Friday, January 10, 2014
The University of California Irvine will allow students and staff to puff
electronic cigarettes and chew tobacco on campus, despite a university-wide ban
that took effect in early January. According to a UC press release, the new
policy is committed to cutting tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that produce nicotine-infused chemical vapors. They are commonly shaped like cigarettes.
According to the UCI spokesperson Tom Vasich, e-cigarettes emit vapors and not smoke. When no more scientific evidence is available that shows e-cigarettes are unhealthy, and that the vapor is unhealthy to others, the campus can further address the smoking issue.
He stressed that each campus was given the autonomy to come up with its own policies. If a student is able to end a difficult nicotine addiction with the use of an electronic cigarette, that will be great.
