Kyle August, Reporter
Last fall, debate surrounded the topic of electronic cigarettes and whether or not vaping was subject to the same regulations as cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Last year on Nov. 17, the ACC board of trustees voted to expand the college’s smoke-free policy to prohibit nicotine vapor products. This ban, which also includes smoke-free tobacco products, went into effect Jan. 5 of this year.
“We want to maintain a healthy and safe environment for our students and employees,” Dr. Mary Hensley, ACC Executive Vice President of Operations, said.
This new restriction has sparked controversy, and many students argue that school officials lack any real supporting evidence that vapor smoke is harmful. Collin Hayes, a student at the Northridge campus, believes the ban is too harsh.
“[Tobacco smoke and vapor smoke] are two completely different substances,” Hayes said. “I feel it’s more of a moral attack”.
In the ACC online Newsroom, students criticize the ban as being imposed without any sort of consensus or representation.
Accent sought to capture differing viewpoints on this topic, but the few students who seemed to be in favor of the ban chose not to go on record with their opinions.
There is not enough data to determine whether there is any risk associated with secondhand nicotine exposure, but scientists have confirmed there are no combustion related toxins present in vapor. Electronic cigarettes are most often used as smoking-cessation tools, and can help reduce the risk of relapse and tobacco related death. Vaping is, however, a relatively new trend; the long term effects remain unknown.
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