Fine overview article

[TropicalBob]

Sherid found this article in New Scientist, and it's a fine overview of e-smoking. He posted a link in the Chicago Tribune thread, but I think it needs highlighting with its own thread. This is a good intro for anyone relatively new to e-smoking:

Electronic cigarettes: A safe substitute? - health - 11 February 2009 - New Scientist

[sixstring]

my comment to the article:

Finally! A Well Thought Out Article.

Wed Feb 11 21:28:30 GMT 2009 by sixstring

It's refreshing to read an article from a non-smoker that does not damn these devices outright from a position of ignorance. This is the one of the VERY few well researched and well balanced pieces I've managed to find. I've personally managed to cut way down on the "real" cigarettes I smoke, I feel better, and I thank you for giving these a fair review.

[surbitonPete]

That is a great article TBob......a good unbiased report.

[Sun Vaporer]

Good find on this article. The statement that:

"The WHO's Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) convened at the international conference on tobacco control in South Africa in November 2008 to consider the fate of e-cigarettes. Although their conclusions will not be published until September, New Scientist understands their advice to national departments of health will include proposing stricter regulations on their sale and manufacture: for example, that they should only be sold in pharmacies."

Well that makes no logical sense from WHO--are they talking about needed a presciption.......?

and this statment:

"Peter Hajek, a clinical psychologist and director of the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at the Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK, agrees. "Banning an alternative nicotine delivery device without any reason to believe that it has a potential for harm does not make much sense to me," he says. "It could have a role in harm reduction and smoking cessation and thus be of public health benefit."

is a very good point. Sun

[surbitonPete]

The great thing in our favour seems to be that a lot of intelligent and influential people are actually going to be able to see the potential health benefits of allowing E-cigs and will be arguing on our side.

[dc2k08]

That article was very well researched. I'm wondering if I'll be able to get in to hear that meeting in Dublin that Dr Laugesen has submitted a report to.

[Tallulah]

Thank you for this link. We need all the support from the scientific community we can get, in hopes to counter all the nanny-state-zealotrous-tax-profit-whores out there!

[GoldenP51]

Nice article...I would like to see everyone comment on it at their site to show our support for a good unbiased review (I did)!

Jon

[katink]

"All pointers so far show the device is safe," Laugesen claims. "Whether it will be a successful smoking cessation device in the future depends on whether governments wrap it in cotton-wool regulations or allow smokers to buy it with a modicum of reasonable safety checks."

This I find to be another quite important statement, very good it's in this article. Indeed, the 'how' of the outcome once governments really get their hands on the e-devices will só much influence the outcome of just how big of a success this will be in terms of using it successfully to get off tobacco (and perhaps off nicotine)...

We DO need freedom (up to a point, but further then governments will see fit unless they get educated very well on the subject) as to which devices will be available, how they look, where and how they can be bought, the possibility to 'muck around with them' (yes, I know that is controversial... but I am pretty much convinced this is an important step in the possibility to let go of tobacco-cigs...), a good range of flavors, a good range of strengths and the freedom to use them as the user feels is needed; and more... all these things are factors of the success of vaping; and each that will be taken away will lower any reachable successrate.

They can retain 90% of the success it is now... or they can see to it that it will be no more successful then the patches and gums with their very high relapse-numbers (and low numbers on the 'thats what I want to try'-scale). It's not about 'just as long as they get through, never mind how'... the how is very important too, and I am very happy to see that at least Dr. Laugesson does seem to see and emphasize that.

[dc2k08]

Well doesn't look like I'll be going to that meeting on Nicotine and Tobacco research that Dr Laugesen submitted his results to. They want 500 bones to register. shucks, seems like it would be interesting. wonder if I could wangle my way in somehow.