So a new debate is going around this country and no it doesn’t involve a war or who we should bomb. It revolves around cigarettes or to be more precise E-cigarettes. This isn’t something that is only being debated on facebook or on the floors of congress—although at times it is hard to distinguish the two, but it is being debated right here on our campus.

Recently a group of people during a busy lunch/dinner period of hour school gave out free food while simultaneously telling you that E-cigarettes are bad for you and are just as bad as traditional forms of cigarettes. And they urged you, the students of SMSU to sign their petition to ban E-cigarettes on campus.

But should we sign that petition? And are E-cigarettes truly as bad as some people would claim? Well the answer is not entirely clear for either of those questions. But early studies and doctors suggest that E-cigarettes although not the healthiest thing on earth are healthier than traditional forms of tobacco. The director for smoking and health for the C.D.C. (center for disease control) said almost those exact words in an interview.  In a paper published in 2011 two researchers found only tiny elements of cancer causing agents, almost to 1400 time less then what can be found in a traditional cigarette.

Although studies have shown that they may be less harmful those same researches are still calling for longer more lengthy trials before E-cigarettes are classified safe.

So should be ban E-cigarettes? I think it is too early to make that decision, because as recent studies have shown they may be healthier than cigarettes and are a better alternative. And until more research can better determine the overall side effects of E-cigarettes I think it would be too hasty to make a decision.