Ever since I was in elementary school I knew smoking was bad for you. My school would always bring in actors who put on plays about how bad smoking is for you and they would watch several movies about the effects of smoking.

That’s what confuses me about smokers because I’m sure my little school in Grays Harbor wasn’t the only school preaching about the effects of smoking, so they should know when they start what they are doing to themselves.

Lately a rumor has been floating around the these fancy new E-Cigs and Smart Smokes are better for you to smoke.

Well unfortunately whoever started that rumor was terribly wrong. According to medicine news today, the health section in how stuff works, and even forbes websites the studies to prove that e-cigs are healthier haven’t been conducted yet.

So we as far as I’m concerned e-cigs are just as bad for you. So why get an e-cig over a normal box of cigarettes. Because they’re easy to hide.

SFCC has a strict no smoking policy. There are only a few designated areas for smoking and all are on the perimeter of campus which is out of their way if they have to get to another class.

Thats why I feel E-Cigs have become popular.

E-Cigs and other electronic cigarettes are easy to hide. Students can walk around the campus puffing on their E-Cigs and then when they see security it’s as simple as putting it in your pocket. Something you can’t do with a burning cigarette.

In my two years on staff I have seen several staff members take puffs on their e-cigs in class. I have seen my co workers at work take a quick puff in the break room. Hell look over at the news page to your left. Thats a student taking a puff in the cafeteria.

Even if the school was a tobacco free campus there will always be students who will break the rules. Whether they sneak in a puff on their e-cig in class or walk around campus smoking a traditional cigarette. Students will pay a $10 fine and not think anything of it.

At the end of the day, a smoker is going to smoke and e-cigs just made it a lot more convenient to smoke wherever you want.

So lets all rise and give  round of applause to Herbert Gilbert the man who first brought the non-tobacco cigarette to the table in 1963. 50 years later your invention still smells and bothers millions.