Thursday, September 12, new rules restricting the use of e-cigarettes (also known as “vapes”) were put into effect on campus. The Student Affairs office sent out a flyer via e-mail stating that “vaping of any kind is prohibited on campus except in designated smoking areas.” There was some confusion surrounding this announcement when a similar flyer was sent out on September 10 that stated vaping was totally prohibited on campus. However, the information within the new flyer is correct.
These new rules were implemented amid concerns about vaping-related lung diseases. On August 30, The Center for Disease Control made an announcement via its Health Alert Network containing information about the potential dangers of e-cigarette use and warning the public to “consider refraining from using e-cigarette products” while the epidemic is investigated further. Soon after this, the Trump administration informed the public that the “Food and Drug Administration will outline a plan within the coming weeks for removing flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods from the market, excluding tobacco flavors.”
So far, six deaths have been reported among 380 cases of vaping-related pulmonary disease. While no single culprit has been identified, it’s probably best to play it safe and follow the advice offered by the CDC.
student news for Austin College
