A new industry safety standards board is in the process of being formed, the IECSB, International E-Cigarette Standards Board. As a result, implementation of EMSS is being delayed until we can determine if the IECSB succeeds in its mission, which is to set up a sliding scale safety rating system for e-cigarette products.
Metal tubemods are likely to be one of the first topics on the agenda in order to remove the need for ECF to produce standards. We agree that an independent body is a better idea. The downside is that inspection/testing/rating will incur a fee, but that is understandable. The board will consist of community and trade representatives plus several engineers (electronic and mechanical). We hope the fee can be kept to something reasonable such as $200 or so.
At this point, as far as we understand, a device built to the EMSS spec or something very similar would probably get a top rating since electrical testing and gas pressure testing to destruction will be carried out.
We have also just heard that someone in the pharmaceutical industry has offered a six-figure sum for any researchers who can come up with reasons why ecigs could be banned: such as design faults, lead in solder, asbestos in wicks, or contaminants in e-liquid. These issues could then be magnified out of all proportion (like the FDA press release) to create a fabricated laundry list of 'dangerous faults' that would provide a basis for an international call to ban ecigs.
A strong and successful standards and safety board would be one way to counter these sorts of attacks, which will increase as drug sales for the treatment of sick smokers declines. (See ECCA UK - E-Cigarette Consumer Association of the UK - News section.)
Metal tubemods are likely to be one of the first topics on the agenda in order to remove the need for ECF to produce standards. We agree that an independent body is a better idea. The downside is that inspection/testing/rating will incur a fee, but that is understandable. The board will consist of community and trade representatives plus several engineers (electronic and mechanical). We hope the fee can be kept to something reasonable such as $200 or so.
At this point, as far as we understand, a device built to the EMSS spec or something very similar would probably get a top rating since electrical testing and gas pressure testing to destruction will be carried out.
We have also just heard that someone in the pharmaceutical industry has offered a six-figure sum for any researchers who can come up with reasons why ecigs could be banned: such as design faults, lead in solder, asbestos in wicks, or contaminants in e-liquid. These issues could then be magnified out of all proportion (like the FDA press release) to create a fabricated laundry list of 'dangerous faults' that would provide a basis for an international call to ban ecigs.
A strong and successful standards and safety board would be one way to counter these sorts of attacks, which will increase as drug sales for the treatment of sick smokers declines. (See ECCA UK - E-Cigarette Consumer Association of the UK - News section.)
