A BPA concern with e-smoking?

[TropicalBob]

As we dance on the deck of the Titanic, consider the news stories swirling today about a chemical in recyclable plastic most folks call BPA. Here's the lead from one news story:

"The first large study of humans exposed to a chemical widely used in everyday plastics has found that people with higher levels of bisphenol A had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities."

So, you ask? Well, what are our cartridges made of? What are our vials of liquids made of? Where are our vials made? (Many manufacturers place triangles with numbers inside them on the bottoms of plastic vials -- a 7 means it has BPA -- our e-liquid vials are not stamped at all; check it out).

Another paragraph:

"BPA is the chemical once studied as a synthetic form of estrogen, but more recently known to leach out of some plastic water bottles and baby bottles, and that is found in all kinds of plastic products."

It leaches worst in a heated or acidic environment. Anyone else think it's highly likely that our e-cig devices, vials and liquid containers are made with BPA? And if you want to get a chemical circulating in the body in the fastest way besides direct injection, you ... INHALE IT.

Then what? Another graf:

"BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen and another recent study suggested it may be implicated in metabolic syndrome – a dangerous combination of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and erratic blood sugar levels.

"Earlier studies have also found a link with cancer, growth defects and neurological problems."

Our FDA in America has passed over scientific studies about BPA, saying the stuff is safe in each instance of use (but does accumulate all day from a variety of food sources containing it, everything from pop soda cans to the cardboard your pizza sits on).

But no group of people besides e-smokers are INHALING BPA a hundred times or more every day, putting this chemical on the fast track to the brain. That's assuming BPA is in the vials, the carts, maybe even the filler material in the carts or the wick that heats under the atomizer. Don't expect manufacturers (who are they?) to supply answers to these questions either.

The last paragraph of this news story said it all as to why this is happening:

"Despite more than 100 studies by government-funded scientists and university laboratories that have linked BPA exposure to health effects in animals, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed it safe, largely on the basis of two studies funded by the chemical industry."

As always, follow the money.

[Ruby]

Dayum. Dayum.

Wonder if we can get blood tests to see if it is in our bloodstream?
I get liver enzymes tested regularly - will be watching those to see if I exhibit any changes as a lab rat.

[Kate]

I had some blood taken for a liver function test last week, I'll report back if I get any unusual results.

[TropicalBob]

I had blood drawn Friday and specifically asked that blood PH be tested and results given to me. That's to check on the lactic acidosis possibility. I'm sure there will be no test for BPA, however. I'm a heavy e-smoker and want to know how this is affecting my blood -- but I also follow my lipids and cholesterol every six months. The BPA thing is probably very difficult to ascertain (read: expensive).

I guess the bottom line is we can't say for certain this is safe, or even safer than smoking tobacco. Smoking-related cancers usually take 20 years to develop. How long would it take for BPA to do liver or heart damage? Another unknown .. so we need to stop making unsubstantiated health claims about e-smoking.

As Nike says: Just do it.

[MagusSteele]

Did I miss a memo?
BPA is in Plastic bottles as far as I know.
Are you talking about the carts them selfs?
If so, you dont have to worry about BPA because its an additive to Clear Plexy bottles.
Again, as far as I know

[TropicalBob]

BPA is in far more than clear plastic bottles. I was out earlier this afternoon checking out plastic bottles of all kinds. Turn them over. Look for a triangle. If it says "3" or "7" it's got BPA. If it says "2" it's okay. If it says nothing, don't use it. It's cheap and the manufacturer can't be trusted.

Now look on the bottoms of our liquids' vials. No triangle mark. Look at the cartridges. Plastic. Look at the mouthpiece we suck on. Plastic. This is just another unknown that needs to become a known. If manufacturers wanted to, they could assure us BPA is not used anywhere in our devices.

P.S. The memo said people are stampeding back to glass or metal drinking and food containers.

[MagusSteele]

None of my bottles are plastic, thats why it confused me.
Who is selling juice in plastic? maybe we can request they change to glass?

Sitting for a long time in plastic is when it leaches, and I am not sure what a long time is for plastic? Cool dry place, can be pretty long, in the sun, maybe a few hours.
LArge water jugs can sit up to 3 months, or a few weeks, again it depends. For a 1 ounce bottle? unless its full or something real acidic (pure alcohol, might, but it would eat the bottle first) , it would take a Long time to leach out.

The plastic mouth piece and cart is so small, i wouldnt worry about it. Unless your actually chewing and eating it during use, hehe

The sky is always falling, but nothing ever hits the ground.
Every week something will kill you. Is eggs good or bad this week? (with the bacon from the other thread, I can eat )

The bottle of water you may have drank, in a lot of cases, has more crap in it to worry more about, then BPA, and sure more then the tiny amounts you may get from these parts.
Now, the baby bottles and food containers, ok, because their system is not developed to deal with it yet.

[dc2k08]

i so think it is a legitimate concern, specifically as was mentioned, we do not know what the cartridge fiber is constructed from and it is heated to a point where it becomes gaseous.

[MagusSteele]

We smoked thousands of cigarettes, some of us just this year, now we are worried what the mouth piece may have come into contact with in the manufacturing process?

I am old enough to remember the PCB scare when i was young. Only cancer I ever heard about was from the land fills where they dumped the transformers they were saveing us from 0_o

I agree that we need to learn as much as we can about the whole E-cig phanominom. Because its not regulated, and because its used as an Inhaler, BUT, thats what makes them good as well, I wont go into the benifits, but the cigarette taxes alone for a month would buy an E-cig in some places.

Its all the nail biteing thats going to get the government to regulate the piss out of these, then we are going to be crying, like we did when they banned smoking from everyplace but your bathroom. (and then Ive heard of ordinances if its a bathroom in an apartment building )

Every other post here of late is that these will kill you in some way shape or form.
And its all based on some flimsy study, or news artical, or someone had a pain in while taking a dump 6 months ago, damn (ok exageration)
One thread is even about how E-smokes cause Flatuence, Sheese 0_o

If you people are that afraid of these, send them to me, I can do a case study to see the long term effects on myself, and Ill let you know in 20 years If its safe or not.

*Sorry Bob if i seem to be highjacking, Its not intended, its just, this thread was a good one for a rant

[karenwest1961]

Every other post here of late is that these will kill you in some way shape or form.
And its all based on some flimsy study, or news artical, or someone had a pain in while taking a dump 6 months ago, damn (ok exageration)
One thread is even about how E-smokes cause Flatuence, Sheese 0_o

It's better not to have your head stuck in the sand. Doesn't matter if the study is flimsy, or somebody farted in Cleveland. This is so new, anything is news. So...if you see a link or have a theory, post it. If it has to do with e-smoking, post the damned thing. That's why this board was created.