The FDA's misleading report was heavily criticized by leading scientists within days after its publication.
Dr. Elizabeth Whelan:
FDA smoke screen on e-cigarettes - Washington Times
Dr. Michael Siegel:
The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary: Tobacco-Specific Carcinogens Found in Nicotine Replacement Products; Will Anti-Smoking Groups Call for Removal of these Products from the Market?
Dr. Brad Rodu:
Tobacco Truth: The FDA Crusade Against E-Cigarettes
Dr. Murray Laugesen of Health New Zealand has been studying electronic cigarettes since 2007. I already sent you the link to his September 2009 analysis, but here it is again:
Ecigarette mist harmless, inhaled or exhaled
Also, his complete lab report can be accessed here.
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdf
Note in particular his comments under Table 2.2 on page 7:
Comment. 1) Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were found, equal to 8 ng, in the 1 g of liquid of the 16 mg cartridge. This amount is extremely small, equal for example, to the amount reported to be present in a nicotine medicinal patch. (8 ng in 1g = eight parts per trillion).
2) These very small amounts traces are likely to be due to the fact that even medicinal grade nicotine is extracted from tobacco.
Now to really put these quantities in perspective, you need to compare them to the stuff in cigarette smoke. See the attached chart of TSNAs.
I didn't know whether you can open Word Documents, so I am copying the pertinent pages in here from the "Quotes from the Experts" document.
QUOTES ABOUT ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE USE INDOORS
Second hand mist from an e-cigarette is not smoke at all, and does not contain any substance known to cause death, short or long term, in the quantities found. It becomes invisible within a few seconds, and is not detectable by smell.
Exhaled breath after e-cigarette use has been tested for CO only. No increase in CO was found.
The e-cigarette does not create side-stream smoke.
Exhaled breath after e-smoking contains even less nicotine per puff, as much of the nicotine inhaled is absorbed. Similarly, propylene glycol is largely absorbed and little is exhaled.
No harm found in e-cigarette mist
All that's happening is you're heating up a liquid to the point of becoming a vapor. So referring to it as smoke doesn't make sense at all. Therefore, considering it subject to a smoking ban doesn't really make sense, either.
Dr. David Baron, Chief of Staff at UCLA Medical Center , from a video interview
There is no existing evidence that e-cigarettes pose a risk for nonsmokers. The nicotine exposure from the exhaled vapor produced is likely to be extremely small and there is no reason to think that it poses a danger for nonsmokers. But there is certainly no evidence to suggest that it poses a hazard.
Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, who also has 20 years of experience in Tobacco Control (TobaccoAnalysis.blogspot.com)
The claim that the trivial amount of vapor would be much of a risk seems ridiculously far-fetched.
Dr. Carl Phillips, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health (TobaccoHarmReduction.org)
There is substantial and compelling scientific research documenting that consuming the ingredients in e-cigarettes (nicotine, propylene glycol, water and flavors) is vastly safer than burning tobacco and inhaling 3000+ toxic by-products. Claiming that e-cigarettes are dangerous for non-smokers is about as credible as claiming that air travel is dangerous for people who never set foot in an airplane.
"Smoking bans have been universally justified on the basis of the risk posed by environmental tobacco smoke to non-smokers. Most of the air pollution due to cigarettes is due to sidestream smoke the smoke that curls off the end of the cigarette when no one is puffing on it. E-cigarettes have no sidestream smoke. E-cigarettes also have none of the toxic products of combustion produced by conventional cigarettes. It is therefore unreasonable to ban them on the basis of risk to non-smokers.
