The U.S. Navy announced Friday that it is banning the use of e-cigarettes from its fleet beginning next month as a way to protect its employees and equipment from exploding batteries.
Various reports have surfaced about battery explosions from e-cigarettes, which heat a liquid nicotine solution that turns into a vapor users can inhale.
Sailors have reportedly been harmed by the devices, and injuries range from first- and second-degree burns, as well as facial disfigurement, either while vaping or accidentally touching them against a metal object.
Beginning May 14, the devices will be banned from ships, submarines, aircraft and heavy equipment. The policy will apply to both military personnel and civilians, regardless of whether they are working or visiting a vessel.
The Navy said it was implementing the policy in order to protect its workers’ safety and to protect its vessels and equipment, and although it said it would conduct an analysis on the policy, it did not provide a timetable for determination.
Smoking is a bigger issue in the military than in the civilian world, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website. “Cigarette smoking prevalence is even higher among military personnel who have been deployed,” the report said.
The e-cigarette industry has been facing increasing scrutiny over its devices, and the Food and Drug Administration has undertaken their regulation in a similar way as other tobacco products. The industry has said that its devices have been a crucial player in reducing Americans’ use of traditional cigarettes.
The American Vaping Association, which represents the e-cigarette industry, told The Virginian-Pilot that the devices pose no more of a fire risk than other products that use lithium-ion batteries, including cellphones or laptops.
“It is a shame that the Navy made this move without consulting active duty personnel or consumer advocates, as there are many ways this issue could have been addressed without resorting to a blanket prohibition that will only serve to discourage current tobacco users from quitting,” Gregory Conley, president of the association, said in an email to The Virginian-Pilot.
Sailors will still be allowed to use e-cigarettes when they reach the shore, but are instructed to do so in designated smoking areas.
