Hello Mr Beck,
I would like to bring your attention to an issue that is currently being fought.
E-cigarettes, a smokeless tobacco alternative originally created in China three years ago has been a blessing to hundreds of thousands of cigarette smokers in the US. The e-cigarette is, basically, a personal vaporizer that uses nicotine diluted in either propylene glycol or glycerin, both common food additives.When a user inhales through the device, air flow is detected by a sensor, which activates a heating element that vaporizes a nicotine solution stored in the mouthpiece. This not only delivers the nicotine that smokers are now addicted to but also mimics the ACT of smoking as vaporized propylene glycol turns to a visible vapor that looks much like smoke. If you would like to find more information about the e-cigarette please have a see the following page where some of the information above was provided from.
Electronic cigarette - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enter the FDA. I , like many users of this product are now fearful that we will not be able to continue this fight as the FDA tightens the noose around the collective neck of the fledgling e-cigarette business in the US. We are now awaiting a verdict in the case of Smoke Everywhere vs FDA. From what I know of the case, the FDA began holding up shipments of their products at customs. Smoke Everywhere, in turn, sued the FDA stating that they do not have jurisdiction over the product. The FDA's claim is that the product is an untested drug, a farce in the mind of most of my fellow e-cigarette users, when you find that ALL of the components in the liquid used to create the vapor are ALREADY FDA approved for human consumption, not to mention we are all well aware of how readily available the most common form of delivery for this "drug" is. So now we wait to see if the product will be deemed a "new drug" or a "tobacco product" .
In this year alone, we have seen several politicians attempt to ban e-cigarettes on the grounds of "Saving the Children". Yep, that old gag. They are stating that the flavors being added to e-cigarette liquids in the form of chocolate, strawberry, cherry and even coffee are all meant to directly influence children. Once they are hooked on these delicious flavored tobacco alternatives, the logical next move is for them to become full fledged traditional cigarette smokers. I wonder what these same politicians thoughts are on rum cake?
In May, 2009, the US FDA's Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis tested the contents of cartridges by two vendors. These are the same two vendors that are currently suing the FDA, Smoke Everywhere and Njoy. Trace amounts (detectable, but not measurable) of diethylene glycol was found in one of the seventeen cartridges. In addition, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were detected in some of the cartridges tested which used tobacco flavoring. Further, concerns were raised over inconsistent amounts of nicotine delivered when drawing on the device. In July, 2009, the FDA issued a press release discouraging the use of electronic cigarettes.
You may remember this press release. This is when the FDA stated that the same chemicals used in anti-freeze are used in e-cigarette liquid. What they failed to mention is that diethylene glycol, which again was found only in trace amounts in one of the 17 cartridges tested, can also be found in traditional tobacco cigarettes as it is commonly used as a humectant for tobacco. The fact that nicotine in liquid form is derived from tobacco also explains the presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Nitrosamines can also be found in FDA approved cessation tools, such as the NicoDerm CQ and Nicorette. These facts were curiously absent in the press release.
There are many theories as to the motivation of the FDA in this matter. Some state that Big Tobacco feels threatened. Some state that Big Pharma is feeling the pressure of a product that many claim far exceeds the 6% quit rate of their sanctioned cessation tools. The one I would throw my dollar behind, however, is that at present they are not considered a tobacco product and thus, are not able to be taxed. After all, death and taxes is the only real truth we know, so if it can not be taxed then it better be dead.
I am an e-cigarette user and former smoker. As of one month ago I kicked a 1-pack a day, 16-year habit. I have tried all manner of quit-smoking tools and have never found it as easy to walk away from cigarettes as I have with this product. In 3 days of use, I had my last tobacco cigarette and have not looked back. Currently, I am weening myself off of nicotine with lower strength cartridges. In the months time that I have used an e-cigarette in replacement of traditional cigarettes I can now breath better, I no longer have any congestion in my chest, I have more energy and my sense of smell and taste is returning.
I am not alone in this fight. Many e-cigarette users are currently petitioning their local and state representatives in an effort to demand more research be done on the product before it is banned. There are also many doctors that stand behind this product. Below is a link to a letter by Dr. Joel Nitzkin, Chair, AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force and Dr. Kevin Sherin, MD, MPH, FACPM, FAAFP, President, American Association of Public Health Physicians, who are also urging the FDA to reconsider is stance towards e-cigarettes.
http://www.ecassoc.org/downloads/AAPHP.pdf
I , along with other current e-cigarette smokers, are soliciting your help in quashing the false information, and in some cases, flat out lies regarding this product. Please help us live a longer life.
Thank you for your time,
