This was the email...
A TV news reporter in Raleigh, NC is looking for an
e-cigarette consumer in or near Raleigh) to do an on-camera interview
today (in response to the following press release issued last week by
the NC Health Dept.).
If you know anyone to recommend, either feel free to contact Jackie
directly, but please do so ASAP.
I also gave her Joel Nitzkin's contact info for a SKYPE interview
(she wants a doctor who supports e-cigarettes)
Bill Godshall
And this was the press release...For Release: Immediate Date: Nov. 5, 2010
Contact: Julie Henry (919) 707-5053
State Health Director Urges Caution Regarding Electronic Cigarettes
RALEIGH – On the eve of the Great American Smokeout, State Health
Director Jeff Engel, M.D., urged citizens to use caution when
considering the purchase and use of electronic cigarettes – also
known as e-cigarettes. The products, which are not regulated, are
typically marketed as a “safe alternative” to smoking.
“E-cigarettes are not currently regulated; therefore, there is no
way to know if they are safe or effective,” Engel said. “They are
available in shopping malls and online and are sold with no age
restriction, so they can easily be purchased and used by children and
teens.”
E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid cartridges
containing nicotine and deliver that nicotine to the user in the form
of a vapor. Mostly manufactured in China, these devices are usually
made to look like
tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars.
Nicotine cartridges come in a variety of flavors, such as strawberry,
banana and chocolate.
There is some concern that e-cigarettes could quickly cause high
levels of addiction among teens who are attracted to the appealing
flavors.
“These products look like cigarettes and deliver nicotine like
cigarettes,” said Sally Herndon, head of the Division of Public
Health’s
tobacco Prevention and Control Branch. “A single
cartridge contains enough puffs to equal up to a pack or more of
cigarettes, so a new smoker, or even an experienced smoker, could be
taking in much more nicotine than he or she realizes.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has analyzed a small
number of e-cigarettes and cartridges and found that some contained
known cancer-causing chemicals, and others contained diethylene
glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze, which is toxic to humans.
The FDA has issued warning letters to five distributors of
e-cigarettes for violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act. These violations include unsubstantiated health claims and poor
manufacturing processes. The FDA plans to regulate e-cigarettes
eventually in a manner consistent with its mission of protecting the
public’s health.
In the meantime, North Carolina’s public health officials remain
concerned that people will fall victim to false health claims of these
devices.
“Don’t be fooled into thinking an e-cigarette is a safe
alternative to smoking, or a sure-fire way to quit,” Engel said.
“There is no scientific evidence that either of those assumptions is
true.”
