity in the United States [published online October 13, 2014]. JAMA Intern
Med.doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5219.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). The health consequences of
smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General.
https://aahb.org/Resources/Pictures/Meetings/2014-
Charleston/PPT%20Presentations/Sunday%20Welcome/Abrams.AAHB.3.13.v1.o.pdf
Nursing Essay Mill – Sample Research Paper on Ethical analysis of the proposed Policies for Restricting the Use of ENDS. Nursing essay writing service – Essay Homework Help.
