Fine overview article

[TropicalBob]

Sherid found this article in New Scientist, and it's a fine overview of e-smoking. He posted a link in the Chicago Tribune thread, but I think it needs highlighting with its own thread. This is a good intro for anyone relatively new to e-smoking:

Electronic cigarettes: A safe substitute? - health - 11 February 2009 - New Scientist

 

[sixstring]

my comment to the article:

Finally! A Well Thought Out Article.

Wed Feb 11 21:28:30 GMT 2009 by sixstring

It's refreshing to read an article from a non-smoker that does not damn these devices outright from a position of ignorance. This is the one of the VERY few well researched and well balanced pieces I've managed to find. I've personally managed to cut way down on the "real" cigarettes I smoke, I feel better, and I thank you for giving these a fair review.

 

[surbitonPete]

That is a great article TBob......a good unbiased report.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Good find on this article. The statement that:

"The WHO's Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) convened at the international conference on tobacco control in South Africa in November 2008 to consider the fate of e-cigarettes. Although their conclusions will not be published until September, New Scientist understands their advice to national departments of health will include proposing stricter regulations on their sale and manufacture: for example, that they should only be sold in pharmacies."

Well that makes no logical sense from WHO--are they talking about needed a presciption.......?

and this statment:

"Peter Hajek, a clinical psychologist and director of the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at the Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK, agrees. "Banning an alternative nicotine delivery device without any reason to believe that it has a potential for harm does not make much sense to me," he says. "It could have a role in harm reduction and smoking cessation and thus be of public health benefit."

is a very good point. Sun

 

[surbitonPete]

The great thing in our favour seems to be that a lot of intelligent and influential people are actually going to be able to see the potential health benefits of allowing E-cigs and will be arguing on our side.

 

[dc2k08]

That article was very well researched. I'm wondering if I'll be able to get in to hear that meeting in Dublin that Dr Laugesen has submitted a report to.

 

[Tallulah]

Thank you for this link. We need all the support from the scientific community we can get, in hopes to counter all the nanny-state-zealotrous-tax-profit-whores out there!

 

[GoldenP51]

Nice article...I would like to see everyone comment on it at their site to show our support for a good unbiased review (I did)!

Jon

 

[katink]

"All pointers so far show the device is safe," Laugesen claims. "Whether it will be a successful smoking cessation device in the future depends on whether governments wrap it in cotton-wool regulations or allow smokers to buy it with a modicum of reasonable safety checks."

This I find to be another quite important statement, very good it's in this article. Indeed, the 'how' of the outcome once governments really get their hands on the e-devices will só much influence the outcome of just how big of a success this will be in terms of using it successfully to get off tobacco (and perhaps off nicotine)...

We DO need freedom (up to a point, but further then governments will see fit unless they get educated very well on the subject) as to which devices will be available, how they look, where and how they can be bought, the possibility to 'muck around with them' (yes, I know that is controversial... but I am pretty much convinced this is an important step in the possibility to let go of tobacco-cigs...), a good range of flavors, a good range of strengths and the freedom to use them as the user feels is needed; and more... all these things are factors of the success of vaping; and each that will be taken away will lower any reachable successrate.

They can retain 90% of the success it is now... or they can see to it that it will be no more successful then the patches and gums with their very high relapse-numbers (and low numbers on the 'thats what I want to try'-scale). It's not about 'just as long as they get through, never mind how'... the how is very important too, and I am very happy to see that at least Dr. Laugesson does seem to see and emphasize that.

 

[dc2k08]

Well doesn't look like I'll be going to that meeting on Nicotine and Tobacco research that Dr Laugesen submitted his results to. They want 500 bones to register. shucks, seems like it would be interesting. wonder if I could wangle my way in somehow.

 

[Chuffer]

It's interesting that the article states that an inhalation of vapor delivers only about a third of the nicotine that an inhalation of smoke does. That jibes with my experience. I smoke ultralight cigarettes, and so initially vaped with 6mg strength eliquid. But I find that to attempt to truly reproduce the satisfaction of an analog, I need to use 18 mg or 20 mg strength juice, or, consistent with the article, about three times the strength of the analog.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Great article...

"All pointers so far show the device is safe," Laugesen claims. "Whether it will be a successful smoking cessation device in the future depends on whether governments wrap it in cotton-wool regulations or allow smokers to buy it with a modicum of reasonable safety checks."

If we can get more and more doctors/researchers to feel that the tobacco harm reduction route is a good way to go... hopefully the regulators will listen.

 

[e-pipeman]

This is an excellent article. The comments to it also make good reading.

 

[Drag on the Magic Puff]

I came across this article myself this morning and added to the comments on the NS website.


It's nice to see a reasonably well-balanced and well written article at last!

 

[K.P.]

Being a UK resident, I was pleased as punch to read Peter Hajek speaking so sensibly about these devices.

I found his contact details instantly with teh Google. I intend to send him an email saying essentially "Thank you very much for speaking on the record with a sensible and pragmatic view of electornic cigarettes. I bought my first one simply because it would allow me to smoke in my local pub and might reduce the health-impact of my nicotine addiction. I quickly discovered I actually preferred it to normal cigarettes, and gave them up with almost no effort. This little gadget had almost instant, painless success in getting me to give up smoking tobacco where years of state-sponsored campaigns have failed miserably--and all this at no cost to the tax-payer. Thanks again for speaking in favour of the best money I ever spent and the best decision I ever made."

He may or may not appreciate similar emails from other e-cig users. If he is someone that government regulators consult about e-cigs (when the time comes to make a decision about regulating them) then similar emails to him may or may not influence what he says to them and their final decision.

 

[GoldenP51]

Very well said KP!

 

[SpaceCadet]

Just been looking through the comments, and picked up on this one from the article's author:

"Thank you for your comments Avvie. In defence of ASH, however, I actually spoke to them about the electronic cigarette and although their comments did not make it into the final piece, they seemed very positive about the potential of the electronic cigarette as a smoking cessation device. They told me they were awaiting the results of further safety tests with high hopes that they will prove to be safe and effective."

So ASH is on our side!?! Wow. And I just criticised them on another thread, oops

On the other side, I've yet to see any comment from FOREST on e-cigs! I suppose, as it's not tobacco, they aren't that fussed!

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Just been looking through the comments, and picked up on this one from the article's author:

"Thank you for your comments Avvie. In defence of ASH, however, I actually spoke to them about the electronic cigarette and although their comments did not make it into the final piece, they seemed very positive about the potential of the electronic cigarette as a smoking cessation device. They told me they were awaiting the results of further safety tests with high hopes that they will prove to be safe and effective."

So ASH is on our side!?! Wow. And I just criticised them on another thread, oops

On the other side, I've yet to see any comment from FOREST on e-cigs! I suppose, as it's not tobacco, they aren't that fussed!

I think that the real anti's are shaking in their skivees. We are seeing states change their smoking bans... not passing them... using the tobacco suit money for other things... I think we will find that if we caress these groups through RTV, then they might actually see the e-cig as a good thing. At least until the banish tobacco... then of course they will come after the e-cig. But if they can be on our side until these are approved... then that's a good step for us.

Plus, I believe the common every day non-smoker is starting to become interested in the e-cig as an alternative that they can live with and the scare and hate tactics might not work in the future anti-smoking campaign.