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California state senator Mark Leno is pressing hard against the electronic cigarette industry, and it appears he believes the worst people are saying about vaping. As part of a push to ban indoor vaping and sales to minors, Leno said hundreds of thousands would die from e-cig use.

According to an article covering a new bill proposed in California, 121 American cities now ban e-cig and vapor device use in public spaces. Thus far, no place seeking or implementing these bans has provided compelling evidence that it was necessary. General arguments include protection from secondhand e-cig vapor, preventing smoking initiation through the “gateway” of vaping, and avoiding the loss of gains made in anti-smoking efforts.

However, studies suggest that there is no harm caused by secondhand vapor (which dissipates in 20 second rather than smoke’s 20 minutes). Market evidence also suggests that electronic cigarettes lead to less smoking and may actually prevent wouldbe smokers from starting. Lastly, it appears that in the absence of a real alternative, reduction of population smoking rates below 20% is nearly impossible.

Leno has been listening to all the naysayers though. His comments surrounding the need for the new bill are some of the most extreme I’ve seen.

“Whether you get people hooked on e-cigarettes or regular cigarettes, it’s nicotine addiction and it kills,” said Leno. “We’re going to see hundreds of thousands of family members and friends die from e-cigarette use just like we did from traditional tobacco use.”

There is so much wrong with this statement alone. Nicotine only kills in amounts so large that no smoker or electronic cigarette user could consume a lethal dose under normal circumstances. The liquid in electronic cigarettes has already been found to have toxicity less than that of dish soap.

As for the hundreds of thousands that will die at the hands of this those selling electronic cigarettes, the scoreboard currently marks in favor of e-cigs. One expert calculates that between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals have saved themselves from death by smoking already with the help of e-cigs and vapor products.

Education and information is a powerful tool in the debate over electronic cigarettes and vapor products. It appears Leno has neither.