ACSH staffers were (almost) speechless when we found out that the New Jersey State Senate voted unanimously to restrict the use of e-cigarettes as though they were equivalent to standard, life-threatening cigarettes.
"This is a big step in the wrong direction," says ACSH's Jeff Stier, "because while there are no controlled studies yet, we know that many smokers are successfully using e-cigarettes to quit smoking cigarettes. And to treat e-cigarettes as if they are as dangerous as cigarettes is a huge leap based on no data whatsoever."
"There is nothing worse than ignorance in action," says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. "We're talking about the release of what is essentially water vapor in public places. There are no harmful chemicals involved."
The activist group Action on Smoking and Health is thrilled by the news of the ban, since they labor under the delusion that nicotine in the vapor from e-cigarettes can cause heart attacks.
"Nicotine, which is highly unlikely to be present in the vapor anyway, does not cause heart disease," says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross. "This group is worse than those who buy into the claims of homeopathy, since they've managed to impact legislation."