Public Health Research Question: Are E-cigarettes Addictive?

Statement of Problem

From old-fashioned pipes to the black-marketed Cuban cigars, smoking has had a strong grasp on the denizens of our society. Our government and many other governments around the world have worked around the clock for decades in order to ban and regulate cigarette production and smoking. Unfortunately, this tight regulation is a double-edged sword; for cigarette companies always think of something new to bring to the table in order to make a profit. Their new marketing technique? E-cigarettes. E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are devices that have a conventional cigarette shape that releases a dose of nicotine vapor through a heating process(X). E-cigarettes were first created in China in 2003, and now they are being marketed around the world as a safe alternative to cigarettes, though it still contains unknown doses of carcinogenic nicotine1. It has gained insurmountable popularity over the years, and a lack of strong governmental regulation has only added fuel to the fire. E-cigarettes are even gaining popularity among non-smokers because many see it as “fashionable” and “good-tasting” because of the addition of different flavors to the vapors1. The percentage of cigarette smokers has sharply declined in teenagers and adults. Studies show that there are 2.5 million Although a decline has been noted, these numbers could jump back up because of the use of electronic cigarettes.

Nonetheless, the sales of electronic cigarettes continue to grow to this day, and still grow because of a continuous lack of government regulation. There is relentless heated debate among scholars and scientists about the health and behavioral effects that an e-cigarette has on an individual. Some people argue that e-cigarettes h...

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