Banning the Use of Electronic Cigarettes?

One would think that a product that many users attest helped them get rid of their addiction would be lauded by the government and various medical organizations. However, in the case of electronic cigarettes, that is not what happened. In fact, it can be said that the opposite happened as the US Food and Drug Administration banned the importation of this product and wants to regulate the use of it heavily. The FDA is also saying that smokers should stay away from e-cigarettes because it contains traces of toxins and other carcinogenic substances.

The American Medical Association, in its Annual Meeting last year, adopted a policy saying that the use of the device should be restricted. They even say that e-cigarettes that are not approved by the FDA should not be sold to the public. There are also legislatures from different States that ban, restrict, or limit the sale of these devices.

Admittedly, electronic cigarettes should not be sold to minors because they contain nicotine, which can be addictive. However, it is also a fact that a significant number of regular cigarette smokers claim that e-cigarettes helped them a lot in reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke in a day. If State regulations and the FDA banned these devices, should smokers return or continue smoking the real thing, and subject themselves to the many substances that may cause cancer and other diseases?

If it is indeed true that some (“some” because the FDA only tested two e-cigarette brands that they found to contain minute traces of toxic substances) of these devices are not particularly safe, isn’t it a case of choosing between two lesser evils? Or in the case of electronic cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes, choosing between a man that sinned and the devil, himself, the devil being the tobacco cigarette.