Electronic cigarettes have landed on our shores from factories in China and are being considered a blessing by those who see them as a way to kick their smoking habit in favor of a device that manufacturers say doesn’t create harmful smoke while still giving the sensation of smoking with a nicotine kick. The Food and Drug Administration isn’t as keen on the prospect, and it has banned several shipments of ecigarettes from entering the country until they can figure out whether or not they are safe.

Personally, I find it hard to come to terms with the FDA putting up a fight about ecigarettes until they can prove to be safe, while the FDA is now in charge of regulating real cigarettes, which everyone knows are not safe at all. My guess is this is more about regulation and tax money than safety, as ecigarettes currently fly under the radar of massive state and federal tobacco taxes.

In our poll of 4, 611 Americans, we found that about half have heard about ecigarettes, but far fewer (16%) say they would ever try them. In contrast, a plurality (47%) say they think electronic smokes should be made available to people trying to kick the habit, much like patches and gum, and a majority says they should be regulated by the FDA (59%).�
Deep inside the statistics however is some hefty ammunition for those who may be interested in trying to ban the devices all together, as First Globals™ age 18-29 (25%) are the most likely age group to say they would try an electronic cigarette if given the chance, compared to just 15% of those age 30-64 and 8% of those 65 and older who say the same. First Globals™ (57%) are also the most likely group to say ecigarettes should be an option for people in their efforts to quit, and they are also the most likely age group to say ecigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is now prohibited (46%)

Do you think ecigarettes should be regulated by the FDA? Should they be made available to people trying to quit, and should they be allowed in places where smoking is now prohibited? These are just a few questions starting to pop up now that America is introduced to a new way to enjoy and old vice.

- By Dan DeVries, a Writer/Analyst at Zogby International.  Dan has been with the company for three years.

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Just because Ben Bernanke says the recession is over doesn’t make it so. The chairman of the Federal Reserve may be technically correct that the economy is in recovery, but the average American is not impressed by slight upticks in the indicators.

The disconnect is enormous between Wall Street–where stock prices have improved and banks are prospering again and paying big bonuses–and Main Street, where unemployment levels frighten even those with jobs and discourage consumers from buying and going into further debt.

Read the rest of John Zogby’s column at Forbes.com, where he looks at the political ramifications of the economy and why “green” and high-tech jobs are good themes for politicians.

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