As health officials both locally and nationally sound a louder alarm about the dangers of vaping, shop owners say the outcry is overblown and the benefits are underreported.
Marvin “JJ” Scroggins manages Vapor 100 in Emporia and several other vape shops across the Central Plains. The former smoker and tobacco chewer tells KVOE News vaping can be an effective and safe way to wean off smoking, and he used himself as an example.
Health officials, including a trio of local officials on KVOE’s Talk of Emporia this month, disagree with Scroggins, saying the list of ingredients may be shorter but the list can still be just as damaging as cigarettes — especially because they are inhaled instead of ingested. Here’s Newman Regional Health nurse Tammy Patterson:
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says two people in Kansas — a man and woman, both over age 50, both with underlying health issues — have died because of vaping. It also says there are seven other probable or confirmed cases of vape-related severe lung issues in Kansas. Nationwide, health officials say 13 people have now died and there are around 800 confirmed or probable lung disease cases linked to vaping over the past few months. Flint Hills Community Health Center Medical Director Dr. James Fast called the situation a medical crisis.
Scroggins, meanwhile, said a money shift — connected to a user shift — is the real reason for the talk about an epidemic.
Locally, Healthier Lyon County spokesperson Teresa Briggs says there could be changes to Emporia’s smoking ordinance to restrict vaping in the same way smoking was limited 10 years ago, although the City Commission has not addressed the topic so far this year.
Scroggins says restricting vaping may not have an initial impact on his business but there could well be some negative effect down the road.
The leading manufacturer of vaping products, Juul, says over 1 million smokers have moved away from cigarettes through its offerings — but it has been hit with a host of lawsuits claiming the company targets youngsters with flavored nicotine items. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have started an investigation into the vaping industry.
