These are stressful times, so Dino Baccari wanted to help.

He sees stressed-out people on a daily basis. As owner of White Horse Vapor, he says his stores have seen an increase of business during the coronavirus crisis, including a regular flow of health-care workers and first-responders.

Thursday, White Horse Vapor sent out a news release saying that to show appreciation, store-branded cars would "cruise areas" near hospitals looking for these customers to hand out e-cigs for a nominal $1 charge.

Friday, 90 minutes after an interview with a reporter, Baccari canceled the promotion "for safety reasons."

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Baccari, a 41-year-old Providence resident, says studies show that vaping, when done properly, is a safer alternative to smoking. It’d be safer not to do either, but Baccari said his company’s goal is to help people stop smoking.

Health experts say your body will remain healthier if you do not smoke or vape, especially now with the threat from COVID-19.

"COVID-19 attacks the lungs. Behaviors that weaken the lungs increase individuals’ risk of severe COVID-19 illness," Rhode Island Department of Health spokesman Joseph Wendelken wrote in a response to an interview request. "The harmful impact of smoking on the lungs is well-documented, but there is also a growing body of evidence that e-cigarette use can also harm lung health. If someone smokes or vapes, there has never been a better time than now to quit."

Quitting smoking is what Baccari says he wants people to do. He says vaping could be a way to help.

"We’ve had a surge in business," Baccari said. "Customers feel right now is the best time to quit smoking."

Baccari’s goal is also to run a profitable business. White Horse Vapor has shops across the state — the headquarters are in North Providence — so he’s done that. He says he doesn’t want to sell or push products on someone who doesn’t smoke. He says he’s not looking for first-timers.

"God, no. In order to buy something at White Horse, you must enroll, and the first question we ask is if you’re a smoker," Baccari said. "We’re not seeking the non-smoker. We’ve been running guerrilla tactics for years and the one great part about it is we can identify a smoker. We’ll only approach people who we see smoking a cigarette."

Science backs the idea that vaping is safer than smoking. Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, says as much in a story from the Mayo Clinic News Network.

"Electronic cigarettes are probably safer than cigarettes," he says, "but they are not safe."

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In the story, Hays explains that when you vape, you’re not just inhaling water vapor. You are inhaling "a complex solution of chemicals that have been changed from their original state because they’ve been heated to high temperatures."

"These solutions that are heated by these devices contain nicotine," Hays said. "They also contain a vehicle, typically vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol, and these are common vehicles for ingested substances."

There have been some serious COVID-19 cases among young people. Could vaping, or marijuana use, being playing a role?

There’s no evidence to back the idea, but health officials are concerned.

Dr. Carolyn Dresler, a former associate director of medical and health sciences for the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration, was quoted in The New York Times as saying, "Until I have evidence to believe otherwise, I believe it is critically important for us to help people quit inhaling anything into their lungs that could be causing any type of inflammation, as the coronavirus will only find an inviting environment otherwise."

Baccari is well versed in the medical studies against vaping. He won’t tell you it’s good for you. He will tell you studies say it’s safer than smoking and wants to market his product to people whom the average person might not think smokes.

"This idea that nurses don’t smoke or teachers don’t smoke," he said, "is the biggest misconception."

"Believe it or not, there is not a bone in our body that does not want to eliminate cigarettes in this state forever," Baccari said. "That’s our goal we’re more passionate about."

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