FDA no go on E-CIGs

[foghorn]

full article here: E-Cigarettes Pose a Health Hazard, FDA Warns - US News and World Report


WEDNESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Testing of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, has shown that they contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, including a compound used in antifreeze, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.

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E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals. "The device turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, into a vapor that is inhaled," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

And these products could encourage smoking, the agency warned.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, FDA's principal deputy commissioner, said in a news conference Wednesday that "public health experts, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society, have expressed concerns about the safety of these products and the risk that electronic cigarettes may increase nicotine addiction among young people and ultimately lead kids to try conventional cigarettes."

The FDA analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two brands of electronic cigarettes marketed by U.S. companies: NJOY, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Florida-based Smoking Everywhere, according to Benjamin Westenberger, deputy director of the pharmaceutical analysis division at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, part of the FDA.

Although e-cigarettes are sold in the United States, they are manufactured overseas, mostly in China.

In one sample, analyses detected diethylene glycol, an antifreeze component. In several other samples, analysts found carcinogens, including nitrosamines, Westenberger noted.

"All of these results indicate an overall lack of quality control," he said. "These results indicate that these e-cigarettes could have safety and quality concerns."

The American Lung Association said that it supports the FDA's concerns. "For too long, e-cigarette manufacturers have sold these nicotine delivery devices -- absent FDA review and approval," the association said in a statement Wednesday. "These findings indicate FDA is serious about enforcing the law to protect consumers from unapproved products."

The lung association statement said that the group "urges the FDA to act immediately to halt the sale and distribution of all e-cigarettes unless the products have been reviewed and approved for sale by the FDA."

In addition to the testing, the FDA said it has been examining and detaining shipments of e-cigarettes at the border. So far, 50 shipments have been seized, according to Michael Levy, division director of the Office of Compliance at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

But the battle over whether e-cigarettes are legal is just getting starting. The FDA contends that e-cigarettes are both a drug and a device, making them subject to U.S. government regulation under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. However, one of the companies that markets e-cigarettes, Smoking Everywhere, filed suit against the FDA in late April, claiming that the agency overstepped its authority by banning shipments and insisting that e-cigarettes go through the drug approval process, FDA officials said during the news conference.

A big concern of health experts is that e-cigarettes are marketed and sold to young people. The devices are available online and in shopping malls and could be a gateway to smoking actual cigarettes, they noted.

"It looks like a cigarette, and it's used like a cigarette," Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' tobacco consortium, said during the news conference. "It's marketed as a cigarette, and thus has the potential to normalize and cue smoking behavior."

Winickoff noted that cartridges for e-cigarettes are available in flavors, including chocolate, mint and bubblegum. "Past experience suggests that these products may be particularly appealing to young people," he said.

"E-cigarettes might encourage children, preteens and young adults to take their first step toward smoking cigarettes," he said.

Representatives of NJOY released a statement Wednesday night defending the company's product.

[zips]

Stupid FDA, ruining everything for all of us.

I hope smoking everywhere wins their suit, and I'll be buying one of their "smoking everywhere gold" e-cigs to help support them.

[louann5840]

It doesn't even make sense or seem logical that they are worried about kids buying e-cigs. Why can't they just regulate so they can only be sold to people 18 and older?


And what does this mean?

"It looks like a cigarette, and it's used like a cigarette," Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' tobacco consortium, said during the news conference. "It's marketed as a cigarette, and thus has the potential to normalize and cue smoking behavior."

NORMALIZE AND CUE? What do these words mean with regard to "smoking behavior"? Nothing I ever heard of. Why don't they speak english? Why can't they use wording that people understand? NORMALIZE AND CUE? Come on, now!!


"Winickoff noted that cartridges for e-cigarettes are available in flavors, including chocolate, mint and bubblegum. "Past experience suggests that these products may be particularly appealing to young people," he said."

Again, what is meant by this? Young people LIKE chocolate, mint, and bubblegum. They may think they will like these flavored e-cigs. But any e smoker will tell you, the flavors are NOTHING like the e-cigs. Eating chocolate is nothing like smoking a chocolate flavored e-cig. So, they may appeal to young people to go and buy, but it's NOT an attraction to take up a habit of e-smoking. It's NOT going to alter thier life choices, no matter how young or immature. I don't think young people will enjoy e-cigs unless they are already a smoker. DOES ANYONE here know of ANYONE who started smoking with e-cigs only? I don't. I haven't heard of anyone.

The most COMMON attraction is for people who already smoke and want to give up the tar and other chemicals, and not have the harmfull effects of regular cigarettes. The only people who want to get rid of those harmfull effects are regular smokers.

I know an 80 year old woman who started smoking when she was 7 years old. She and millions of people would not have COPD (which KILLS) if she had started with e-cigs. If regular cigarettes are worse, how can we outlaw the least harmfull one? I mean WTF are we talking about here?

JMHO
Lou

[smokinsimon]

Stupid FDA, ruining everything for all of us.

I hope smoking everywhere wins their suit, and I'll be buying one of their "smoking everywhere gold" e-cigs to help support them.

SE was the one with the DEG contaminated 555 flavored liquid. Just sayin.

[paladinx]

Ahhhh, it is a bunch of crap. And people who have seen me post know I am skeptical about e-smoking and all of that, but lets face it. The FDA probably sees the E-cig as a threat. They are in cahoots with the big pharma companies and want to ensure that the sales of patches and gums stays steady.

And about luring in kids. I am so sick and tired of hearing about that crap. Like OOHHH.. e-cigs come in cherry flavor,, THE CHILDREN!! What a bunch of fn bullcrap. Alcoholic drinks come in fruity fun flavors too. How come no one is saying that is luring in kids to drink. Alcohol as a drug, is actually the number 1 killer of teenagers and young adults. Why not ban alcohol as well?

[Angela]

Wow! I have to say you have surprised me here paladinx!

[LaceyUnderall]

Wow! The comments are fabulous and I must say... there is a lot of information in them.

Comments are so impactful because writers A: Get hard-ons for the fact they were read (well... in whatever fashion they can based on gender) and B: It causes the higher powers (Editors) to sit back and take note of all the response and for us, this is good because it means that those involved, the writer and the editor may dig a little bit more and do a follow up story.

Wonderful People! Simply wonderful what everyone has done there!

US News and World Report is an excellent source to get attention from!

[zazz]

regarding the flavors. look at the smokeless tobacco industry. skoal and other companies have a ridiculous variety of flavors, but the FDA doent have their panties in a wad over that. and smokeless tobacco is VERY common among kids. does anyone know if the bill on flavored tobacco applies to smokeless? because theres gonna be a lot of angry people if they cant get their skoal cherry, or peach or whatever other flavors they have.

[LaceyUnderall]

regarding the flavors. look at the smokeless tobacco industry. skoal and other companies have a ridiculous variety of flavors, but the FDA doent have their panties in a wad over that. and smokeless tobacco is VERY common among kids. does anyone know if the bill on flavored tobacco applies to smokeless? because theres gonna be a lot of angry people if they cant get their skoal cherry, or peach or whatever other flavors they have.

forget the tobacco industry... look at the liquor industry! whew! that's a fruit party in itself!

[OutWest]

and the sexual lubricant and condoms and edible underwear - all available in fruit and candy flavors OMG!

and as for the "labeling ADULTS ONLY" is marketing to kids - I guess strip clubs and bars are marketing to kids, for the signs on the door say "Adults Only" and alcohol is for kids since the liqour store has same sort of sign on the door. And porn, OMG, porn is being marketed to kids!!! <#include sarcasm.h>