E-Cigarettes Under Fire--WebMD Article

[OutWest]

Gotta love clueless "experts" *sigh*

edit to add - referring to the so-called experts that were quoted in the article.

[Doostin]

It's funny how no one really has a truly rational reason in their arguments why these should be banned outright. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Isn't nicotine pretty much on par with caffeine in terms of harmful effects? How come people aren't picking on the Nabob man?

[OutWest]

yeah, and caffeine is a psychoactive substance, according to the wiki. Yet the FDA has classified it as GRAS

[strictlybusiness]

Alittle more nico won't hurt anybody

[Hangar]

Hanger--from what I read on the posts--most are trying to cut down and then go to no-nicotine. So to the contrary, I do not see the e-cig "worsening" anybody's addiction.--Sorry, but I simply do not buy that.

Many people are taking the ill-fated postion that all aspects of the e-cig should be examined for "possibly negative effects" that are speculative, like children maybe getting hooked on them because they are "Cool" or the possible further addiction of "nicotine". WELL--how about looking at the e-cig with an eye to real harm reduction when they go under the microsope. Although there is no peer group studies as of yet, there are in fact some studies that suggest the e-cig is safer coupled with some common sense and the fact that there are no negitive studies. --------------Sun

Sun - it could just be that we've each been reading different types of posts...but as a newbie here who has spent the last 3 weeks solidly reading and studying for many hours each day on this forum I can tell you that one of things which immediately pops out at you as a new reader is that you get a sense from what alot of people are saying that they tend to vape more than they ever smoked. Many have cut down on the nic in their liquid so that they feel its safer to vape more often.

I especially notice an increase in young people that seem to be looking at and treating vaping as a hobby of sorts, which i personally find alarming. You cant tell the younger folk here that theyre still hurting themselves by using the nicotine...they simply dont want to hear that because they never want to stop vaping from what ive pseronsally seen thus far. Some adults seem more mature about the matter and have more realistic expectations and smarter intentions and goals when it comes to vaping...but some do not.

Another thing to consider is that it appears to me, through common sense only mind you (ill digress only to scientific/medical proof telling me otherwise), that either our bodies are absorbing the nicotine much faster OR in greater proportions with e-cigs as opposed to real cigs. I've been smoking Lucky Strikes NF and Newports heavily for 31 years now...Luckys are the strongest cigs in the U.S. and possibly the planet and I can attest with no hesitation whatsoever that in those 31 years I have never experienced anything close to the ecig "nic hit"...and NO, i dont vape 36mg...i use 16mg only and take 8-12 drags of it per hour (which are the same amount of drags ive done as a smoker). Your lungs might be feeling better on ecigs but i have a weird feeling that youre heart might not be.

As far as "harm reduction" is concerned...ehhh...to be honest even though i absolutely can see this product having that sort of potential, Im not so confident that the majority of users will have the ability to self discipline themselves in a regiment that will truly allow that...that being said there is surely a percentage of poeple that WILL...and I hope I can be among the latter group, heh.

I think to have these things scientifically accepted as actual harm reduction and especially as a cessation therapy one of thie first things that needs to be changed is that way its packaged. it needs to be packed with a certain amount of carts at so many MG's of nic for so many weeks and included with some sort of printed instructional plan that will slowly ween you off of cigarettes and then finally off of ecigs themselves. This, as a start would be a much more professional and responsible way of marketing it if the industry would ever have a chance at self regulation...which at this point is probably way too late...it should have been manufactured and marketed this way from the very start.

Lastly...i happen to believe through 45 years of life experience that for every 1 person who can act and use ecigs responsibly...there are at least 2 who cannot (without proper supervision or guidance). Most of us here are not pillars in strength when it comes to self discipline...if we WERE then we wouldnt need to be here to begin with.

As a hardened and heavy smoker for so many years (and e-cig supporter) im trying my best to look at this from both sides of the fence is all, because once you get passed all the partisan politics and corruption of it all, any reasonable person can see that there are some valid points on both sides of the issue.

[V-V]

The amount of nicotine per puff via the e-cig is lower than that of a regular cig, considerably so, from what I understand.

[ROB26]

Here is my favorite part of it all...

"It will be easy for kids to get the product," Light tells WebMD. "It could be a way to get kids into the nicotine habit to get them to smoke. It is a ploy."

lmao! YES, YES...DOWN WITH CHILDREN!!! Unbelievable!

I thought e-cig manufacturers were simply creating a product that was in demand, turns out they are planning worldwide domination, starting with the kids!

lol

[Iridium]

Im starting to think that because it looks like smoking, and because it works to help some quit or even smoke less, the medical/political crowd HATES e cigs.

If it was nasty, or gave no pleasure (like say the patch or the various "quit smoking happy pills" as I call them) then they would love it.

The whole gateway drug thing is just a convenient way of scaring everyone into joining the chorus of "ban it now for the children"

[Sun Vaporer]

[quote=Hangar;210143]Sun - it could just be that we've each been reading different types of posts...but as a newbie here who has spent the last 3 weeks solidly reading and studying for many hours each day on this forum I can tell you that one of things which immediately pops out at you as a new reader is that you get a sense from what alot of people are saying that they tend to vape more than they ever smoked.

Yes--vaping-not smoking 4000 chemcials in a Cigarette

I especially notice an increase in young people that seem to be looking at and treating vaping as a hobby of sorts, which i personally find alarming.

So let them go somke cigarettes and ban e-cigs under this theory.

Another thing to consider is that it appears to me, through common sense only mind you (ill digress only to scientific/medical proof telling me otherwise), that either our bodies are absorbing the nicotine much faster OR in greater proportions with e-cigs as opposed to real cigs.

Yes--just like the FDA appoved Nicotine Inhaler

"Your lungs might be feeling better on ecigs but i have a weird feeling that youre heart might not be."

Yes --My lungs feel much better--as well as my heart???

"As far as "harm reduction" is concerned...ehhh...to be honest even though i absolutely can see this product having that sort of potential, Im not so confident that the majority of users will have the ability to self discipline themselves in a regiment that will truly allow that.."

Yes-Vaping is way worse then smoking cigarettes because of self control

With all due respect Hanger, IMO you sound like you should be an advocate for the anti-smokers, but then again you are entitled to your opinion as well---------Sun

[TropicalBob]

Sun, you and I have been on the same side many times, and I respect your posts, but don't throw Hangar to the wolves with a blanket indictment. The article raises legitimate medical questions -- and we have no scientific answers for them. If we did, e-cigs might be well on their way to approval, not a ban.

Please also note an article today from a medical journal saying nicotine itself might trigger mouth cancer. We are saturating our mouths with vaporized nicotine contained in a humectant that gives us dry throats all day. And, no, we have no long-term studies to show if this practice is good or even more dangerous than, say, smoking a pipe.

Practices like this are exactly what the FDA is supposed to investigate. Its job is not to promote good products, but to prevent possibly dangerous ones from being marketed. So it will never be an e-smoking cheerleader. And we muster approval only with proof, which, sadly, is lacking, as this article notes.