E-Liquid is NOT "highly toxic" - ECITA (study) - 11 July 2014

[Anjaffm]

E-Cigarette Liquid Is Not Highly Toxic

Summary: European officials have been wrongly labelling e-liquid as extremely toxic. This is the view of ECITA, based on a report by toxicology consultants which has been verified by Professors Riccardo Polosa and Bernd Mayer, and Dr Jacques Le Houezec. The civil servants had been misclassifying e-liquid as either a CLP category 2 product, alongside strychnine, or a category 3 product, alongside formaldehyde. The new report demonstrates that the acute oral and dermal toxic hazards of the strongest consumer e-liquids only merit being classed as category 4 – along with washing-up liquid – while the vast majority of e-liquid (which has nicotine concentrations below 25mg/ml or 2.5%) does not require any type of formal hazard warning. ECITA will still mandate its members to provide clearly labelled e-liquid in child-proof containers

.How Toxic Is E-Liquid? | ECITA Blog

press release:
http://www.ecita.org.uk/docs/ECITA_Press_Release.pdf

(above summary courtesy of Stefan Didak)

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Officials around Europe have been erroneously placing e-cigarette liquid in Category 2 - alongside strychnine - or in Category 3 - alongside formaldehyde.

So how do you guys hold your "officials" accountable for erroneous and contrived information? Here in the U.S. we re-elect them and give them more money.

 

[Anjaffm]

Hm... those are unelected bureaucrats in the first place.
However, it could be possible to get the faulty classification changed. BEFORE the member states are forced to incorporate that faulty crap into national law. There is that possibility. Let's see what our vapers associations recommend. You see, the news just became public 2.5 hours ago

In some European countries, including my own, some petty bureaucrats are trying to mess with e-liquids in a kind of anticipatory obedience (and because they do not like vaping anyway). This study will be very useful for possible court cases. You see, in my country, we have codified law, and the courts do uphold the law and go by evidence. Hard evidence. Not blathering of "could" "possibly" "in case Good Friday falls on a Sunday" and similar stupidity. They have done so before, with vaping and e-liquids.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

Forward this on to the FDA! Doubt it would do any good! They're all biased! Everything falls on deaf ears.

At least somewhere in the world they realize the mistakes they've made with vaping.

 

[Anjaffm]

Forward this on to the FDA! Doubt it would do any good! They're all biased! Everything falls on deaf ears.

At least somewhere in the world they realize the mistakes they've made with vaping.

And why not send it to the FDA? Go ahead, dears, this is public knowledge and can be used by all vapers everywhere.

But about "realizing the mistake" - not so fast please. The study has just come out - and is going kind of viral in Europe at the moment. - It now remains to get it to the right places.

Though I have no doubts that the courts in Germany would continue to use it right away, in a court case about the matter.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

And why not send it to the FDA? Go ahead, dears, this is public knowledge and can be used by all vapers everywhere.

But about "realizing the mistake" - not so fast please. The study has just come out - and is going kind of viral in Europe at the moment. - It now remains to get it to the right places.

Though I have no doubts that the courts in Germany would continue to use it right away, in a court case about the matter.

I see. But it's a good step in the right direction. Which is always good for us Vapers.

I agree, the FDA needs to see this. They can ignore it, but it needs to be presented anyway.

 

[AndriaD]

Hm... those are unelected bureaucrats in the first place.
However, it could be possible to get the faulty classification changed. BEFORE the member states are forced to incorporate that faulty crap into national law. There is that possibility. Let's see what our vapers associations recommend. You see, the news just became public 2.5 hours ago

In some European countries, including my own, some petty bureaucrats are trying to mess with e-liquids in a kind of anticipatory obedience (and because they do not like vaping anyway). This study will be very useful for possible court cases. You see, in my country, we have codified law, and the courts do uphold the law and go by evidence. Hard evidence. Not blathering of "could" "possibly" "in case Good Friday falls on a Sunday" and similar stupidity. They have done so before, with vaping and e-liquids.

Over here, the main criterion seems to be "what's it worth to ya?"

Andria

 

[Anjaffm]

@AndriaD:
Same in the European Union and their mercenary, unelected bureaucrats.
In 2012, European Commission Chief Dalli resigned after being implicated in a scandal about soliciting a payoff with regard to - would you guess? - a smokeless tobacco product, snus. In connection with the preparation of the same Tobacco Products Directive that is now intended as a de-facto ban on e-cigs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/world/europe/dalli-resignation-leaves-eu-with-a-mystery.html?_r=0

The one certainty: The fall from grace last week of John Dalli, the commissioner for health and consumer protection, was remarkably sudden. It came after investigators concluded that he had probably known about an attempt by a lobbyist to solicit a multimillion-dollar payoff in exchange for easing a ban on snus, a form of tobacco sold in small pouches and placed between the gum and lip.

Commission officials have said that Swedish Match, a company that makes snus, complained to the commission in May that a Maltese entrepreneur had asked for money in return for using his contacts with Mr. Dalli. The aim, officials suspect, was to influence a legislative proposal on tobacco products — and in particular to seek an end to the ban on snus sales that covers all countries in the bloc except for Sweden.

Oh, by the way, snus is still banned in the EU (except Sweden). Due to the fact that the multimillion-dollar deal did not go through?

"what's it worth to ya?" - indeed.

Oh, incidentally, Sweden, where snus use is widespread, has the lowest rate of smoking and smoking-related disease in the entire EU.

 

[AndriaD]

@AndriaD:
Same in the European Union and their mercenary, unelected bureaucrats.
In 2012, European Commission Chief Dalli resigned after being implicated in a scandal about soliciting a payoff with regard to - would you guess? - a smokeless tobacco product, snus. In connection with the preparation of the same Tobacco Products Directive that is now intended as a de-facto ban on e-cigs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/world/europe/dalli-resignation-leaves-eu-with-a-mystery.html?_r=0





Oh, by the way, snus is still banned in the EU (except Sweden). Due to the fact that the multimillion-dollar deal did not go through?

"what's it worth to ya?" - indeed.

Oh, incidentally, Sweden, where snus use is widespread, has the lowest rate of smoking and smoking-related disease in the entire EU.

From this it seems obvious that politicians are the same world-wide -- venal, unprincipled, and far too stupid to get any other kind of job. You know what profession spawns the most politicians? Lawyers. Coincidence? I really don't think so! Shakespeare was right on the money! If we got rid of the lawyers, we'd have a lot fewer politicians!

Andria

 

[DrMA]

Excellent toxicology work by the ECITA consultants. Thanks for posting, Anja.

This is going to the FDA docket in tomorrow's daily comment.

 

[Anjaffm]

Excellent, DrMA!

 

[zoiDman]

Perhaps this type of Study should be a TPSAC Submission?

Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee

 

[Jman8]

I don't get why they recommend cautionary label for no nicotine products.

 

[zoiDman]

I don't get why they recommend cautionary label for no nicotine products.

Perhaps CYA?

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

I don't get why they recommend cautionary label for no nicotine products.

General CYA, keep out of reach of children and pets. PG is harmful to cats and I wouldn't want my youngster drinking a 30 ml bottle of cherry flavor e-liquid. You'll find it on a lot of relatively safe products along with contact a medical professional if ingested.

 

[AndriaD]

General CYA, keep out of reach of children and pets. PG is harmful to cats and I wouldn't want my youngster drinking a 30 ml bottle of cherry flavor e-liquid. You'll find it on a lot of relatively safe products along with contact a medical professional if ingested.

I've heard this about PG re: cats -- what exactly is that about?

Our cat used to rarely come into the house, she was an outdoors/garage kitty, but my husband has lately started letting her spend a lot more time in here with us because it's so ungodly hot out there (despite that I've informed him that cats can handle heat better than cold, being descended from African wild cats who had a desert habitat). How much PG would constitute a danger to felines, and what sort of danger?

Thx
Andria

 

[zoiDman]

General CYA, keep out of reach of children and pets. PG is harmful to cats and I wouldn't want my youngster drinking a 30 ml bottle of cherry flavor e-liquid. You'll find it on a lot of relatively safe products along with contact a medical professional if ingested.

Yeah... General CYA.

Of All the Proposed Regulations or Recommendations, Warning Labels and Child-Resistant Caps would be about the Last Things I would Consider Opposing.

 

[Kent C]

wiki:

Heinz body - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Veterinary

In veterinary medicine, Heinz bodies are associated with the consumption of onions by cats, dogs, and various primates, and a symptom of paracetamol poisoning in cats. Thiosulfate compounds in the flesh of onions have been identified as the cause.

Propylene glycol was once a common ingredient in soft moist cat food. According to the FDA "It was known for some time that propylene glycol caused Heinz Body formation in the red blood cells of cats (small clumps of proteins seen in the cells when viewed under the microscope), but it could not be shown to cause overt anemia or other clinical effects. However, recent reports in the veterinary literature of scientifically sound studies have shown that propylene glycol reduces the red blood cell survival time, renders red blood cells more susceptible to oxidative damage, and has other adverse effects in cats consuming the substance at levels found in soft-moist food. In light of this new data, CVM amended the regulations to expressly prohibit the use of propylene glycol in cat foods."

So... don't feed your dogs and cats onions and don't let your cat eat your dog's food (or, of course, don't buy dog food with PG if you have a cat).

Also to emphasize the non-toxic nature... also wiki:

Water-propylene glycol mixtures dyed pink to indicate the mixture is relatively nontoxic are sold under the name of RV or marine antifreeze. Propylene glycol is frequently used as a substitute for ethylene glycol in low toxicity, environmentally friendly automotive antifreeze (such as Sierra, Prestone Low Tox, and Texaco PG).

 

[AndriaD]

wiki:

Heinz body - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Veterinary

In veterinary medicine, Heinz bodies are associated with the consumption of onions by cats, dogs, and various primates, and a symptom of paracetamol poisoning in cats. Thiosulfate compounds in the flesh of onions have been identified as the cause.

Propylene glycol was once a common ingredient in soft moist cat food. According to the FDA "It was known for some time that propylene glycol caused Heinz Body formation in the red blood cells of cats (small clumps of proteins seen in the cells when viewed under the microscope), but it could not be shown to cause overt anemia or other clinical effects. However, recent reports in the veterinary literature of scientifically sound studies have shown that propylene glycol reduces the red blood cell survival time, renders red blood cells more susceptible to oxidative damage, and has other adverse effects in cats consuming the substance at levels found in soft-moist food. In light of this new data, CVM amended the regulations to expressly prohibit the use of propylene glycol in cat foods."

So... don't feed your dogs and cats onions and don't let your cat eat your dog's food (or, of course, don't buy dog food with PG if you have a cat).

Also to emphasize the non-toxic nature... also wiki:

Water-propylene glycol mixtures dyed pink to indicate the mixture is relatively nontoxic are sold under the name of RV or marine antifreeze. Propylene glycol is frequently used as a substitute for ethylene glycol in low toxicity, environmentally friendly automotive antifreeze (such as Sierra, Prestone Low Tox, and Texaco PG).

Thx for that, Kent. So it would seem that they'd actually have to be in contact with, or consume, a pretty large quantity, for it to be a serious issue? I'm just wondering how much PG remains in the air that we're all breathing in here, and if it would be sufficient to harm her. I can hear it now, if I tell my husband this, the first thing he's going to think/say is that I'm just making it up to prevent him having "his baby" in the house -- even though I kinda like having her in here, too.

I recently began modifying the mix I'm vaping to be no more than 40% or 50% PG, so it's not nearly as much as it used to be; just wondering if there is enough in my exhaled vapor to constitute a real danger to her. She spends most evenings, mostly in the house with us, because since we discovered that our neighborhood is home to both Barred and Great Horned Owls, we can't let her go outdoors after dark anymore, and if we just keep her in the garage all evening, she yowls constantly; I guess she's lonely, or bored, since cats are pretty much nocturnal creatures themselves. But during the day she doesn't come in, or comes in only to go right back out via a different door. So it's maybe 4-5 hrs each evening, and she spends it mostly near my husband (who doesn't vape) -- unless I'm in here cooking dinner, and then she's Miss Underfoot.

Andria

 

[Jman8]

don't let your cat eat your dog's food

Thank God for the internet and the information age. I'm not sure if I could've figured this out all on my own.