Yes, TB was off to Washington and filed this report:
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
By Tropical Bob
Washington, D.C. (AP) -- New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg disappeared from his office early today after receiving a hand-delivered letter from FDA acting commissioner Frank Torti that appeared to contain bad news.
E-smoker Tropical Bob, using years of experience at reading upside-down text reflections in a chrome-plated Zippo lighter, was able to copy the letter, which reads as follows:
Dear Sen. Lautenberg:
Have you lost it? Sounds like it. You want a ban on electronic cigarettes? Why? Why on earth do you want to ban something that doesn't impact the health of other people, promises to improve the health of users and ... oh, it's money not spent on Big Pharmaceutical products, money not paid in taxes on Big
tobacco products. Okay, you have a point, but we're not a taxing agency, so that's not our consideration.
Here's what we've found in our studies of e-smoking:
A New Zealand clinical trial researcher has concluded they are safer than tobacco cigarettes and likely safe period. In more than a year of study, Dr. Murray Laugesen of Health New Zealand has yet to identify any health hazard in the vapor e-smokers inhale. Indeed, he has written that the germ-killing properties of the propylene glycol-based vapor might be healthful.
Although his studies are not yet concluded, it's significant that a lack of harm has been proven in everything he's tested to date. E-smokers now have some scientific assurance that the practice is not harmful, and might be beneficial.
Therefore, we've concluded that it might not be wise to ban these products at this time.
Since their invention in 2004, millions of e-smoking devices have been sold and used worldwide. In the past year, hundreds of thousands of smokers discovered the pleasure of e-smoking, where nicotine-laced vapor replaces tobacco smoke. With all that daily use, not one major injury incident has been reported. Now, one story is just an anecdote, but Internet forums devoted to e-cigs are filled with success stories, of improvements to health. There are hundreds of happy anecdotes on those forums of smokers no longer sucking in the known hazards found with tobacco smoking.
Surely those stories constitute a form of proof that e-smoking does not have any immediate negative consequences. Only the experience provided by years of use will prove there are no negative long-term effects. But there is no reason to think there will be. There is every reason to think e-smokers will live longer and healthier lives than smokers.
We have decided that until an incident raises a red flag, the FDA would do best to let e-smoking continue, with manufacturers responsible for health consequences. If a hazard is discovered, then the FDA would be obligated to regulate the practice. But until then, e-smoking is a promising option to reduce the health toll of cigarette smoking.
And you, sir, are a curmudgeon.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Frank M. Torti
Acting Commissioner
Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20903