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Letters | To limit vaping among the youth, evidence of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes is crucial
- Young Hongkongers say the ban on e-cigarettes will not curb the popularity of vaping. Research findings that clearly show the dangers of vaping would be a more effective deterrent
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What is the difference between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes? Is vaporising nicotine better for your lungs than smoking tobacco? Will vaping prove to be the gateway to cigarette smoking? These are some of the questions Hong Kong teenagers are grappling with.
An e-cigarette is an electronic device that vaporises a liquid for the user to inhale. E-cigarettes heat the liquid so that it is dispersed as an aerosol, rather than combusting tobacco. This means the carcinogens and tar found in cigarettes are absent in e-cigarettes.
However, the effects of inhaling this liquid remain a mystery. Because of the uncertainties posed by e-cigarettes, the Hong Kong government drafted a bill earlier this year to recommend a blanket ban on e-cigarettes.
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Recently, there were more than 450 cases of respiratory diseases suspected to be related to the use of e-cigarettes in the United States, causing seven deaths.
At an event hosted by KELY Support Group and Support! International Foundation earlier this year, young Hongkongers discussed the perceptions of e-cigarette use among their peers.
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