New report who

[ric]

I understand that the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative receives much of its funding from the very pharmaceutical companies who produce the "legitimate" nicotine replacement therapy's. I therefore take this propaganda release with a large pinch of salt.

Its also convenient that only the pharmaceutical companies have the funds to carry out the required research to make the E Cigarette "legitimate". I eagerly await the release of a "WHO Certified" GlaxoSmithkline E Cig!

[iamzippy]

I tried the horrendous nicotine-replacement gum treatment 15 years ago. It kept me off the weed for like 6 months. Trouble is, I could not kick the gum habit. So I lapsed, and here I still am.
What worries me is that in the absence of a clearly prescribed applicative use, these e-cig delivery systems are likely to fall into the same classification as chillums, bongs and crack pipes. The opportunity for that is right there.
It was a government-approved tax-payable regime that allowed me, even encouraged me, to become an addict.
For whom the bell tolls.

[Kimmiegrif]

I quit smoking cigarettes by using electronic cigarettes. I use low and no nicotine mostly and I am proof they can be used to quit smoking cigarettes and stopping nicotine addiction. Now...what we need is really good testing done in the US that shows the ingestion of PG is not harmful. Does anyone know if that is being done? I don't like seeing WHOs statement plastered all over the internet and different media misquoting WHO's statement using headlines that imply or blatantly state e cigs are toxic or do not help those that want to stop smoking!

[Kimmiegrif]

Just a Newbies idea...What do ya think?

I found this on the internet and emailed the WHO people mentioned below to tell them that I have stopped smoking with the help of electronic cigs. I would imagine if their are any others that have quit smoking cigarettes and ecigs have helped, they should email these people too.


Here's what I found online:

The WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation is scheduled to address the electronic cigarette, among other topics, 12-14 November 2008 in Durban, South Africa. Convened by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, its mandate is to advise her on scientifically sound and evidence-based recommendations to the Member States about tobacco product regulation.

For more information please contact:

Timothy A. O'Leary
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 5539
Mobile: +41 79 516 5601
E-mail: olearyt@who.int

Stéfanie Laniel
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 1018
Mobile: +41 79 475 5524
E-mail: laniels@who.int

[Ruby]

Don't know if it would help much but maybe if we create an anecdotal list somewhere on site and then e-mail it to them? There is always more power in numbers. At worst they will ignore us at best they might decide to be more benevolent and do proper tests?

[Kate]

Don't know if it would help much but maybe if we create an anecdotal list somewhere on site and then e-mail it to them? There is always more power in numbers. At worst they will ignore us at best they might decide to be more benevolent and do proper tests?

The 'quitting with the e-cigarette' board probably qualifies as an anecdotal list - Quitting with the E-Cigarette - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat

Welcome to the forum Kimmie.

[TropicalBob]

The World Health Organization is advisory. It makes recommends on health matters to more than 160 nations around the world. Its impact is serious! And it does NOT do tests. It evaluates other tests and offers an opinion. What WHO has said is that tests are lacking to show either the safety of e-smoking or its efficacy as a quit-smoking aid.

Tests take time. Lots of time. But it appears WHO is not even aware of the Health New Zealand research that has been underway on e-smoking for almost a year, and has produced two interim reports that raise no red flags. This is NOT a quit-smoking product and will be banned if advertised or sold as one. Do not go that route. It's a harm reduction alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

If WHO becomes aware of Dr. Murray Laugesen's tests in New Zealand, or would contact Dr. Jim Loi in Malaysia, then it might get some scientific evidence that e-smoking is both safe and effective in replacing the known hazards of tobacco smoking.

Forget petitions, pleas and anecdotes. Those will get form-letter replies. Point WHO is the direction of research underway -- and hope WHO sees the light.

[Denni]

Has Dr. Loi actually published anything (peer-reviewed)? I think there may be issues with bias there which may do our cause more harm than good!

[TropicalBob]

E-smoking has not existed long enough for peer-reviewed clinical trial studies. Answer is "no".

[supermig]

Hello to all.
I´ve been reading this forum for a while, since I personnaly bot my first e-cig and that really realised that it helped me a lot to reduce my normal cigarette consumption.

After the WHO article, I decided to call the WHO last Monday.. just to tell them my own personal experience because I think it would be a big step backward to ban it. I spend 30 min on the phone with Stéfanie Laniel
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 1018
Mobile: +41 79 475 5524
E-mail: laniels@who.int

She thanked me for my call/contribution and suggested me to call the WHO' s doctor specialised in toxicity matters and also another contact of the person specially in charge of the e-cig dossier.
I think we could have certain impact if we all email them (or call)... If anybody wants the contacts (doctor and the second person), let me know. Maybe one doctor that is currently doing tests could be the right person to call them.
I did not called them yet because my english is not my 1st language. I spoke to stephanie Laniel (French-speaking).
She confirmed me that they have nothing against it, but they do not like the lack of historial, and also the opacity surrounding the manufacturing of the e-liquid, being the vast majority of liquid produced in china... Also, they are upset because many websites say that it is recommended by the WHO... etc. etc...

I hope my message helps you. At the end we might all have to group in an association to finance tests... a european association of users ready to invest some € together. We are very numerous interested to get these stuff recognised !