Local institutions stubbing out e-cigarette use on their grounds

Lindsey Mayes, the hospital’s marketing manager, said the decision to include e-cigarettes in its tobacco policy stems from the uncertainty that exists about the health risks they may pose.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t issued an opinion on the use of e-cigarettes, although some health experts argue the risks are fewer than with traditional tobacco products and that they can lead to total cessation.

Others, however, argue they are just as bad as carcinogen-loaded cigarettes.

“There’s just not enough research at this point into e-cigarettes for us to feel comfortable allowing them on our campus,” Mayes said. “We have to make sure that we are keeping all of our patients and employees safe, so we’ve taken a blanket approach.”

The hospital has always been a smoke-free campus, and Mayes said the recent decision to prohibit employees from smoking in their cars has less to do with visitor health than it does with encouraging employees who do smoke to quit.

In a press release announcing the change, officials cited the American Cancer Society's argument that a total non-smoking environment creates an incentive for employees to quit.

As a part of the change, the hospital is offering free smoking cessation classes and tools to those who want to stop.

“This is a push toward keeping our employees healthy,” Mayes said. “And we’ll do whatever we can to assist them in that.”

Vincennes University last week also amended its campus tobacco policy to include e-cigarettes. Its old policy prohibited all tobacco use except in designated areas on campus.

This new policy, according to Lynn White, VU’s assistant provost, adds e-cigarettes to the list.

“Last week we provided information to the board on what is definitely a hot topic across the United States,” she said. “All we did was include e-cigarettes to our tobacco policy, meaning we consider them to be cigarettes, and they can only be used in our designated areas.”

White said should the FDA come forward and declare them a much safer alternative to cigarettes, it’s likely the board would reconsider its action.

“If we knew for certain that it was a safer product, then yes, we would re-evaluate,” she said.

Greg Parsley, superintendent of the Vincennes Community School Corp., is also adding language to Lincoln High School’s new handbook that would, upon board approval, include e-cigarettes in its tobacco policy.

“We already have an anti-tobacco policy in place,” he said. “This is just a simple add-in of the e-cigarettes. They will be prohibited everywhere on VCSC property, including extracurricular sites like Inman Field.

"And kids will not be able to use them in their cars either," Parsley said. "They are completely prohibited on school grounds.”

Parsley said more and more school corporations are taking action to include e-cigarettes in their tobacco policies because so many questions still remain.

He called it a “phenomenon.”

“We simply do not know the health risks associated with them yet,” he said of the products. “And it’s simply our belief that any form of smoking goes against the environment we are trying to provide when it comes to education. We see it as being in our best interest to do this.”

The electronic cigarette was first introduced into the Chinese market in 2004 then received an international patent in 2007. They hit the U.S. market hard the next year, and sales have grown steadily since.

The device is meant to be a substitute for regular tobacco smoking. It uses a heating element — which comes with a rechargeable battery — to heat up and vaporize a liquid solution. Some release nicotine while others merely offer flavored vapor. And there are dozens of flavors to choose from.

They’re designed to mimic the usual smoking pattern, both in use and in appearance.

Vincennes now has two retail stores, both downtown, that sell e-cigarettes.