E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices used to inhale nicotine and other chemicals. Many Minnesota communities have restricted their sale and use, and state lawmakers have proposed adding them to the Freedom to Breathe Act.
We don’t know the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes, but nicotine in any form is addictive and can harm the adolescent brain. Flavored tobacco products greatly appeal to kids, and exposure to ads is related to student e-cigarette use. We need to make sure that kids don’t use e-cigarettes and that our indoor air stays clean.
A poll funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in February of 2014 found that Minnesotans strongly support including e-cigarettes in policies that restrict smoking in public places. Seventy-nine percent said they support prohibiting e-cigarette use in places where smoking is already banned. The poll also found that 98 percent of Minnesotans support prohibiting e-cigarette sales to minors, and 87 percent feel e-cigarettes should be kept behind the counter in stores.
Fact sheet: E-cigarette policy poll