I've corresponded with Dr. Laugesen (lead New Zealand researcher) for a magazine article. He's the point man now for research on e-smoking. And his preliminary report is very positive, very encouraging.
But e-smoking is a two-edged sword and I'm trying to examine both edges. I think the findings on nicotine's impact on lung cilia are not in dispute. We'll live with the hopefully insignificant consequence. So we turn to propylene glycol, a generally accepted as safe chemical solution used in everything from cosmetics to medicines. But, uniquely, we INHALE it.
From Dow Chemical's safety information of propylene glycol: "Exposure to mists or artificial fogs may be irritating to the upper respiratory tract and should be avoided."
From Wikipedia: "Inhalation of the propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications. However, limited human experience indicates that inhalation of propylene glycol mists could be irritating to some individuals. Therefore inhalation exposure to mists of these materials should be avoided."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not set standards for inhalation of propylene glycol. That's because no one has ever purposely inhaled propylene glycol vapors regularly and in quantity, as we do with e-smoking.
In another post, SJ suggested researchers might look for another solution in which to suspend the nicotine we crave. I concur. We need a solution that is in no way irritating to the lungs, and, with some further research, might actually prove beneficial in multiple ways, since what enters the lungs is transferred rather easily and quickly to the blood for distribution throughout the body. Our e-smoking could evolve into inhalation therapy.
But e-smoking is a two-edged sword and I'm trying to examine both edges. I think the findings on nicotine's impact on lung cilia are not in dispute. We'll live with the hopefully insignificant consequence. So we turn to propylene glycol, a generally accepted as safe chemical solution used in everything from cosmetics to medicines. But, uniquely, we INHALE it.
From Dow Chemical's safety information of propylene glycol: "Exposure to mists or artificial fogs may be irritating to the upper respiratory tract and should be avoided."
From Wikipedia: "Inhalation of the propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications. However, limited human experience indicates that inhalation of propylene glycol mists could be irritating to some individuals. Therefore inhalation exposure to mists of these materials should be avoided."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not set standards for inhalation of propylene glycol. That's because no one has ever purposely inhaled propylene glycol vapors regularly and in quantity, as we do with e-smoking.
In another post, SJ suggested researchers might look for another solution in which to suspend the nicotine we crave. I concur. We need a solution that is in no way irritating to the lungs, and, with some further research, might actually prove beneficial in multiple ways, since what enters the lungs is transferred rather easily and quickly to the blood for distribution throughout the body. Our e-smoking could evolve into inhalation therapy.
I also think another option aside from PG should be investigated. I think that, if e-smoking grows in popularity, other options will be investigated due to general demand. It's encouraging to see you guys are at the forefront confronting these issues. Keep fighting the good fight.
